


Nocturne

by ChessQueen27



Category: Original Work
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Flashbacks, Fluff and Angst, Other, Romance, Vampires
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-26
Updated: 2020-12-05
Packaged: 2021-03-07 23:53:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 20
Words: 518,254
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26666248
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChessQueen27/pseuds/ChessQueen27
Summary: Gwendalynn Coulston had many certainties in her life... Tristan Faraday was definitely not one of them.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 9





	1. I

Stopping at the crosswalk, waiting for the signal to turn green, a young woman checked the time on her wrist-watch. Letting out a sigh, she realized just how late the hour had become.

"God... another late night at work. This is like... the fifth night in a row... I'd better get some compensation for putting up with Advertising's incompetence. Come on, you goddamn lights, turn green already..."

The signal light promptly changed into green and the woman quickly crossed the street, passing several closed stores before seeing the small crowd gathered outside of her destination: a fairly popular bar that was well-known throughout all of the city. As she neared the place, the streetlights illuminated her features: long blonde hair, hazel-brown eyes, and a no-nonsense expression. Dressed simply in a black pencil skirt, a light blue collared shirt, and some simple heels, the woman looked exactly like someone who had just gotten out of work and was looking for a bit of fun for the night. Though not what most men would consider drop-dead gorgeous, she was still stunningly beautiful and carried herself with a confidence that most people envied. Once she got close to the crowd and the entrance of the bar, she was met with several greetings as well as looks from the men - some of whom were even with their girlfriends or respective fiancées.

_Talk about faithful men,_ she thought once getting a seat inside. The place could be easily dubbed as popular and crowded, however quite cozy, considering the number of corner tables it contained. She quickly moved into one of them, called for the waiter to bring her a strong drink, then sat on her own to observe the coming and going of people around the place. Watching them in silence was part of the entertainment during those kind of evenings.

It was a rust-haired young man that caught her attention that night. Passing a few metres from her, with a brisk walk and a sort of flair in his mannerisms, she grinned, knowing that most probably, he would have made her night more interesting.

"Looks promising..." she told herself as the young man walked up to the bar and ordered a drink. While waiting for it, he began scanning the room until his eyes fell on her. Giving her a predatory smile, the man took his drink and made his way over.

"So, what's a beautiful woman like you doing sitting all by her lonesome? Date stand you up? Meeting some girlfriends here? Waiting for me?" The man laughed and gave her a cocksure grin.

Inwardly sighing to herself, the woman kept an amused grin on her face and adopted a giggly tone. "My, aren't you straightforward. If you must know, I'm just here for the atmosphere - and the drinks."

The man continued to sip his drink. "You're just here for the drinks? I find that hard to believe..."

"No really, I like seeing all of the people here. Makes the building seem alive."

"Hmm, never really thought about it, but it does seem like it could be," the man replied, polishing off his drink and ordering another one from a passing waiter. "Now that we're getting somewhere, care to tell me your name? Or do I have to call you 'gorgeous' for the entire night?" he told her while giving her another shark-like grin as he waited for her response.

_He might have looked cute outwardly, but he's yet another drunken idiot,_ she thought, while bluffing yet another smile at him. "Michelle," she whispered, lying, as she scooted her way closer to him. "Even though I wouldn't mind you calling me 'gorgeous' anyway..." 

"Michelle, eh?" he grinned. "I like that name... sounds a little bit... sensual don't you think?" he whispered, placing a hand under her chin and caressing her with his thumb. "I'm John... pleased to meet you," he continued, moving closer, almost brushing her lips to hers.

She hated those sort of men, outwardly forward with only one thing stuck in their mind. _Makes you wonder why they even exist,_ she thought, as she teasingly walked her fingers up his chest, grinning as she grabbed his tie and made him move closer to her. "So... John, shall we get to... business?" she uttered in a fake whisper, thrilled and disgusted at the way they fell each time she worked her way through them. After letting go of him, Gwyn stood up, rearranged her skirt and headed outside, knowing that the man would be after her in a short while. The footsteps she heard behind her as she made her way towards her car were the net result of her actions.

“You’re going to follow me, aren't you?" she told him in a stern tone of voice, while she looked for the car keys inside her handbag, and feeling a pair of arms snaking their way round her waist. 

"Thought we were on the same wavelength, mmh?" he uttered, a terrible stench of whiskey coming out of his mouth, as he rested his head on her shoulder.

"Maybe we did," she replied, turning in his arms to face him. "I was going back to my place right about now... you want to... join me?"

"I thought you'd never ask." Another cocky grin was tossed her way, annoying Gwyn even further.

"Then let's go." Pushing him away from her lightly, Gwyn moved towards the driver's side of the car while John climbed into the passenger's side. Once they were safely inside, the woman headed straight towards her apartment.

As the flashing lights of the bar faded from view, Gwyn tried to maintain her focus on driving, but apparently John had other plans. Slapping his hand away for the umpteenth time, she was forced to make a hard stop at an intersection. "Would you stop that? I'm trying to drive here."

Giving her a drunken smirk, John leaned his head against the back of the seat. "Thought you wanted to get the party started a little sooner. You seemed like you did back there."

Rolling her eyes as the light turned green, Gwyn forced herself to adopt the tone of a simpering idiot. "I did, but now that we're closer to my place... I'm sure you'll enjoy having a more _private_ party." Taking her foot off the brake pedal, she slowly trailed her foot up his calf, making him sit up immediately.

"Oh I'm sure I will." Turning his head, John finally sobered up enough to look at the interior of the car. "Wow, this is a top-of-the-line car. How'd a pretty thing like you manage to snag this beauty?"

Turning onto her street, Gwyn began to look for somewhere to park. "Oh, it was a gift from my parents after I graduated from school. They were so proud of me for graduating at the top of my class." Finding an empty spot, she parked the car with a practiced ease. "My family's quite wealthy as well as powerful..."

John gaped back at her like an idiot. _Probably he's thinking he's hit the jackpot or something... pathetic..._ she thought, sighing and grinning back at him at the same time. "Really? That's nice to know for future reference..." Staring out the window, he let out a long whistle. "Did Mommy and Daddy buy you this place too?"

"No, I did," came the short reply as Gwyn got out of the car. "Coming? It gets rather lonely being in my apartment with no one else around..."

Anne was still working during that hour - washing, ironing, preparing all that was necessary in the kitchen for the next day. She had been working in Ms. Coulston's apartment for years now; she got used to her routines, to her schedules, to her guests. And, most of all... to her needs. Aside from the fact that her mistress was a stern, introverted, and strict woman; she never treated her bad, not at all... and that was what made her stick to staying there so long... it was all out of respect for that woman. And... the pay was excellent. She couldn't help but smile when she heard the front door click open, noticing that the woman was accompanied by yet another man that evening. 

"It's one of those nights again..." she said to herself, while moving to another room, leaving her mistress to her privacy.

After acknowledging Anne's presence inside, without even greeting her, Gwyn stormed furiously towards her bedroom. She wanted to get over all this as soon as possible, and over the man that was following her so closely.

"Man, you really must be something..." he commented yet again, while taking in the furnishings of the apartment. "I mean... I don't think you're even older than me, anyways, this place looks fantastic..."

"I'm Assistant Director in a private company, if that is of any importance to you," she replied, trying not to get visibly irritated as much as possible, as she shut the door of her bedroom, while switching on some dim lights at the same time. "What's your job anyway, if this is surprising you so much?," she asked, walking a few paces away from him to sit at the edge of her queen-sized bed.

"I'm... just a bank clerk... nothing much..." he answered sitting by her side. "However, if you have these sort of connections, and this sort of position, maybe you could..." he whispers, leaning closer to her.

"Maybe I could what? Find you a better job? Mmmh? I'm not really into... scouting for new talents when it comes to my job... that I do... as a personal interest," she grinned, naturally implying her real intentions, however leaving him totally oblivious of what she really meant. "Now... enough of this useless chit-chat... let's get to something more... _interesting_ , don't you think?" she says in a whisper, as she moved to sit on his lap, facing him, wrapping her legs around his waist.

"Whoa whoa woman!" John exclaimed laughing, getting excited from all the situation. "And I thought I would be having a boring evening at a bar..."

"You never know when it comes to these things you know, _expect the unexpected_ they say," she grinned even more, as she started giving him brief kisses at the side of his neck, while sliding one of her hands under his shirt. "Just relax now... and leave everything to me... you will remember this, forever... mark my words..." she told him, giving him a slight push to make him rest on his back, with Gwyn hovering above him. 

John started tugging eagerly at her shirt, trying to unbutton it as fast as possible. "You know what though, Mich..." he laughed, as Gwyn managed to remove his shirt while continuing the brief showering with void kisses. "My fiancee would kill me if she'd get to know about all this, but who cares now anyway," he admitted, meeting her lips in a lustful kiss.

As soon as she heard the man utter the word 'fiancée', Gwyn's eyes narrowed up into slits. _So, this pathetic brat is being an idiot with me here, while having his fiancee back home?_ she thought, as he managed to do away with her shirt, and started aiming for the clasp of her bra. Gwyn grinned back at him, and gave him an apathetic look for one last time that evening, and told him, in almost a menacing tone: "We don't really have to tell your 'fiancée' about all of this right? We don't have to tell anyone about this..." she whispered, as her lips reached for the skin on his neck.

"No no! That's obvious! Why would she need to know, it's just you and me... and... what was... that... oh God..."

-

A few hours later, Gwyn stormed out of her bedroom, as she wiped off her mouth and searched for her maid, who was probably waiting for her inside the kitchen, as always.

"Anne?" she called, finding the girl reading a book while she was seated at the kitchen table.

"Yes ma'am, hope you had a nice evening," she greeted her, taking the bundle resting on the nearby chair in her arms.

"I need to you clean that mess from the bedroom, leave nothing, not even one single minute stain," she ordered sternly.

"As you wish, I'll get that done in no time," the maid replied, rushing out of the kitchen, as Gwyn slumped down on one of the chairs.

"Thank you... I need to get my eyes on someone more interesting one of these days... that thing was downright terrible..."

-

Greeting everyone as he walked through the halls to his office, Tristan Faraday was busy holding a cup of coffee in one hand and the day's paper in the other. Though having only been with the company for a little over a year, the young man had quickly made his way up the corporate ladder and was now one of the top managers working directly under Assistant Director Gwendalynn Coulston. Upon entering his office, Tristan set his stuff down and slumped in his seat before studying the reports in front of him.

"I swear I'm going to kill everyone in Advertising..." Sighing as he picked up the first report, Tristan began to read until a knock at his open door disrupted him.

"Tris? Got a minute?"

Looking up at the sound of the voice, Tristan saw his friend James hand him a pastry. "Yeah. What's up?"

"There's a delivery messenger downstairs and they need a signature... All the other top brass aren't here yet so..."

"Right...and thanks man, haven't had a chance to grab breakfast yet."

"No worries. Now, I've gotta tell you about my date last night..."

The two men talked and laughed as they made their way downstairs. At the same time, Gwyn had arrived into the office, looking prim and proper in a charcoal pinstripe skirt and white dress shirt topped with her matching suit jacket. In her arms were several reports that she was dropping off to each of her managers and as she reached Tristan's office, she noticed that it was empty, save for the hot cup of coffee and a bag on the floor. 

She wasn't in the mood of bickering with anyone that morning, particularly with Tristan, which she considered as one of the most competent and efficient managers working under her wing. He was practical in his decisions and thoughtful when it came to any of the more complicated issues... plus he was always the first to ask for guidance and advice from her. She had often praised him when she discussed her staff compliment with the CEO, who in turn almost always had equal words of praise for the man. She sighed though, the previous night had placed quite the toll on her, and sat down on the armchair in front of his desk, flipping warily through the report related to the Advertising section. 

"This needs to be discussed with the boss... I'm fed up of redoing all of their work!" she scoffed, slamming slightly the file on his desk. "I'll just take advantage of this and discuss it with him, maybe he'll have some good ideas... waiting a bit here won't do any harm..."

"...Sounds like you had a great time out. Told you that you two would hit it off... Oh, looks like I've got work to do - Ice Queen's in the office."

Adjusting his glasses slightly, James peeked around Tristan to see Gwyn sitting in one of his chairs. "Good luck there. Lunch as usual?"

"Yep. See ya, and thanks,” the young man waved to his friend as he entered his office. "AD Coulston. To what do I have the pleasure of your company this morning?"

Without even greeting him, or turning to acknowledge his presence, Gwyn held up her arm to hand him over one of the reports. "I need a critique on this, signed off by you and handed over to my desk by end of business today, Faraday. I'm fed up of dealing with the work of incompetent people."

Taking the report from her hand, he quickly flippled through it. "Is this about Advertising? If so, I'll gladly help you kill them all... The nights this past week have been brutal, as I've been trying to fix all of their screw-ups - only to have them screw-up the next thing..." After removing his black suit jacket, Tristan quickly unbuttoned the top button of his light blue dress shirt to loosen his tie and rolls up his sleeves. "Do you want it to be brutally honest or sugarcoated?" 

"Brutally honest, realistic and with a description of the current situation that you and me are dealing with every single day," she replied, with a hint of irritation in her voice. "I'll probably organize a meeting with the boss to discuss it later on this evening, so keep all your evening timeslots available please. And get yourself ready for working overtime, we won't be done with all of this in just an hour."

Looking up at Gwyn and giving her a slightly mischievous smile, Tristan grabbed a pen and began to work on his critique. "Will do and can we have Advertising foot the bill for dinner? I think it's the least they could do for dumping this on us."

Upon hearing that, Gwyn stood up and looked back at him for the first time. "What dinner?"

Setting down his pen, the young man leaned back in his chair and smiled. "The one I'm going to need after I pull four hours of overtime fixing their latest screw-up," he told her, taking the report he was reading earlier and handing it to her. "Take a look and enjoy."

"Right... and you have my approval on that, if you want," she replied, while taking the other report, and moving to open the door. "What's this?"

"Apparently it's our latest marketing campaign... and yet, there's no way in hell that wouldn't offend certain groups, don't you think? Also, thanks for the approval."

"I'll have a look at it and get back to you. Nice day," she muttered, walking out of the office and slamming the door in the process.

Wincing slightly as the door is slammed, Tristan grabbed his cup of coffee and took a long-needed sip. "What the Ice Queen bringeth, she also taketh away..." Gazing at the report, the young man reluctantly picked up his pen and continued from where he left off.

-

Meanwhile, Gwyn returned back to her office and shut the door before tossing Faraday's report onto her desk and slumping into her chair. "Oh God I think all of this damn stress is getting to me...and that boy..." Picking up the report, Gwyn began reading the report but found her mind drifting towards today's image of her newest manager. Unlike the idiot she picked up last night, Tristan actually had brains to go with his handsome looks. The floppy mop of short black hair gave him a boyish appearance that suited him well, but it was the dark blue, almost black eyes that stuck out the most. Average height, slim build, and almost delicate features that further highlighted his mixed heritage, which gave him a slightly exotic look that most people in the office found themselves approving of greatly.

"Good morning ma'am, need any coffee?" Cynthia, her private secretary asked her as she came in as she did every morning, handing over her schedule of meetings for the day.

"Does a damn calming chamomile drink exist? I think I'd go for a full dose of that stuff right now," she commented, running a hand through her hair. "And Cynthia, contact the CEO's personal assistant requesting a meeting with the boss this evening please, at around six. Faraday needs to be involved in the meeting too."

Cynthia merely nodded and backed away. "Will do as soon as I get back to my desk. Have a nice day... and I'll bring you a chamomile tea soon enough too Miss."

"Whatever, whatever... just get me that meeting organized please."

The secretary just nodded in return and walked away to head back outside, leaving Gwyn on her own working, flipping on from one report to the other. After a few hours though, her phone rang for the first time that morning - Cynthia had all of her call screening, so all of the incoming calls would be generally diverted to her, however, the important calls would have been passed to her anyway.

"Yes?" she answered, taking hold of the handset. "What is it?"

"Wanted to tell you that the meeting has been arranged ma'am. Six P.M. at the CEO's office, and Mr. Faraday has already been advised of this arrangement. Plus, Mr. Rhule is on the line... he would like to talk to you."

"Pass him over, thank you Cynthia."

"You're welcome. Passing the call now..." the secretary replied, leaving the call to her.

"Good morning Fred... what's with you calling me personally?" Gwyn answered, with a slight smirk on her lips.

"Ahh, that's my girl. How are you Gwyn? Heard something about Advertising melting down or something like that... No doubt you're on top of it, right?"

"I swear, if you're not going to do something about them, I'm going to kill all of them off in one go," she growled.

"Ha ha, you've still got it after all these years. They must have royally screwed up to put you into this kind of mood. Is it just you or you got someone else working on this too?"

"I've got Faraday working on it with me. And he's just as pissed on this whole damned situation as I am... but, above all of this mess, last night I encountered an idiot who set me into this goddamn foul mood. I'm warning you, don't come up with strange ideas today, or I'll end up blowing up the entire place."

"Alright there wildcat, I'll bear that in mind tonight. Faraday huh? How's that boy working out for you? If you don't watch out, he just might usurp your position from you..."

The CEO's comment made her grin widely. "Not if I become Director, working directly under the CEO, Fred."

"Heh, there is that too. But really, I've heard the others talking about the boy. From what I hear, he hasn't been with us too long, has he? Also, it's been a while since you've taken a personal interest in your underlings."

"It's not a question of _personal_ interest," she quickly snapped back. "It's a question of competency. And that boy is that. He's the type of person I like having on my team - competent, practical, inquisitive. I've already talked to you about him anyway. However... what's about _your_ interest though? You barely ever ask me about my own staff..."

"Whoa whoa whoa there. Time out. I didn't mean personal _personal_ \- just thought it's been a while that you actually gave one of your underlings free reign. Also he's attending this meeting right? He's obviously got a sharp mind and you trust his skill, so he's definitely one that'll go far. As for my interest in the boy... he might prove to be useful one day despite his _shortcomings_. Keep an eye on him, he's got a lot of potential."

"I will. No need of you to tell me. Anything else?"

"Have a good day Gwynnie. And I look forward to finally meeting the Faraday boy. Don't work too hard now."

Once finished, Gwyn just slammed down the phone violently, without even saying goodbye to her boss anyway. She didn't mind, and he didn't either - he was pretty much used to getting those moods from her, particularly after hearing that she had spent quite the awful evening. In the meantime, Cynthia had entered the office silently, placing a cup of camomile tea on her desk, and had exited without barely even making a sound. As she took the cup in her hand, the woman merely gave half a smile, then indulged into more report reviewing... for the rest of the morning.

-

"Knock knock. Ready to go to lunch - what the hell happened to you?!"

Looking up from the wads of crumpled paper and the stacks of coffee cups, Tristan gave his friend a wry grin. "Work my friend, work. Is it lunchtime already?"

James just laughed back as he gave a look at his watch, "Yep, sure is buddy. C'mon... you look like you could use some more nourishment. Let's go..." Hauling his friend out of his chair, James gently pushed Tristan through the door.

"Hey man... I can do it. I'm a big boy..."

"I know, but how you got into such a state in a few hours is beyond me. Then again, those late nights must be killer right now, huh?"

"Yep, they sure are," came the reply as Tristan made sure that he had his wallet on him before the pair headed for the elevator. "Got a meeting lined up tonight... and it's major."

Pressing the button, James looked at his friend quizzically. "Major? How so?"

"It'll be with the Ice Queen and the Head Honcho himself."

"What?! No way..."

Chuckling slightly as he pushed James into the moderately full carriage, Tristan entered the lift before answering. "Yes way. So after the meeting, I've got more overtime to do as Advertising's taken another nose-dive..."

"Ooohhh, fun. Guess inviting you out for a beer tonight is out of the question?"

"Dunno, but I'll let you know what's up. Tonight may be better than the previous ones..."

Lunch between the two friends was relatively quiet, save for most women and a few men, giving a couple of looks over at Tristan, who mostly focused on his lunch. After enjoying the sunshine and talking about all sorts of topics, the pair grabbed some snacks for the afternoon before heading back to the office.

-

"Are you sure you don't want anything for lunch ma'am... really, you have been working non-stop since this morning without having anything to eat... this won't do you..."

Gwyn looked up from yet another report and smiled back at her. "No, thank you for the concern though... I'm not hungry at all. You can go have your lunch now..."

Cynthia smiled back at her, grateful for the concession and headed out of the office, as Gwyn shoved yet another file at away from her desk in disgust. "What the hell is everyone thinking in here, that I'm going to baby them around, re-write all of their damn reports?! No way in hell," she cursed, scribbling over a few of the bad ones, sending them back for re-drafting. "This situation has to end. Or else I'm going to get these sort of migraines every single day..."

-

"Take it easy, James."

"You too, Tris. Later."

Nodding before entering his office, Tristan let out an audible sigh before placing his things on his desk and grabbing the report that Gwyn had given him earlier that morning. The report itself was just about finished, but Tristan wanted a second opinion on one of his critiques. Tossing an apple into the air as he thought, Tristan decided to head over to Gwyn's office and ask her - taking the apple with him.

Walking through the halls towards her office was rather painless, as most people had just gone to lunch. Stopping at her door, he eyed the nameplate on the door. _Someday, this'll be mine..._ thought Tristan as he knocked on the solid wooden door.

Gwyn raised her head from reading, sighing loudly. "Come in."

The door opened slightly as Tristan entered with little effort before closing the door behind him. Taking in the sight before him, he realized just how pissed off Gwyn was. "Was this a bad time? Because, pardon me for saying so ma'am, but you look like how I feel - and that's _shit_. Especially after dealing with Advertising's daily dose of gross incompetence."

After hearing that, Gwyn looked up at him and sighed, gesturing him with her hand to sit down. "You have to deal with just that... I have to deal with five other pieces of sheer _crap_ that arrived here this morning."

"Just wanted a second opinion on one of my critiques before I signed off on it. Oh and here, looks like you could use this more than I could," came the smooth reply as he handed her the apple and his report before sitting down and taking a moment to look around the room.

"An apple?" she asked, giving him a strange look. "Ah well, whatever..." she mumbled, taking the report in her hands to start reading it. After jotting down a few notes here and there, she grinned and placed the pages in front of him again. "Best thing I've read this morning. I agree with the content, subject to my revisions."

Giving her a grin, Tristan just nodded. "Mm-hmm. I'd have given you a muffin - but they were all out. Also, you know what they say, 'An apple a day keeps the doctor away.'" As he looked down at the papers in front of him, a loud 'crunch' shook him out of his thoughts. "Huh? Oh. If I could trouble you for a pen, I'll sign off on it right now. And needless to say, I'm glad you agree with my assessment as it means we're seeing the same problems with Advertising."

"Here..." she replied, handing him over her pen. "The apple was much appreciated, however shooting an entire office would probably keep my doctor away right now, Faraday."

Chuckling to himself as he signed the papers, Tristan just nodded. "As much as I would agree with that statement, it wouldn't do as they would probably just hire even more incompetent people to replace the incompetent ones. Making our job that much harder."

The woman merely raised an eyebrow at that. "And that's exactly what I would need right now."

"Of course..." Grinning, Tristan rose from seat and stood in front of Gwyn's desk. "Anything else? Otherwise, I'll be heading back to my office."

"No no, you may leave... See you later. Don't you dare forget about the meeting or I'll hunt you for the rest of your days," she chided him in a mock serious tone.

"Ooooh, sounds quite kinky. That'll be a great mental image to get me through the day: you in a hunter's outfit and a leather crop..." came the laughing retort as Tristan let himself out before Gwyn could respond back.

"What the... did the kid just describe his fantasies to me... oh _God_ ," she muttered, placing a hand on her forehead while exhaling a loud sigh and resting her back against her armchair. "I really didn't want to hear that. This day is getting better by the fucking minute..."

As Gwyn was fuming in her office, a whistling Tristan could be heard as he walked through the halls towards his office, a slight swagger in his step. _Got her..._ he thought with a grin.

-

The rest of the day passed without incident and for that Tristan was glad. Having worked through the reports, his mind thought back to Gwyn's expression after he teased her. _She's definitely hot... but so off-limits. Still though...there's gotta be more to her than just the 'Ice Queen' persona'. Plus, I wouldn't mind her 'riding me' a few times._ A knock on his door caused Tristan to look up and see James waving farewell for the night. Waving back, Tristan checked his own watch and noticed that it was almost time for the meeting with Gwyn and the CEO. Grabbing his notes and a pen, Tristan made his way back towards Gwyn's office.

Stopping just short of Gwyn's office, Tristan noticed Cynthia, Gwyn's assistant, packing up for the night.

"Hey Cyn. Any plans for tonight?"

Looking up as she stopped her packing, Cynthia gave him a wide smile. "Just dinner with my folks. They're visiting from out of town. Sorry that you're stuck here again. It's what... the seventh night in a row for you?"

"Something like that. Have fun tonight. Oh yeah, she in?"

Nodding, while continuing to finish up packing. "Of course. Been pretty quiet in there after lunch, but I know that she's totally stressing over Advertising. Plus your meeting...she's tough as nails, but she's a really great boss."

"Oh I totally agree. Well, I'm gonna go check in. You take care and say hi to your folks for me."

"Same to yourself, stranger. And really, we need to hang out like we used too. You may be higher up, but you're still the same Tristan I went to school with."

"We should. See ya."

The pair waved each other goodbye as Tristan found himself in the same position as earlier that day and knocked softly on the door.

"Yes? Come in."

Opening the door, Tristan let out a small sigh as there was no one else in the office, other than Gwyn. "Am I early?"

"We can go anyways, boss would be free at this time of the day. And maybe that would mean that you could leave earlier than planned," she replied, while grabbing her suit's jacket and slipping it on. 

Looking down at his state of 'under-dress' compared to Gwyn, the young man faced his boss. "Should I go back to my office and grab my jacket?"

"If you want. I would prefer if you did though," she replied, taking all the necessary files as she started heading outside. "I'll wait for you outside the CEO office. See you in a few minutes."

Tristan watched her head towards the CEO's office before jogging back to his office to grab his suit jacket. "At least she was kind enough to let me grab this..." came the quiet muttering as he unrolled his sleeves before putting on his jacket. Making sure that his shirt and tie were pristine, Tristan calmly walked towards the direction of the office of Frederick Rhule.

Seated on the couch in front of the office, Gwyn had taken advantage of the quiet time on her own to read yet another report. This particular one wasn't that bad, but not as good as the ones Faraday presented to her - his work was pretty impressive, quite stunning for such a young boy. Once she heard his steps getting closer, she looked up, closed the file in front of her and stood up. "That's better."

Bowing playfully, Tristan moved to stand in front of her. "Glad it meets your approval, ma'am. Any idea how this meeting will turn out?"

"Hopefully with a clear way forward. I won't accept getting out of that office without a firm stand from Frederick's end. I may be able to take decisions on his behalf, but this needs an overarching decision from the highest authority here," she promptly replied. "And if you have any ideas on how to get out of this situation, tell him about them, don't worry, he'd appreciate new ideas."

Tristan nodded in response before sitting next to her, resting his arm along the back of the couch. "Duly noted. So... what's he like? Surely you've met him more than a few times."

"I've known him for... _ages_. And I meet up with him almost every two days for follow-ups and update meetings. You might not know, but an AD's position is not that easy to handle. You have decision making powers which are almost as equal to those of the CEO in a way. The position has its prestige, but hell, the burdens are even more accentuated this way... as sometimes you get delegated with decisions that not even the CEO himself takes."

"I think I'll be able to handle it..." he grinned while twirling his pen with his free hand.

"Maybe your time will come some day, you are quite a promising one," she smiled without looking at him, while getting back to her feet to knock at the boss's door. 

Tristan stopped twirling the pen and gets to his feet. "Was that a compliment from the famous Gwendalynn Coulston? If so, thank you."

"And they're a rarity so keep that close to you. It'll be one of the few you'll hear from my end in years," she replied, opening the CEO's door. 

Deciding to test his luck, Tristan placed a hand on her elbow. "And was that a joke as well? My my, you are in quite a good mood at the moment," he grinned back at her before letting go and resuming his stance by her side.

"Because probably I might be taking this off my mind for a while," she told him, pointing at the report she had in her hand. "Which definitely puts me in a better mood than the one I had this morning."

"Aww...I managed to put you in a really good mood? We haven't even managed to get to the foreplay yet..." he stopped as a loud laugh rang through his ears while Gwyn just gave him a glare.

"Now _that_ , was an excellent retort. You'll definitely fit right in with upper management, Boy. You must be Tristan Faraday, I've heard many good things about you, Son," came the amused reply from Mr. Frederick Rhule, CEO and owner of _New Dawn Securities_.

Blushing slightly, Tristan took the proffered hand and shook it firmly. "I am indeed and thank you for the kind words Sir."

"Oh the pleasure is all mine, afterall, you managed to render my Assistant Director speechless with that comment. It shows that you've got a sense of humor, Son, and I really like that in my employees. So, what's say we get down to business, shall we? Don't want to keep you kids out too long."

"Yes Sir," came the clear reply from both Gwyn and Tristan.

Over the next forty-five minutes, the three of them discussed all of the problems that have been going on with the Advertising department. As Gwyn or Fred would speak, Tristan found himself drawn to watching them go back and forth - the ease, yet formal way they carried themselves becoming quite apparent. Once Fred was going over one of Tristan's critiques with Gwyn, he began to study the older man. Graying at his temples, Frederick still had a full head of black hair and had kept it in a dignified crew cut. Piercing green eyes peeked out from the square-cut lenses of his glasses and a closely-cropped salt-and-pepper beard rounded out his face. Though a bit taller that Tristan himself, Frederick cut quite the imposing figure and the young man could feel power radiating from him. Despite that, the CEO was very easy-going and overly-friendly, which put Tristan at ease as he would interject his opinion and thoughts; just as Gwyn had said, Fred was quite accepting of his ideas and appreciated the fresh stance that Tristan was providing.

"...Well, unless you two have anything else to add, I'll notify the department heads and we'll schedule a meeting with everyone in the coming week. Also, Tristan?"

"Yes Sir?"

"I want you in on this meeting too, understand? Your input has been invaluable and for that I thank you. Trust me when I say that you'll do some great things within this company. Also, take the night off, Boy. You look exhausted and you've earned it."

"But Sir-"

"Mr. Rhule, I cannot-"

Holding up a hand, Fred eyed both of them with a firm, yet warm look. "I mean it, and you too Gwyn. You two have been burning the midnight oil for too many nights now. Some rest'll do you two good. Go home, eat something warm and comforting, and curl up with a good book. Understood?"

"Yes Sir."

"Good. Now Tristan, run along now, I still need to speak to your boss about a few more things regarding the meeting."

Nods in affirmative, "Yes Sir."

Both Gwyn and Fred watch the boy leave the room silently before settling back down into their chairs. Observing her expression as she began gathering the various reports, Fred let out a quiet chuckle.

"He's gotten to you, hasn't he? And don't give me that look... I've known you for far too long to not see it."

"I don't know what you mean, Fred. I told you already: he's been a great team player, he's competent, intelligent, and focused. The boy'll go far, I know that for certain."

"As do I, but I also saw something else in him - he's not afraid of you."

Gwyn raised an eyebrow at him and sighed. "Now will you stop alluding to things between me and the boy and talk to me about _business_? You have in mind of setting a meeting soon or am I mistaken?" she asked, with a wild grin starting to curve her lips.

Giving her a wide grin, revealing a set of perfectly white teeth, Fred simply cocked his head to the side. "I have one in the making, rather two. Over the phone, obviously you were suffering from something you ate. Care to tell me what it was?"

"A sexually frustrated idiot that was cheating on his fiancée," she snapped back at him in an instant. "Who had more alcohol in his veins than a glass of whiskey, and who I would have pleasurably killed instantly... but, I hadn't fed for a couple of days and was quite hungry, I must admit..."

"And that would be the second meeting that I have in the planning stages. More than a few of our brethren seem to waning slightly and I thought that a nice family-style dinner would help _pep_ them up. The first meeting, obviously will be the heads of Advertising, myself, yourself, and the boy. Expect that meeting tomorrow night. Dinner will be promptly served afterwards, once young Tristan has gone home. Speaking of the boy... do you think he has potential to join us? I've already made up my mind, but I'd like to hear your own thoughts."

She definitely hadn't expected to her _that_ from Frederick. Not that evening. Not after a day she wanted to trash without any further thoughts to add up in her mind. "You're thinking of turning him into one of us? I mean... doesn't sound like a bad idea but... have you discussed that with the Council yet? Don't go into another rash decision without having consulted them."

"I've been toying with the idea, but after watching his rapid rise through the ranks over the past year, the boy's definitely left quite the impression on not only myself, but a few of the others that have interacted with him. He's extremely intelligent as well as cunning, but he's also extremely charismatic. Young as he is, Tristan's already proven that he would be a benefit to our Clan. Don't you think so too?" 

"Yes, he _might_ ," she replied dryly. "However, I suggest you observe him closely for some other time before taking a decision on that."

Standing up from his chair, the older man calmly walked over to a small cabinet and pulled out a bottle of whiskey as well as two glasses. Pouring himself a glass, Fred quickly drained the contents of it before pouring it into the two glasses. "I do intend to keep an eye on him, through _you_. You're not being as talkative as you usually are in regards to prospecting for new members of the Clan. Anything you wish to add to the boy's assessment?"

Gwyn took the glass in her hands, flushed down its content at one go and slammed it against the surface of his desk, almost crushing it into pieces. "Well, that's been quite informative," she replied in a mocking tone, "and no. Nothing more to add. I'll keep you updated on the boy should you need any more information on the matter. Anything else before I leave Fred?" she finished, as she got back on her feet, taking her suit's jacket back in her arms. 

"I meant what I said earlier, go home and get some rest. You look like hell, and the blood you had last night probably did a number on you. Get it out of your system as soon as you can, you'll have a proper meal tomorrow evening. Also, have a good evening Gwendalynn."

"I swear Fred, if you don't get me someone decent tomorrow, I'll take it from you," she replied, grinning back at him with a laugh.

"You know I will. Can't have one of my best subordinates starving to death. Now go, I'll see you tomorrow."

In spite of him being so stern, she still considered Fred like her only fatherly figure - so, being angry at him about anything was totally out of the question in her books. So, before leaving, she placed a kiss on his forehead and after slumping the jacket on her shoulder, and taking back the reports in her arms, she walked towards the door to head back home. "Have a good evening Fred, need anything, you know where to find me."

"I do, and take care Gwyn," Fred said with a paternal smile. Once he was sure she was gone, Fred studied his glass of whiskey before tossing it back. _Things are looking on the up and up... Hopefully soon, we'll be able to implement our plans._

In the meantime, Gwyn decided to stop by Tristan's office to make sure that he had gone home and sure enough, the boy's office was empty. Dropping off his report on his desk, she noticed that he had left one of the reports open and had drawn something in the margins of the report. A little doodle of a flaming gasoline truck hitting what appeared to be Advertising's wing of their office building made her smile.

"Fred was right, he does have quite the sense of humor..." chuckled Gwyn as she quietly left the office, shutting the door behind her.

After arriving back home after a short drive from her workplace, she barely even greeted Anne who had been waiting for her till late that evening, and headed straight towards the bathroom for a warm shower. 

"She's angry about something I suppose," Anne sighed, as she heard her slamming the door of her bedroom. 

Once ready and slightly more relaxed, she walked out still in her bathrobes, and headed towards the kitchen, finding her maid cleaning the kitchen table. "Anne, I'm going to stay in my room for the rest of the evening, so... you can rest if you want, I'm fine... have a good night..." 

"You're not eating anything again?" the maid gasped, looking back at her mistress in a worried gaze.

"I've had my full meal yesterday, even though I'm having heartburn since yesterday evening," she scowled back. "Don't worry about me, I'm doing fine. Good night," she finished up, heading towards the other room.

-

Yawning as he walked into his office, the first thing Tristan noticed were the reports from last night's meeting. The second thing he noticed was a folded-up note on his desk. Dumping his bag on the floor, Tristan walked over to his desk and picked up the note only to laugh as he set it back down and began to work on the report from the previous night.

"Tristan!" Cynthia called, after opening the door without even knocking. "AD sent you these new reports to take care of. She said she wants them done as soon as possible - and just like you and me know, that means either later on this evening or tomorrow. Got that?" she informed him, placing the files on his desk.

Gaping as the reports are stacked onto his desk, Tristan's expression is vaguely similar to that of a kicked puppy. "Yeah...got it. Oh, I'm about to call the Ice Queen in a few minutes - patch me through to her as soon as you get settled?"

"Will do. She would most probably need to talk to you anyway to brief you out about them. Next call you get, it's me," she waved off as she headed out of his office.

Once he was sure that Cynthia's gone, Tristan simply continued to stare at the stacks of reports. "Staring at it isn't going to make it go away... I can't believe she just dumped this shit on me... The fuck... and here I thought I was making some progress..." Shaking his head, Tristan finished the report he was working on before grabbing another report from the stack on his desk. Just as Gwyn's personal assistant had rightly told him, the phone rang after just a few minutes. Sighing to himself, Tristan set down his pen and picked up the receiver.

"Hello? This is Tristan."

"And this is the Queen," laughed Cynthia, almost mocking him playfully. "Hey dear, boss is on the line and wants to talk to you now. Don't sound too depressed about the overload of paperwork, you're in her good books after all," then in a more serious tone. "And you're more than lucky of being so."

Picking up his pen, Tristan found a blank sheet of paper and begins to draw on it. "Oh I won't, I'm slightly pissed off but I'll be civil about it. I'm in her good books? If piling all of this shit puts me in her good books... well then that's just fine and dandy. Also thanks Cyn and you can put her through now."

"I'm warning you, she's in a strange mood this morning, and I still haven't deciphered what's about it yet... anyways, putting her through now. Have a good day Tris," she finished, as Gwyn came up next on the line.

"'Morning Faraday," she greeted in her usual tone of voice.

"Morning Your Icy Worshipfullness. Thanks for the stack of reports, I can just barely make out about half of the painting on my wall," came his amused reply.

Raising her eyebrow, she smirked and replied in an equally teasing way. "Oh you're more than welcome. If you see the subjects of those reports, I assumed that you were the most competent person in this whole organisation, except me of course but I don't have the time for getting those done, who can give me a decent review of them. What? I managed to piss you off at 09:00 in the morning? I am thoroughly entertained you know."

Grinning as he started back on where he left off, Tristan decided to tease her back. "Oh I'm not pissed, far from that... no, I'm actually in a fan-fucking-tastically good mood at the moment. I think I'm personally going to firebomb Advertising from my desk in about ten minutes. Care to join me? We can roast marshmallows and make some s'mores. Sound like a good idea?"

"Maybe cutting them up with a chainsaw would be more amusing though," she grinned back, with half a chuckle.

"A bit messy, but I guess desperate times do call for desperate measures... though now I'm suddenly in a mood for a cheeseburger... and a steak that's blood rare..."

At the sound of the last word, Gwyn starts coughing lightly, cursing the fact that her mind reacted so immediately when she heard something related to... _that_. "Sorry about that."

"Hmm, not a problem. You must be a bit cold, thanks to your slightly icy demeanor. Want me to head over to your office and warm you up a bit?"

"I'm going to continue talking as if I haven't heard that last comment of yours, Faraday... so, I want those done by this evening, tomorrow morning latest. Oh and by the way, most probably CEO will contact you about a meeting this evening."

As soon as he heard that, Tristan stopped writing briefly. "Tonight? Sure, I've got the time... and are you sure you don't want me to come over to your office for a bit? We can continue to talk smack about Advertising over some coffee, swap a few stories... test out that couch of yours..."

Without even replying, Gwyn slammed back the phone back to its place, fuming. "Twice in a row's too much for my tastes." Then, after staring at her desk for a while, she stood up and moved next to one of the large windows in her office, a grin gracing the features of her face. "Maybe I'll check out on him later."

At the same time, Tristan stared at the receiver in his hand, amused that the line was dead and grins to himself. "And that's two for me, zero for her..." Following the call, Tristan went back to work on the reports, the huge grin on his face putting him in a great mood for the morning. By the time it was break time, over half of the reports were finished which left Tristan wondering what to do for lunch. As if on cue, both James and Cynthia appeared at his door.

"Hey you two. Cyn, how'd you get away from the Ice Queen? I thought you'd have been stuck at your desk for another half hour."

"The CEO called her for an urgent meeting, so, she gave me the permission to have a longer break," Cynthia replied smiling back at him. "How are the reports going?"

Gesturing to the completed and non-completed stacks, Tristan replied: "Swimmingly. Had a bit of fun talking with her this morning, was a pretty good motivator. So... what's on the menu today?"

Adjusting his glasses, James simply grins at Tristan. "We were hoping you could figure something out. Both Cyn and I are all outta ideas."

"How about...that one noodle place over by the fountain? No - wait, anyone up for a cheeseburger?"

Both Cynthia and James talked amongst themselves before smiling back at their friend. "We can do the burger thing. Why'd you want a cheeseburger all of a sudden, man?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Tristan stood from his seat and grabbed his jacket. "Oh, just something Queenie and I talked about this morning..."

Cynthia looked back at him, raising an eyebrow. "You talked... cheeseburgers... with AD? You must be joking. That woman barely eats anything and she's obsessed with her diet."

"Well, it was steak and cheeseburgers but I also mentioned s'mores too," replied Tristan as they walked out of the building. "Is she now? I gave her an apple yesterday and she ate it without any problems. Ah well. Let's go eat!"

Cynthia gaped back at him, still not totally believing what Tristan had just told her, then turned to stare at James. "Okay... that was my dose of freakish information for the day, thank you very much..."

Rolling his eyes, Tristan just smiled back at the two of them. "I'm serious! We did talk about that stuff... then she hung up on me after I asked her about the meeting for tonight... haven't the faintest clue as to why though..."

"If you put any sexual metaphor in one of your phrases, maybe that would have pissed her off, you know. She doesn't appreciate that sort of discourse much," she commented as the three of them started making their way towards the exit.

Giving the pair a shocked look, Tristan kept the smile on his face. "Me?! No, I never would've dreamed of doing _that_. As you said Cyn, I'm in her good books. Why would I do something stupid like that?"

"Because you're capable of doing that," the two of them snapped back at him.

Tristan started laughing as he held the door for them. "Ahh, you both know me so well..."

While the trio headed out to lunch, Gwyn was busy making her way to Frederick's office. "Fred?" she called, as soon as she entered her boss's office. "How come you've called for me during lunch break? It's not very usual of you," she commented as she closed the door, and made her way towards his desk.

"Ahh, there you are. How are you feeling today? Anyways, I thought you might want to partake in a lunch yourself..." grinned Fred as he gestured to the floor of his office, which had a few random people lying motionless on top of the carpet. "They're alive, I assure you."

"Talk about having a Caesar salad for lunch," she grinned back at him, while placing a hand at one of the body's necks. "Not that I didn't trust you, but wanted to confirm. Where did you fish these from?"

"A few volunteers for one of our research projects. Our pharmaceutical venture was running clinical trials. These dear people, were trying out a sleeping aid..." Fred leaned over and brushed the hair away from the face of a young red-headed woman. "I assure you, they won't feel a thing."

The look in Gwyn's eyes suddenly turned into a hungry, maniacal one, nothing to do with her usual, composed demeanour. The last decent dinner, if she could call it that was, had been that alcoholic freak, so having that occasion lying right in front of her was quite the surprise. "As if I would care about their feelings, Fred."

"Even so Gwyn... there may be one day where you might care. But today isn't that day, so eat heartily." Immediately, Fred descended upon the neck of the young woman, his eyes growing darker as he feasted upon her blood, with Gwyn quickly following suit.

-

It was a scene Cynthia would have never thought to be able to witness for as long as she had that job. Coulston, walking inside her office, humming almost happily... with her cheeks slightly red with a glowing blush. "Meeting went well?" she asked, almost stuttering.

"Yes..." she almost smiled back at her. "I'll be working on some important cases, so... I don't want to be disturbed. Only CEO has the permission, alright?"

"Sure ma'am."

"And that's the last of it..." Tristan sighed in relief as he finally finished the stack of reports on his desk, his lunch definitely helping his mood. Taking a look at his clock, he saw that it was almost three in the afternoon and leaned back in his chair. "Wonder if she has time for these now... wouldn't hurt to check..." Getting up from his chair, Tristan slowly stretched to get the circulation flowing in his body while unbuttoning the second button from the top of his dress shirt, his tie long discarded onto the couch in his office. Grabbing the reports, he made his way over to Gwyn's office.

"Mmmh... I might ask her, since you're here, but she might say no... even though..." Cynthia mused, when Tristan arrived in front of her desk.

"She might say no? I'm her favorite manager! She _loves_ me," replied Tristan with a grin on his face.

"Oh shut up," she chuckled, getting back on her feet. "Wait for me here, I'll go ask her."

"Fine..." Placing the reports briefly on Cynthia's credenza, Tristan took the time to roll the cuffs of his sleeve just one more time as Cynthia came back. "Well?"

"She doesn't have much time but she told you to come in, with a smile. I'm scared," she chuckled. "I think she's her clone," she laughed, placing a hand on his shoulder. "She's got a scarily good mood, probably from that meeting with the CEO or something... don't ruin it for her."

"Wouldn't dream of it..." came the amused reply as he picked up the reports and knocked on the door before entering, grinning widely while doing so. "Well well well, heard you were in a good mood. Had a nice lunch? I'll have you know that I actually had that cheeseburger I had mentioned earlier."

"Oh good to know, I had that steak you mentioned earlier. Rare... done the way I like it, with blood still dripping from it..." she grinned back at him.

"Heh, so rare it 'moo'd' right back at you huh? Must have been great. Anyways, your worship, I come bearing reports. Hope you like them."

"It could easily have _talked_ to me..." she chuckled, with a wicked glint in her eyes. "Ready? That's good, very good," she commented, placing them in front of her. "Oh, this evening's meeting is at eight, any problem for you?"

Raising an eyebrow, Tristan merely shook his head. "Not a problem at all. I'll probably just grab dinner on the way home afterwards..." he replied, taking a seat in front of her. "Must've been one hell of a steak, your cheeks are still flushed. You look good... well, better I mean than you did yesterday at least."

"Flush?" As soon as she heard that comment, she grabbed the small mirror she kept on her desk, opening it to look at her reflection. And he was right, she really fitted his description... it was the reaction she used to have when she took more than her usual dose of... nutrients. "Probably it's because of all the protein," she chuckled. "And about dinner, you don't need to worry. Forgot to tell you that boss is organising it in his suite, _and_ , will include discussion over dinner. So you have time to go home, change and come back here if you like."

"Yeah? Well, that's awfully kind of him, he seems to treat us like family - from what I've seen from the company parties and other gatherings. Also, I'd say it definitely agrees with you, all that protein. Anyways, is there anything else you need from me? Wash your car? Vacuum your office? Stage a hit on Advertising?"

After staring back at him and his antics, Gwyn placed a hand in front of her mouth, chuckling silently... to then burst out in a fit of laughter. "No no... you're done for the day, at least with the urgent reports... you can continue your work with your normal pace now. We can spare Advertising for this evening."

"Lovely. Oh and by the way..." replied Tristan as he got up from his seat and moved around her desk to stand directly in front of Gwyn, leaning down so that his face is level with hers. "If you ever pull that stunt on me again like this morning, at least give me some fair warning. Also, I liked your drawing..." In a quick flash, Tristan impulsively kissed her before leaving her office, grinning all the while.

_That felt... good... and that's three for me._

Gwyn stood up from her desk, and walked towards the nearby window, placing a hand on her lips. _That boy has just... kissed me? Did he just... and I didn't... say anything..._

"What the hell's wrong with me?" she shouted out, knowing that no one would have heard her. Situation could get tricky... she knew that... especially after what Fred had told her about the kid the previous night. "I'll kill him if he does it again... maybe I'll let this one pass... but if he dares do it a second time..." she growled, slumping in her armchair while passing a hand through her hair nervously. _Felt nice though... unexpectedly nice..._

-

After the work day was complete, Tristan headed back to his apartment and decided to clean up a bit before heading back to the office. The weather outside was a bit cold, so a long, hot shower was called for as soon as he walked in. Once he was finished with it, he picked out his black suit, a white shirt, and for a splash of colour, a red necktie. Getting dressed was rather uneventful, but it gave him time to think about the kiss.

"Despite that being one of the stupidest things I've ever done... I am so glad I did it. Oh man... she's totally off-limits..." he muttered to himself as he walked back into his bathroom and looked in the mirror. "But... God... I wonder if I'd have a shot with her if I wasn't her subordinate...?" Shrugging his shoulder, Tristan grabbed a little canister of hair product and put a bit of it in his hair before slicking it back. "Looking good. Guess I'd better head out now." 

After grabbing his black top coat from off his bed, the young man made his way back to the office and prayed that Gwyn wouldn't kill him for his little stunt.

"Try to trespass the invisible one-metre radius that I placed around me and I swear I'll turn you into a bloody pulp, Tristan," she muttered under her breath while the two were waiting outside Frederick's place. Dressed in a plain black spaghetti-strapped dress, Gwyn managed to still look professional in a stunning sort of way. Even more because of the fact that she was still reading reports, while seated on the armchair outside of the CEO's office. 

Tristan visibly gulped before removing his coat and sat as far away from her as possible. "Noted," he called out from the other end of the room.

"And if that comes out, I warn you, you'll be back to being a plain officer within seconds," she spat, irritated.

"Duly noted!"

"Oh and by the way," she commented without raising her head from what she was reading. "If I tell you that the suit you're wearing looks good on you, it doesn't mean that I want you in my bed this evening. You men are so damn one-track minded," she growled again.

"Huh?" Quickly, he looked down at his suit and saw nothing out of the ordinary. "It's just a plain black suit, ma'am. Nothing terribly special about it. And for the most part, I look pretty ordinary wearing it. Also, I know the difference between a compliment and a come-on, ma'am."

"It was just a compliment Tristan. Wouldn't have said it if it looked ordinary."

"Oh... thank you. And you look quite stunning, if I do say so, ma'am."

"Thank you," she replied dryly.

During the wait, Tristan merely kept staring at his shoes until the door to Fred's office opened up.

"Hope I haven't kept you two waiting long. Say, what are you doing all the way back there, Son?" grinned Fred as he looked first at Tristan, then at Gwyn, and then back to Tristan.

"Um... just wanted to admire the view, Sir."

"Well come on, no need to be shy. You seemed a bit more lax yesterday, something the matter?"

"No, nothing at all."

"Oh he quite knows how to be lax... pretty much when he wants too, right Faraday?" she smirked back at him, giving him a menacing look for the first time that evening, as she walked inside before the two men.

Letting out a nervous smile and laugh, Tristan quickly crossed the room and entered the office after her, leaving Fred with an amused look on his face before closing the door.

"Who told you to sit down next to me?" Gwyn promptly asked as Tristan got his seat by her side.

"I told him to. Is there a problem, AD Coulston?" came the smooth response from Fred. "After all, he is your second on this little project as well as your manager."

"Fine, if you say so," she replied, glaring back at the two. "Let's get this meeting going."

Tristan, for his part, simply stared at the rest of the attendees and avoided Gwyn's glare. 

Once everyone got settled, the meeting went off smoothly for the most part. Despite both Tristan and Gwyn keeping their distance from one another beforehand, the two ended up trading short words and barbs with the directors for Advertising, who would respond back until Fred stepped in.

"Now now, everyone. Let's cool down for a bit. It's clear that there are definite lines of communication that are breaking down, but at the same time, you guys in Advertising are out to offend people with the latest campaign. What do you have to say to that? I know that you guys have your own jobs to do, but it's also your job to keep this company in the good graces of not only the people, but the country and world too. The only press we should be getting is good. Why don't we have a bite to eat and see how we are afterwards, hmm?"

After several heads nodded, including Tristan who looked like he was ready to strangle one of the directors, dinner was served, which included a steak, some steamed vegetables, and some bread. Dessert, much to Tristan's delight, was a chocolate cake which he ate with relish and earned an amused smile from Gwyn when she stole a glance over at him. After dinner, talks resumed again, only now the directors for Advertising were much more agreeable. Once the details were hashed out, the meeting was concluded.

"AD Coulston, please see to it that Mr. Faraday makes it out of the office safely. I'll call a cab for him shortly."

"Of course, Sir," came a slightly relaxed reply, as Gwyn was now looking forward to her real _dinner._

"Good night, Mr. Faraday," Fred said with a smile on his face as Tristan swayed slightly, probably from the few glasses of red he drank during the discussions.

"Good night Sir and thank you for the delicious dinner. I think I'll be alright now..."

"I'm sure you will be. Take care Son, and I'll discuss the details with you and AD Coulston later this week."

"Yes Sir and thank you again." Tristan slowly made his way out of the office while Gwyn was keeping him steady every so often.

As they were walking outside, Tristan was definitely more steady on his feet, the cold air sobering him up rather quickly. He nearly pulled on his coat before he noticed Gwyn shivering slightly. Biting his lip momentarily, he gently draped his coat over her shoulders. "There, that's better. And Gwyn, I'd like to say that I was sorry for kissing you earlier, but... I'd kinda be lying if I did..."

Staring at him with a shocked look on her face after his admission, as well as realizing that she was wearing his coat, Gwyn simply glared at him. "You're lucky to be alive right now, Faraday, though I'm not-" she stopped, as her words were quickly cut off as Tristan kissed her again, this time lingeringly before slowly pulling away and walking away from her. As he got into the cab, Gwyn simply stood there and waved as Tristan waved back at her, warmth enveloping her from both his coat and his kiss.


	2. II

"That kid will drive me insane one of these days," she grumbled when she headed back inside, still somehow dumbfounded at the way he had just acted towards her and how she herself had reacted to the situation. It could start getting pretty messy, she was well aware of it, but she tried to hold those thoughts outside of Fred's office for that night - she had other, more important things to take care of. Once back in, she noticed that the atmosphere inside his place had changed, it was darker and all of the officers from Advertising had disappeared. Realising that the time had arrived for the event that Fred had been eagerly anticipating to her, she placed Tristan's coat on one of the couches and headed off to slip off to a nearby closet area to put on her uniform. It was entirely black, save for the red trimmings and gold symbols on the front - representing the Clan's coat of arms. And... it was particularly fitting for those occasions... like the one that was coming up.

As she moved back inside however, her mind reverted back to all of the thoughts related to that blessed boy. Wondering if he got back home safely and at the same time cursing the fact that he had kissed her for the second time in the same day, without her permission, she scowled and walked back towards Fred, only to find him grinning widely as he was waiting for her to return.

"Saved the start of the party for me per chance, Fred?" the woman grinned, trying to ignore all of the previous occurrences.

"Of course my dear. You sent young Tristan on his way home safely?" came the amused reply.

"Yes, must be sleeping soundly right now I presume..." she promptly replied.

"Most probably. In looking at him, I start to realize just how young he is and how old we are..." chuckled the older man, "Now, I bet you're wondering where the directors for Advertising went to, hmm?"

Raising an eyebrow at him and giving him a mischievous smirk, Gwyn replied: "Don't include me in the discussion of... old... you're  _ way _ older than me after all." Then, as she fastened the collar of her uniform, she continued, "Hell no, they'd give me indigestion." 

Laughing, Fred placed a hand on Gwyn's shoulder and steered her inside. "No, they're not for us, but rather the others. Which does bring me to a new problem, how are we going to whip Advertising back into shape?" 

"I'll prepare you a list of people who I think would be ideal to transfer to Advertising... I'll double check with Faraday to see if he agrees or has any other ideas about the matter, then I'll hand it over to you for approval," she grinned back, entering the room filled with other men and women wearing her same uniform. 

"Excellent, also I'd like for both you and the boy to supervise this project. It will require you both to meet on a daily basis, as well as meet with me regarding your progress. Do an excellent job, and there may be a promotion for you two in the future. Any problems with these terms, Gwyn?"

"Not at all. Definitely no objection to that, particularly since there may be a promotion involved," she replied with a smirk. "And knowing how ambitious that boy is, he definitely won't object to them either."

"I'm sure of that. Now, shall we? Don't want our food to get cold, now do we?"

While Fred, Gwyn, and the others of the Clan were enjoying their meal, across town a young man was fast asleep, dreaming of blonde hair and hazel-brown eyes.

-

Getting an early start on the day, Tristan decided that it was best to try to get back into Gwyn's good graces. After making a few stops along the way to work, the young man entered Gwyn's office and left a few items before heading to his office and getting to work. Noting that the office building was still relatively empty, Tristan found a particular jazz record and decided to listen to it as he finished some of the smaller reports that were in his box.

"Hey gorgeous," Cynthia commented, stifling a laugh as she rested by the door of his office. "How was your meeting yesterday?" she asked him with a smirk. "This is yours I presume," she grinned, handing him over the coat he had left the previous evening with Gwyn. "AD said you should take care of where you leave your belongings, you left this in the CEO's office."

"Yo. It was one part meeting and one part dinner, and it went well thanks." Eying the coat he knew he left with Gwyn last night, Tristan took it from Cynthia and hung it on the back of his door. 

"And... say... do you have any idea of who left those white roses in the boss's office?" she asked, raising an eyebrow at him, with the same smirk.

"I have no idea what you're talking about. Say, is she in right now? I think she has some info for me regarding something we were discussing over dinner last night," deflected Tristan as he felt Cynthia's eyes studying him.

"You can come with me if you want, we'll check out if she can see you. She's been in for more than an hour now."

"Sure. Just let me turn off the record player..." he replied, as he turned off the player, "and we can now go." After offering Cynthia his arm, the pair headed off towards Gwyn's office.

"And by the way, haven't told you. She's in a very good mood again this morning," she commented as they arrived at Cynthia's desk.

"Considering the dinner we had last night, I'm not surprised. Got me going pretty early this morning too. Well, wish me luck, Cyn."

Stifling a few giggles, Cynthia just grinned at her friend. "Good luck, handsome."

Grinning back, Tristan knocked on Gwyn's door before entering. Once inside, the first thing Tristan noticed were that the roses he gave her were placed on a table near the window and the second thing he noticed was that Gwyn was eating the apple he had left. "Hi."

Looking up from the stack of papers she was signing, Gwyn chuckled at the boy's greeting. "Are we in grade school now, Faraday? What happened to all that confidence you had yesterday, hmm?"

Giving her a shy smile, the young man just looked everywhere else but Gwyn's direction. "No... we’re both grown ups who work together. As for my confidence, you made it clear that if I were to encroach your personal space, you'd beat me into a bloody pulp." Feeling a bit bolder, Tristan sat down in the chair and looked Gwyn in the eye, a confident smirk playing across his lips. "Clearly I've done it twice and am still in once piece. The question I have for you, your worship, is what will you do if I get into your space for a  _ third _ time?"

"I'd probably get my revolver out and stick one bullet right up your forehead, honey. Don't push it too much now," she replied, as she stood up from her seat and walked towards the window. "Thanks for the flowers though."

"You're welcome," came the sincere reply as he tracked her movements. "How was the apple?"

"Not too sweet enough... how I like them..." she chuckled, as she moved one of the curtains to look outside. "Needed to talk to me about something?"

"Yeah... I wanted to know about the project you and I are supposed to be working on. I know that Mr. Rhule mentioned it last night over dinner and thought you might have more information regarding it. Also, I'm glad you liked the apple."

"Right," Gwyn commented, walking back towards her desk to sit down. "A total re-vamp of the Advertising section, from the officers in charge to the managers entrusted in running it. Identification of possible staff to be recruited or moved from one section to the other, report-writing to the CEO, interviewing panels, reviewing of outcomes, hierarchical planning... quite the thing."

The smirk on Tristan's face grew wider as she talked, revealing a dimple on the right side of his face. "Is that so... Sounds like fun. Who else will be working on this project?" 

"Just you and me, direct orders from above," she replied dryly. 

"Really? So, as far as priorities go... is this top priority or middle to low?"

"Top, and Tristan... this can lead to a promotion, for both of us. If we get this right," she told him, grinning widely. "Boss's own words."

Breaking into a full grin, Tristan simply nodded. "Will it now... well then, looks like we have our work cut out for us... Wait a second... did you just call me 'Tristan'?"

"Don't be too confident though. The CEO will have to have excellent work in his desk to go ahead in that direction." 

"Oh I'll get it done, no problem with that and you're dodging my last question. Did you just call me Tristan a few moments ago?"

Raising an eyebrow at him, realising what she had said, Gwyn then continued on her previous conversation. "Find me a time-slot when you are available, and contact Cynthia as soon as possible. I want to get this running as soon as possible." 

Rolling his eyes as she dodged his question yet again, Tristan decided to simply get comfortable in his current seat. "Since we're on a first name basis now,  _ Gwyn _ , there's no need to notify Cynthia - I got my work done this morning so I'm free right now. Or is that a problem for you?" A confident, yet charming smile graced his lips towards her direction as he continued.

"No, I am not, Faraday. And... I don't want you to call me in my first name  _ again _ . Get that off your mouth this instant."

"I'd rather not, since you're currently blushing at the moment. Looks cute on you,  _ Gwyn _ ."

His attitude was starting to tick her off... especially the way he was almost mocking her name, and her position. She was his superior officer after all, and all that confidence he was showing towards her was particularly uncomfortable. "Now, if you don't mind Faraday, I need to continue working. So get your ass off my chair and get going."

"Then continue working. I told you I was free to work on the project, and since you're much more familiar with the new prospects, you could at least give me the names so that I can do some research...  _ Gwyn _ ."

That one last time struck the final chord. Glaring back at him, she stood up and walked to the other side of the desk, then moved next to the armchair the boy was seated on, and turned it to face her. "So, you're finding this to be particularly funny, aren't you?" she snapped, resting her arms on her hips, while tapping her feet against the wooden floor of the office.

Standing up to his full height, Tristan still had a good couple of inches on Gwyn, despite her heels. Keeping the smile on his face, he simply leaned down to face her. "Not so much as funny, but I do admit that I am enjoying this game of cat-and-mouse between us. If you want me to leave right now, I will. But... I honestly don't think you  _ want _ me to. Judging from how mercurial you've been these past fifteen minutes, I think you're enjoying this game too...  _ Gwyn _ ." He kissed her before she could respond back, wrapping his arms around her.

_ No. No no no... he was doing, that... inside her office _ , she thought, panicking slightly.  _ How dare he _ ... She wriggled her way away from him, taking one step back, glaring back in an almost viscious way. "How dare you... you're one of my subordinates, Faraday, and I won't be accepting this behaviour from you any further. Get out," she ordered, her tone of voice turning into low growl. "I'll call you when I need you." 

Calmly stepping away from her, Tristan simply shoved his hands in his pockets, a small smile on his face. "I know you're completely off-limits for me, since you're my boss and I'm your subordinate, but... you can't say that you're not the  _ slightest _ bit curious about the 'what if'."

Once he finished, she just turned and placed a hand at her temple. "Just get out." 

Bowing slightly, he left not only leaving her alone in her office, but also to her thoughts.

"Cynthia... I don't want to be disturbed for the rest of the morning, please. No calls, no visits, no nothing, if the CEO calls, tell him that I'll call back in the afternoon. Clear?" she told Cynthia on the phone.

"Yes ma'am, anything you say... something's wrong?"

"No... just tired," she replied, hanging up the phone, and resting her head against the back of the armchair. "Like I said... that boy is going to drive me insane..." she said to herself, hoping that the situation wouldn't drag on for ages. If Fred would get to know, he could be easily ending up as a starter... and it's not that she'd like that happening after all.  _ He was a diligent, competent... sharp and intelligent boy that just... was going to haunt her for the rest of her days at the office... at least till he was under her wing. _ "He's definitely not going to give up that easily..." she sighed. "I won't let him get away with this... anyway."

-

Back inside his office, Tristan found himself lying on his couch, trying to figure out just what he was feeling at that specific point in time. "Every time I'm around her it's like... God... I  _ never _ in a million years thought that I would  _ ever  _ do something like this. But there's just that-oh, who am I kidding... I think I have an honest-to-God crush on my boss. Fuck..." 

"Seriously, where's that idiot..." a female voice could be heard all of a sudden from behind the door of his office. "Are you stupid or what?! What the hell's wrong with you?!" she shouted out at him, slamming the door shut. Cynthia was visibly irritated at the fact that her boss was so down all of a sudden, it was pretty evident from the way she talked to her on the phone. And that happened after  _ someone _ came out of her office...

Slowly sitting up, Tristan began massaging his temples and spoke in a quiet, confused tone. "I honestly don't know... I just-nevermind..." Resting his head on his arms, he shut his eyes as Cynthia kept her eyes on him.

"Nothing to say? What happened? You fought over something? Tris, I'm going to have her in the room next to me, in that mood, for an entire day! It'll be downright depressing dammit..." she sighed. "Anyway, seems nothing much can be done... whatever."

Though muffled, Tristan began to speak. "I can't really tell you everything that happened, but just know that... something  _ big  _ happened. And we didn't fight... I... it's not important. Just go... and I'm sorry, really sorry."

"What..." Cynthia's expression suddenly changed when she heard one of her best friends apologize to her. She sighed, and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Listen Tris, I don't want to know what happened, but... try and get the situation back to normal as soon as possible. Especially since it's the AD. And since she's your direct superior, that might affect your performance appraisal. So... keep that in mind... and I'm off. Have a nice day," she finished, slipping out of the office.

Upon hearing the door open and close, Tristan was slow to get up but suddenly he kicked over his garbage can and punched the side of one of his bookcases. "Fuck fuck fuck! I am in  _ deep. _ I... I gotta get out of here for a bit..." Grabbing his jacket, he left his office and walked out of the building, taking his bicycle with him. After riding towards the direction of the coast, he found a secluded patch of beach and sat down. Discarding his shoes, tie, jacket, socks and shirt alongside his bicycle, he took a walk towards the water and simply stared at the crashing waves.

"Why?! Why is this happening now?! Why in the fucking hell am I falling for her...and she's my  _ boss _ no less?! Shit!"

Slumping to the ground, Tristan sat down on the wet sand and stared towards the horizon, ignoring the surf lapping around him and the sea breeze ruffling his hair. "And it's not just for a fuck... but rather... I think I want her in my life... for good. Of all the women out there in the world, the one I want the most... I can't nor am I supposed to have because she's my boss..." Despite the warm sun bearing down on his bare shoulders and back, all he felt was cold.

-

Back at the office, Gwyn couldn't concentrate at all. Blank pages, darn blank pages... all darn blank pages, were all she could manage to see amongst rivers and rivers of text. Jumbled up, encrypted in text she wasn't understanding... all she was re-thinking about over and over again were the words she had told Faraday that morning. "Maybe, I was too harsh on him... he's just a kid after all..." she uttered, as she picked up the phone and turned to face the window's direction. "Cynthia, can you get me through Faraday please? Tell him I need to talk to him about yesterday's meeting. Thanks." It was strange, but as she waited for her secretary's response, Gwyn started tapping her pen impatiently at some random report in front of her.

"What's the problem now..." she mumbled under her breath.

"Ma'am... seems that Tristan isn't in his office, and someone saw him storm out of the building a couple of hours ago..." Cynthia replied. "Want me to track him in some way?"

"No... no... let him be, I'll talk to him when he's back... thank you," Gwyn replied placing the receiver back in its place and exhaling a deep, loud sigh. Then... unexpected, a flashback from several years before came rushing to her mind...

_ "Just stay away from me! I don't want to see you ever again! I cannot be what you wish for so... go and live your life and let me go." _

Gwyn gaped back at nothingness and with her eyes wide open, grabbed her jacket and rushed out of the office. "Cynthia, I have an important errand to run... I'll be away for a couple of hours. See you," she informed her as she walked outside to get into her car. "Like hell I'm going to let that happen another time round... once was more than enough." She drove as fast as she could towards the coast road, thinking of one particular place that still gave her unrestful sleep during some nights even though it had happened so many years before. Once she recalled the exact spot, she placed the car in the first parking bay, slammed the door and headed towards the headland that had always given her bitter memories of the past. Fred had constantly reminded her to forget all about it, to shun all of the thoughts related to that incident, but she never managed too. "Remember who you are," he constantly used to remind her. "Remember that something like this shouldn't be an obstacle to your path..." It was impossible though. Impossible to forget that man who had thrown himself into the sea for her sake. For her rejection.

She sat down, letting her hair being gently caressed by the wind coming from the sea, and resting her arms on her knees. "What the heck, that kid is far stronger than that guy was... this, my dear Gwyn, can be officially called a panic rush," she chuckled to herself, after getting back on her feet after some time. "Maybe I'd better have a walk along the sea... might calm down that way... and forget about that one..."

-

Having not moved from his spot for a good while, but having no desire to do so, Tristan continued to stare out towards the sea. "I should probably head back now... though if anything though, I can name three people who give a shit: James and Cyn - for being my friends, and  _ her _ \- for probably wanting to gut me like a fish for leaving without letting her know..." Standing up proved to be a bit more difficult than he thought it would, the weight of his wet pants throwing him off slightly, but he finally managed to get up. Taking another look around, something in the far off distance caught his attention. "Oh shit... that can't be her... Fuck."

After walking down towards the water-line, and feeling like seriously taking a break, she took off her shoes, and started wading into the water, walking through the ebb and flow of the waves over the sand... and at the same time being thankful that she had wore a skirt for work that morning.  _ Maybe I really need more breaks from the office sometimes... _ she thought with a slight smile on her face.

As he watched her wade into the water, Tristan found himself walking towards her direction. "I know that I should apologize to her, but why is it I feel like a lamb that's about to be thrown to the lions?"

"Guess I should follow Fred's advice and take a long vacation during the winter, next to the coast..." she chuckled as the rush of the sea spray almost reached her knees. "Plus, there's the added value that there's almost no one around... which is even better."

The moment he got within her hearing distance, the first thing out of his mouth was, "I'm sorry."

Gwyn turned with a gasp, when she heard that familiar voice coming from behind her. "No, don't tell me... you're... here," she whispered, turning to find him, with a sullen look on his face.

"Unfortunately, yes I am." Steeling his resolve, he still couldn't quite keep the tiredness out of his voice. "Who told you I was here? And why are  _ you _ here, ma'am?"

"I..." she muttered, smiling slightly, while looking back at him. "I'm sorry too."

Blinking at her a few times, Tristan turned his attention back towards the ocean. "Why? You have nothing to be sorry for. If anything, I should be grovelling at your feet, but the sand kind of makes it uncomfortable... as does the seawater."

At that, Gwyn chuckled lightly. "I shouldn't have treated you the way I did this morning... but believe me, I have my reasons. And very valid ones... even for your own sake."

" _ That _ I can believe. Though you're in the right to treat me like shit... after all, I did kiss you without your consent, tauntingly called you by your first name, and... belittled your title and position in relation to mine. The only thing I can't apologize for is what I think I'm starting to feel for you... as I can't change that. Which leaves us with... where do we go from here?" came the quiet query as Tristan finally turned to face her.

"I won't be asking you to forget about me... however... you know I can't return what you're feeling right now... but," she replied, taking hold of both of his hands. "I'll promise that I'll keep our friendship close and good, just like our good professional relationship... you're one of the few persons I managed to have that sort of thing... with."

Letting out a quiet chuckle, a ghost of a smile was on his face. "I'll admit that you're not the  _ easiest _ person to get along with, but I've always respected you. And yes, I'm aware of the fact that you can't return what I feel right now... though I wish you could. I'd hug you right now, but it'd probably be inappropriate considering my state of 'dress' at the moment."

Without replying, Gwyn moved next to him and enveloped him in a giant bear hug. "So... 'friends' like before, Faraday? I don't want to lose your trust, especially at work. You're the only person in there I can truly rely on... apart from boss of course... don't let me down," she finished in a whisper.

"I won't let you down, I promise. As far as being 'friends', I'll take what I can get, though... can we now be on a first-name basis? Because you know, I have a feeling we'll be meeting more often than before," grinned Tristan as he returned her hug.

"When we're one-to-one and without any teasing or I'll end up kicking you silly out of my office," she chuckled, resting her head on his shoulder. "We need to start working on that project Fa... Tristan."

"In due time, AD Gwyn. As far as kicking me out of your office... here are  _ other _ forms of discipline you know..."

Raising an eyebrow, Gwyn immediately let go of him and looked him directly in the eyes. "Just, don't start with  _ that _ again now..."

Giving her a smile, Tristan chuckled to himself. "You need to lighten up a bit, Gwyn. Just a joke." He then turned and began walking towards the surf. 

"You might never know who's listening... and you're surrounded by all forms of sharks everywhere, especially at work. Understand?" she told him in a serious tone of voice.

"Nosy sharks, got it..." came the lazy reply as he continued to wade into the ocean.

As she moved to take her pair of shoes in her hands once again, Gwyn looked up at him and smiled. "I'd better be going now... can't stay away from office too long... and that should count for you as well."

Turning around to face her, Tristan continued to grin widely as he started walking towards her again. "I doubt most people noticed that I left but I guess I should too. I should probably get dressed first... though the wet pants and sand are a dead giveaway."

"Mmmh... I might have another idea, actually," she said, taking her usual stance with her hands resting on her hips.

"Which would be...?"

"How about a business lunch? Restaurants in this area aren't that busy, and the food's fine... rest of the afternoon's off from the main building, my responsibility. I'll justify that by saying that we went out to scout the city for ideas, and to discuss business over lunch if anybody asks. And I wouldn't be lying, that's what I'm actually planning to do, I've got blank papers, pens and pencils, and a blank notebook. If that's alright with you of course."

"Fine by me, so long as we actually  _ have _ lunch. Still doesn't explain my wet pants, but... whatever. Anyways, at least being outside of the office feels good... might actually be a bit tanner now than I was before I got here." 

"Clothes' shop is available around here too, could drop you off if you want. Watching you trying to explain your state of dress might be somewhat amusing," she said, grinning back at him. "And you shouldn't have gone into the water anyway... you might catch a cold now," she commented, as she started making her way back.

Running up to match her pace, Tristan smoothly slung his arm around her shoulders. "Guess I could just go there then. Explaining my state of dress shouldn't be a problem - the weather's quite nice to be at the beach. And what was wrong with me going in the water? Felt good."

"Tristan, the arms... off, now," she ordered, in a playful tone however this time. 

"Alright alright... meanie..." Tristan removed his arm and stopped walking alongside Gwyn. "Should I just follow you or what? I need to get my bike...and the rest of my clothes."

Pointing at an area of the coast road where she had parked her car, Gwyn smiled back at him. "You think I'd like having a guy following my car in his bike? Well... no... just go fetch whatever you need to fetch and bring it next to my car. We'll put everything in the trunk, and get going..." Then, Gwyn noticed that Tristan was staring back at her in surprise. "What's wrong? Trunk's enormous, believe me."

"Big enough to store a body in? My bike's pretty big, but if you say so..."

"A whole pack of them if you want," she chuckled, barely realising that subconsciously, she was telling the truth.

As he started walking towards the direction of his belongings, he called out to her. "Coming? Or should I just meet you back here?"

"Next to my car, would work better that way... See you," she called, waving back at him briefly, as she walked her way up towards the car.

Waving back, he began jogging towards his belongings as Gwyn kept her eyes on his retreating form.

-

As she was staring back at the sea, resting against the back of her car, Tristan arrived on his bicycle, slightly out of breath and holding all of his belongings by his side. Without losing much time, Gwyn opened the back door of the trunk and showed him the large storage space the car possessed at the back. "All yours."

"Holy shit... you were right. Trunk's  _ huge _ . Now, if you could take these -" Tristan replied as she handed her his clothes, minus his pants, "-I'll get this into the trunk." Tristan then proceeded to easily lift and move his bicycle into the trunk as Gwyn tossed the bundle of clothing into the backseat. Shutting the trunk door, he shot her a grin while leaning against it. "Maybe one of these days I'll ask you for a ride to work when it rains. But still, nothing beats riding a bike on a sunny day. Beats having to drive everyday."

"Right... but I'm warning you, won't happen too often," she chuckled, as she opened the driver's door. "Get inside now..."

"Touchy touchy..." quipped Tristan as he climbed into the passenger seat.

"I might do exceptions for the rain though," she smiled, as she started up the engine. "Not my favourite either..."

"What isn't your favorite? And you might do exceptions for the rain? I knew you  _ loved _ me - in a totally non-romantic, completely platonic kinda way of course." 

"Rain, I don't really like rainy days. And yes, those are my thoughts exactly," chuckled Gwyn. "However you've got a mistake in there... it's I  _ love _ you, in that totally non-romantic, completely platonic way."

Pondering her words for a second, Tristan quickly snapped his attention back to her in an instant. "You mean... you  _ weren't _ completely mad at me for this whole thing...? I honestly thought you were going to kill me in your office..."

"I was plain furious at you.  _ But _ ... just like I said earlier, you're one of the few people I feel I can place my trust upon... and that, is a rare occurrence," she replied, as she checked that Tristan was safely seated, right before starting up the engine.

"Hmm..." As Gwyn drove down the coastal road, Tristan quietly watched as the scenery passed by.

"Something on your mind?" Gwyn asked, focusing on the road in front of her.

Keeping his eyes looking out the passenger window, he spoke quietly. "Too many things actually... I'm not too sure you want to know everything that's going on in my head right now."

"Maybe not... but I want you to keep in mind one thing... I'm doing this even for your own sake. I can't tell you why, but trust me, it is," she commented still looking at the road in front of her.

Simply nodding, Tristan still kept his gaze out the window, keeping to himself.

Noticing his quietness, Gwyn grinned and decided to try and raise his mood a little bit. "Where's the overly-confident boy that's used to coming and going inside my office? I'm not too used to a Faraday that's so quiet you know..."

"...He's...confused right now. And... has no idea what to do."

"Can you tell him to do something for me then? Tell him that I need  _ him _ by my side for support, and not his ghost..." she mused, with a soft smile on her lips.

"He's right here, and he'll always be by your side... but, he's not really complete."

"And I'm sorry for that..." she finished, as she stopped the car in front of the clothes' shop she had talked to him about. "I'll be waiting for you here... no need to rush," she commented, placing her chin against the hands she was resting on the steering wheel.

Placing a hand against her cheek, he gave her a little smile. "You can come inside with me. I may not have all of you, but I'll take what I can get. And that means, you're still a part of my life. So, you can be a part of my everyday, nothing out of the ordinary, life - including the shopping aspect."

Once he finished talking, Gwyn just exhaled a deep sigh, smiling at the same time. "I can be your consultant if you want... not to boast too much, but I have quite the exquisite tastes," she replied with a grin. "Even though here, I don't think we'd manage to find... hey!" she stopped all of a sudden, as Tristan took hold of her left hand and pulled her inside the shop.

-

"Excuse me Sir, I had a bit of a mishap while walking along the ocean shore earlier today and was wondering if you would be able to help me in finding a proper suit," Tristan smiled sheepishly as he tugged on the pant-leg of his still-wet black slacks, while Gwyn took a seat close to the changing rooms, and decided to watch the scene unfold.

"Certainly Sir. If you could please remove your pants, I'll take your measurements," came the crisp reply of the salesman.

Blushing slightly, Tristan removed his sodden slacks, leaving him only in his white boxers. Keeping his gaze at Gwyn's face, he gave her a wry grin as his suit measurements were taken. "Not a word to anyone about this."

"Won't even dare say anything to anyone... totally going to keep it to myself! You can't imagine how entertaining this is," she chuckled, seeing her subordinate blush even more. "And I'm joking..."

"You're enjoying this far too much... but, I never did ask, how's the view been?"

"Not too bad," she replied with a smirk. "And there's no need to blush that much." 

"...Thank you sir, that'll be all. You're a bit slimmer than most of our customers, but I believe I should have something for you in a bit. Feel free to look about in the time being,” the salesman nodded towards Tristan before heading into the back, leaving the pair alone.

"So... now that he's gone, care to give me an honest opinion? I promise I won't say anything."

Grinning, Gwyn looked straight in his eyes and replied: "I was honest earlier."

Shrugging his shoulders, he begins browsing through the shirts. "Heh, I appreciate your honesty. Body-wise, I'm probably not even your type anyway. I'm a bit on the skinny side." 

Raising an eyebrow back at him, she chuckled lightly. "I don't really mind skinny," she admitted, almost teasing him in a strange sort of way. "And anyway, I don't actually care much."

"Yeah? Then, what's your type then?"

"I don't have a type, I don't need one," she scowled, turning her head to look away from him.

Looking up from the navy blue shirt he was studying, Tristan shook his head. "Whoa whoa whoa. Time out. I didn't really mean anything, just making small talk. But other than Cyn and Mr. Rhule, don't you have anyone? I mean, aren't you lonely?" 

"No I'm not... I don't need anyone by my side... in the way you're referring to..." she replied, standing up and moving away from him, towards one of the racks. "Plus, I cannot have an... it's... complicated to explain... don't mind it, please. And, work is my companion in a warped-up sort of way... I'm not that lonely."

Frowning at her words, he decided that it was best to not push the issue. "I'll respect your wishes then. Think you could help me look for a shirt to go with my new suit then? I'd like another person's opinion, and what better person than you." 

Turning back at him, with a small smile back on her lips, she looked up and nodded in return. "Not a problem... just choose what you like and I'll tell you whether I like it or not. What do you think?"

Laughing while shaking his head, "I'm probably not the best at this. I mostly stick to: white, light blue, and grey. The red tie that I own was given to me by my sister. She said that I needed a tie that wasn't blue, black or silver-grey."

"I liked that tie... red's my favourite colour, together with black... well, you must have noticed that by now," she commented grinning back at him. "And don't worry about your fashion sense, you're one of the best dressed managers in the company."

"Um... thanks? I think?"

"Plus, at least you manage to coordinate your shirts with your ties. Some of the men working there have atrocious colour coordinating skills... really... also, some of them own hideously looking shirts that make me cringe every single morning when I see them. I wonder where they manage to buy that sort of crap..." she mused, noticing Tristan's look turning into an amused one.

"I honestly think that they just pick whatever because they think they look good in whatever it was they chose. Me on the other hand, I end up having to have my stuff tailored because it's usually too big on me. I blame my metabolism on that... Colourwise... I've always been fond of blues."

"What's wrong with it, your metabolism I mean... You've always looked like quite the healthy looking human to me..." she commented, furrowing her brows.

"Oh I'm healthy, doctors tell me it all the time, but I guess it's more like I'll never really ever bulk up too much," he grinned. "I burn off whatever I eat too quickly. Riding my bike everyday probably doesn't help matters much either."

"You wouldn't look good if you bulk up, you're fine as you are... and... I like the shirt you have in your hands right now."

"This one?" asks Tristan as he held up a royal blue shirt. "Guess it's pretty cool."

"Yes, right that one..." she agreed. "Now... I wonder where the salesman's gone to... I don't have all day anyway..."

As if on cue, the salesman appeared with a charcoal grey suit and quickly ushered Tristan into one of the dressing rooms. "Here you go Sir, try this on and an excellent choice on the shirt as well - it should match quite nicely with the suit."

"Hey-wait! No need to rush me..." came the surprised voice as Tristan was dragged off.

Bursting out in a hearty laugh, Gwyn never expected that that situation would have improved that significantly in such a short timeframe. She didn't want to lose him... in every way possible.

"So, what do you think? I like it, but wanted to hear  _ your _ opinion," came a calm voice several minutes later.

"Perfect, especially since I'm going to treat you out for lunch," she smiled, taking in Tristan's smart appearance. "You could even pass for a CEO you know," she chuckled, seeing the more serene look in his eyes.

Looking down at his bare feet, he started laughing. "The Barefoot CEO huh? Sounds like a comedy... anyways, I'll be right back - gotta pay for all this. And... I'm glad you like it too."

Gwyn turned towards the salesman and smiled: "Do you have any footwear to go with the suit by any chance Sir?"

"Indeed we do. Can't let a dashing young man like that walk around barefoot, now can we. Follow me Sir."

"Huh-Hey! Why do people always have this need to drag me along to do stuff?!" 

"Bye bye," she waved back, laughing in a care-free sort of way.

Minutes later, a fully dressed Tristan Faraday (complete with a new pair of socks and shoes) appeared in front of Gwyn. "Thanks for being here and witnessing my moment of awkward. I totally appreciate it. Oh and no tie - apparently it just doesn't go with the shirt. Ready to go?"

Gwyn took out one of her cash cards and placed it on the desk. "Here..." she grinned back at the salesperson. "Bill everything on this."

Holding up his hands, Tristan gave her a surprised look. "Seriously? Are you sure? I mean, not that I don't appreciate the gesture, but this... this is completely not necessary. I'm completely fine with paying for my own stuff... been doing it for a while now. Plus, I'm a big boy, not some little kid y'know."

"Just accept a present will you," she looked back giving him a sincere smile. "We'll be draw that way... don't you think?"

"Draw...? For what? I don't recall ever giving you anything..."

"So it wasn't you who left me the roses on my desk... mmmh... thought I knew who did..." she said as the salesperson gave her back the card after swiping it, and handed her the chit to sign.

Tristan gave her a look as he was about to respond but stopped and gave her a smile instead. "Okay... that was... you're welcome."

Smiling, Gwyn thanked the salesperson, placed the cash card and her pen back in her handbag, and turned to start making her way outside. "Now... I have one particular place in mind, if you don't have any suggestions. I know the owner, so he has this special table for me reserved for me, at any time."

Giving her a wry look. "Do I look like someone who eats out a lot? Most of the time I just stick to the basics - like sandwiches. But I do cook when I'm at home, though it's never really all that fancy either."

"You need to start getting a culture of eating out... plus... we need to fill up all that skinny look," she chuckled, as both of them walked out of the shop. "Anything you like in particular?"

"Hmm...I like pasta. Most meat, save for dark meat, chicken - never cared for the taste of it. I like fish itself, but hate shellfish since I'm allergic... I also tend to avoid other things from the sea that don't look like a fish. I like all kinds of fruit and vegetables. Breads are good. Cheeses are good. And of course, desserts are good - anything chocolate is probably my weak point." 

"Good... means that Neville's place will be good for you. Let's get in the car, it's a ten minute drive from here," she concluded, getting the car keys out of her bag again.

-

Trotting over to the passenger's side of the car, Tristan gave her a wide grin before climbing in. "What kind of restaurant is Neville's?"

"Mainly specialises in fish dishes, since it's almost on a cliff... but I go there for his salads and desserts. He's used to my tastes in food," she replied, driving towards the coast road.

"Anything in particular you recommend then?"

"His fish speciality of the day al cartoccio... he bakes that with olive oil, mixed herbs and sundried tomatoes, on a bed of potatoes and onions... tried that once," she smiled. "Quite appetizing I must admit, even though I'm on a strict diet."

"Sounds good. How about dessert?"

"The profiteroles. They're a must," she chuckled. "Haven't tasted them in ages though. I probably won't be having them though, too fattening. I'll just go for my usual."

"Too fattening? Awesome. Any help I can get is much appreciated... What's your usual there and do you go there often?"

"Told you, a salad and one glass of red wine, nothing more. And no... not too often... I only do that when I get pissed off at work," she replied with a smirk.

"Just a salad? And wine? Wow... Some restricted diet...doesn't it get boring eating just that though? And are we going to this place because you're still pissed at me or because it's your favourite place?"

"Seems you in quite the inquisitive mood now, mmh? No, we're going because it's my favourite spot and I think you'll like it. And haven't I told you already that I'm not angry at you any more?"

"Sorry... I don't seem listen very well, but you know all about that, don't you. And... I just want to get to know you better. That way, if I ever make something for you, I'll know what to make. See? Just don't expect me to make wine for you... I'd probably drink it before it even gets to you." 

"Oh, that was..." she smiled as she stopped the car, and started parking in front of the restaurant she had talked to Tristan about. At first glance, it looked like a villa facing the sea, but once inside the ambience, the furnishings and the slow soft music permeating the atmosphere gave it that cosy feeling that most probably Gwyn lingered for when she wanted to get away from the bustle of her work.

"...Wow... I should take my mom and my sisters out here for dinner when they visit... They'd love it."

"Most probably... hey Neville," she greeted a relatively tall blonde man that moved next to the two. "Seems the place is empty... winter weekday morning problems right?"

"Yes," he replied as he took one of her hands, kissing it in what seemed to be a respectful gesture. "You want your usual table upstairs?"

Gwyn nodded in response. "Yes please... and by the way, this is Tristan Faraday, one of my work colleagues... well, one of the managers in my department. The most competent of them, I must admit... and we're here for a  _ business _ lunch, Nev..." she emphasised, giving a look to him that Tristan couldn't decipher at all.

"Oh good, so you don't need anything else upstairs... except the menus of course... you can make yourself comfortable, there's everything set... I'll be with you in a minute," he replied, making his way towards the kitchen. And glad that he wouldn't have to clean up a mess afterwards...

Looking at her then at Neville's retreating form and then back to her. "What was that about? There isn't anything  _ that _ complicated about the salad you get, is there?"

"What was what?" she chimed, as she started walking towards the stairs leading to the first floor. "No, I don't eat complicated salads," she replied, laughing. "I might be nitpicky, but my usual salad is not something grand."

"Oh, okay." Taking in the surrounding around him as he walked up the stairs to the landing, he nearly ran over to the window that overlooked the ocean. "Whoa... such an awesome view from up here."

As she placed her bag and her coat on one of the chairs in the room, Gwyn looked at the view herself and smiled: "That should answer your question as to why I come here."

"Uh-huh... that's for sure... One day, I'd love to live by the ocean. I think it'd be pretty cool to be able to walk outside your front door and be able to go take a run along the water's edge."

"Well I was lucky myself to get hold of this baby," the restaurant owner replied, as he entered the room. "I own this thanks to my grandfather who left it to me. It would have costed me a fortune to buy it on my own," he admitted, while placing the menus in front of them.

"Yeah... I want to someday though... it's been one of my goals to buy a house by the ocean. Always loved it - as it reminds me of when I'd visit my grandparents when I was little. They had a house by the sea, and we'd visit them during the summer. On really nice nights, we'd camp outside on the sand and listen to the waves crashing against the shore." Looking down at his menu, Tristan began to study it. "Oh and thanks for this."

"Choose anything you like, but I suspect Gwyn here has told you to have the fish of the day... mmh?" he said grinning back at her. "I've got no problem with her, she always has the usual... which reminds me, red or white?"

"Red, obviously," was the woman's prompt reply as Tristan started eyeing meticulously the menu.

"Yeah... she did. So Sir, what  _ is _ your fish for today? Because I'll mostly go by her recommendation anyways."

"Cod, caught early this morning and brought to me a few hours ago. Can't get any fresher than that," Neville replied grinning.

"Sounds perfect to me. Also could I have... a salad and a... lemonade to go with it?"

"No problem," he answered, without even taking notes. "And you Gwyn, wine and salad?"

"Yes please, and can you prepare a serving of your profiteroles for Tristan here, he must taste them. I'm sure he'll appreciate since he's got a real sweet tooth," she ordered, smiling back at the younger man.

Grinning back at her, "I won't disagree with that description. Pardon me though, but is there a bathroom around here?"

"Out of this room, right before the staircase," Neville replied.

"Great and thanks. See you in a bit," quipped Tristan as he got up from his seat and headed to the bathroom to clean up a bit.

After making sure that Tristan was out of hearing distance, Neville moved close to Gwyn and whispered close to her: "Is it just me or you're taking a liking at that human kid? The only instances you get humans in here is to feed Gwyn... you barely get...  _ guest friends _ ? You know you've got Frederick constantly watching you, he's like your father after all. Plus I'm saying this both for your and the kid's sake. Looks like a fine man to me..."

"You're reading too much into this Nev. He's just a good work collaborator and one of the few... people I can call friends in that mad house," she chuckled. "You still are acting overly protective on me as if you were my father..."

Frowning, as he walked towards the window, he replied: "That's because I was the one who saw you in that pathetic state when you came back from the cliffs. True, you may not have loved him, but you still felt guilty about it for weeks at end. I know you Gwyn, even more than you realise. You may be a strong, female vampire... but you still have your weaknesses, even though you don't admit them," then with half a chuckle. "My weakness is kilometres away from here at her mother's house... she's safer there."

"I still can't believe you fell in love with a human... your life has become a constant struggle to protect her from the Council and from Fred... " she muttered.

"You know he'd kill her if he gets to know... particularly since yours truly has been officially termed a rebel by the big-wigs. One false move, and I'm done."

A whistling sound could be heard coming up the stairs, causing Neville to place a friendly hand on Gwyn's shoulder. "We'll talk later... kid's here. By the way, you sure know how to pick them..." Giving her a grin he headed back to the kitchen, passing Tristan on the way downstairs.

"Haven't picked anything," she mumbled, as she was left alone for a short while. As she waited, she turned to fetch her bag again and got out notebook and pen and started taking small notes. 

"Something the matter? You look a bit pale..."

"Mmmh?" she asked, raising her head to look at him. "Pale?"

"Yeah, your cheeks were pinker when I left, now they're not as pink."

"Nothing's wrong, don't worry about me... maybe I'm getting hungry..."  _ Probably in more than one sense... I'll take care of that tonight though... _

"Probably. Especially if you only had the apple from this morning... So, shall we talk business or can I treat this like a lunch date - between friends of course."

Handing him over the notebook in response, Gwyn just smiled and replied. "I've been working since you left for the bathroom. I've jotted down a list of possible candidates we could recruit for the new Ads department. It's the people who I think may be interested and who are capable of getting a job professionally done."

As he flipped through the pages, Tristan began to look at the short list of names. "I think I have a few other people in mind as well. I have a good friend who's done a lot of print ads and other ad work, but was never considered for that department. Also... you're never gonna give me a chance, are you? As potential significant other material, I mean."

"For what?" she replied, raising an eyebrow. "Now I want to know what you meant with that."

Setting down the notebook, he eyed her with a serious look. "I once asked you if you ever thought of the 'what if' possibility. What if we weren't boss and subordinate, but rather, just equals. Would you ever consider me?"

At that question, Gwyn closed her eyes, snatching the book from his hand. "And I think I've already replied to this too, but I'll say it again. No... I couldn't. And I have my reasons. If you're going to discuss this again, let me know so that I'll leave you eating on your own and go downstairs."

Placing a hand over hers, "Wait. Look... we both know that I like you... probably more than I should, but not like I can help myself... but I can't help but think about missing out on the potential. You can't acknowledge your feelings, I completely understand that. It's just that... I just wanted to know if, barring all circumstances, would I ever be anything more to you than just a friend or a colleague? I can accept whatever answer you give me, but at least just give me an answer."

"There's much more to me than you could ever realise, Tristan," she whispered, as she stood up from the table to walk up next to the window. "Much much more... which I cannot talk to you about. It could have worked... excluding our jobs of course, if I lived the normal life of a normal woman of my age. But I'm not."

Immediately, Tristan got up from his seat and pulled her into a comforting hug. "Hey, it's okay. And thank you for your answer. I told you earlier, I'll always be by your side. If that means I'll be by your side as just a friend and nothing more, then I'll do it. Just... just know that I'll always care about you. Okay?"

It was a weird sensation, but she could swear she was feeling tears slowly welling up in her eyes. "Believe me, I'm doing this for you... apart from other things... I... thank you," she whispers, placing a kiss on his cheek.

Stunned from the kiss, he just held her tighter. "You're welcome. And just... believe in me, I'll never let you down. I promise."

"Mmm-hmm... I don't have any doubt about that," she chuckled, letting go of him. "You should go get yourself a lovely bride and forget all about your grumpy boss though... would do you better than passing through all of this... " she whispered, in a barely audible tone, hoping that either of them hadn't heard that at the end of the day.

"But I-"

"Aww... what a cute and touching scene between friends," Neville replied with an amused tone and noted just how closely the pair were standing next to one another. "On that wonderful, feel-good moment, your lunch is ready."

"Um... thanks...  _ Sir _ ," came the slightly terse reply from Tristan.

"Quite welcome. Hope you enjoy it."

As Tristan settled back into his seat, Neville shot Gwyn a knowing smile, making her fume slightly. 

"And as usual, you got me an enormous salad, do you think I'll eat all of this at one go?" she asked, looking back at Neville who was uncorking the wine by her side. "I need that more than the food right now," she commented as he started pouring the wine in her glass. 

"I'm sure you do... and how about you, Tristan, everything to your liking?"

Nodding slowly, he gave Neville a fake grin. "Everything's perfect. Thanks." Quickly, he turned back to his food before either of the others could pick up on his change of mood.

"Nev, why don't you go downstairs, I'll call you if we need anything... I don't think you should leave the place unattended while you're upstairs..." she chided him, as she started sipping her wine.

"You're getting rid of me? Fine, but only since it's you Gwyn. Say, we should catch up with each other - probably some other time though. Have fun you two..."

"Bring Lisa along and we should go out all together... especially since I'd love to see her again." 

Sipping his lemonade, Tristan ignored the two of them while listlessly stabbing at his salad.

"Now, will you tell me what's wrong?" she asked him, while Neville left the room to continue working in the kitchen.

"I was just going to say that... well, I think you know what I was going to say, but I'll say it anyways. I want my grumpy boss as my lovely bride, but I know that she can't be. I still want her though because I know that she's worth it. That's all and it doesn't matter now, does it," he finished as he went back to eating, but not before reaching out and patting her hand slightly while giving her a sad smile.

Blushing furiously, she stared back at him, with half a frown on her lips. "You'll never follow my advice, right?"

"Nope. I'll follow your business advice and your fashion advice, but not your love advice."

After setting the wine glass back on the table, Gwyn moved back on her seat, resting her head back against the chair. "You can't even imagine how complicated that situation will become this way... for you. And for me. Terribly complicated."

"Office politics and office romances are never easy nor that simple-"

"The office situation is the last thing I'm thinking about at the moment."

"Let me finish. I've already said I'll stand by you no matter what, and I intend to. Do I want to be more to you than just that? Of course, but at the same time I'm not going to risk your career or mine over some stupid crush I have on you. We both know that we're smarter than that."

Gwyn just sighed, feeling like there was nothing more to add to what Tristan had just said. He was right... the situation would have been completely different if she wasn't a vampire. She would have, most probably, accepted the fact that her subordinate had developed feelings for her... and... since he was the only person whose affections she enjoyed... in a way, she would have given it a secret try. But... her nature made it impossible to pursue. He'd end up being a target, not that he wasn't already, but him being by her side would have made it ideal for someone like Fred to make use of him. And she didn't want that to happen. It was the very thing that she dreaded...

"We agreed earlier that we'll just maintain not only our working relationship but also our friendship. So... I figure that it couldn't hurt to work on making our friendship with one another as close as we can without crossing the boundaries. What do you think?"

"Depends what you mean with close though..." she replied dryly, nibbling at her salad.

Giving her a real smile, he began working on his entrée. "Surely I can have lunch with you, right? I do with all of my other friends. Also, since we have to work on this, I should be free to visit you and vice versa if we have to work on this thing during the weekends - as I'd rather be out than stuck in the office, right?"

"Your other friends are not AD's, Tristan. As for the visiting, that's not a problem. You already do visit me often anyway."

"Fine... but like I said, what happens if we have to work on this thing over the weekend? You may want to stay inside the office on the weekends, but I'd rather be out of it. Couldn't I stop by your place or meet you somewhere that close by? Also, you and I have a different friendship than I'll ever have with James or Cynthia."

"Office at my apartment would be ideal," she replied as she continued eating. "I always work there on Saturdays and Sundays anyway."

"You have an  _ office _ in your  _ apartment _ ? Seriously?!" came the exasperated reply. "I swear you are a total workaholic... I need to get you out more..."

"I go out, after work sometimes... for a drink, and head back there. If I'm not to sleepy, I work."

Laughing as he took the last bite of his fish. "Work work work... that's all I'm getting from you... You really need to get out more, y'know."

"Wouldn't make any difference, trust me. I know what I'm saying. And as much as I grumble about it, I like my work..."

"You can be really cute sometimes, you know that? My total workaholic of a boss... Might as well just turn your office into your home..."

"Who told I haven't thought of that? But Frederick disagreed when I talked to him about it."

"Let me guess, the couch in your office can turn into a bed. That way, if you need to stay really late, you have a place to sleep, right?" Draining the rest of his lemonade, Tristan grabbed Gwyn's free hand and gave it a light squeeze. "Now I see why you need me around, I make you laugh."

"And what does that have to do with my office?" she chuckled, glad that the conversation had gotten lighter.

"It's your home away from home... so, in a weird kind of way, I visit your house every day. Only you don't have a fridge or a bathroom in it."

"Bathroom's just a couple of steps away and Cynthia has a small fridge in her part of the office, for your information," she grinned back at him.

"Guess I can just crash at your office if I need to work late. You have everything I'd need. Comfy place to sleep, food, a bathroom that's nearby..."

"If worse comes to worst, there are spare bedrooms at home... if you'd be working at my home office."

"Couldn't I just camp out on the floor of your bedroom then if I did? It'd be like a sleepover!"

The last comment made Gwyn laugh out heartily. "That, is out of the question, seriously, are you mocking the seriousness of my office Mr. Faraday?"

"No, because even if I stayed over at your place to work then fell asleep, you'd still be working so it all balances out." 

"Thing is, at this rate, you'll be always sleeping and I'll be always working, what balances out?" she laughed, finishing her glass of wine.

"Time spent alone together. Since we'll most likely be in the same place at the same time working on the same thing."

"Definitely, especially since we'll get a deadline about that pretty soon, I'm sure of it."

"Then how about... we have my dessert as takeaway and... start working. I can add my list of names to your list of names and we can discuss their strengths and weaknesses together... say over coffee at your place? You said you had an office there, right?"

"That might work, plus, I'm getting work-withdrawal symptoms so let's go back, and get back to business," she admitted, taking the notebook back in her hands.

"Alright. Should probably pay for lunch though... and I need my desserts - your orders - right?"

Gwyn looked up and handed him over another one of her cards. "Pay with this. And don't worry... it's work's business card - the one only ADs and the boss have. Business meals are financed through these."

"I'll meet you outside then? Or do you have some parting words for Mr. Neville?"

"No I'll come with you..." she replied, getting back on her feet.

"Then, shall we?" he replied, offering his arm out to her.

Smiling back, she nodded and locked her arm with his. "Yes..."

While walking down the stairs, Neville held a bag out to Tristan, grinning mischievously. "Off to work I see, well, guess you be wanting this, correct?"

Taking the bag warily, he handed over the cash card. "Yeah...thanks. How'd you-"

"It was a business lunch and obviously you two have work to do, right?"

"Yes it was," Gwyn chimed in the middle of their conversation. "Tristan, would you mind waiting for me outside please? I need to have a quick talk with Neville here."

"Yeah, okay. I'll see you in a bit..."

Once Tristan was away from hearing distance, Gwyn glared back at Neville and snapped back at him. "Why are you teasing that kid? I know that attitude of yours Nev..."

"I wasn't saying anything Gwyn... what are you up to now? Taking him to your place?"

"Yes for work. Nothing more," she replied dryly noticing the look on his face. "It's not what you're thin-" Neville halted her, placing his hands on her shoulders.

"Just be safe... you don't want to end up like me, don't you?" he told her with a sincere look in his eyes.

"Don't worry," she replied, calming down. "I know what I'm doing... don't want to risk his career, and his life either, Nev..." she sighed. "Especially since I have the suspision that Fred has his eyes on him already. If you know what I mean."

Neville nodded in return. "I don't need to tell you anything then."

"No... you take care and say hi to your Lisa for me," she replied smiling, as he helped her put on her coat. 

"Will do, definitely... and... Gwyn... you need to  _ snack _ on something," he finished, as a new couple of customers entered the restaurant.

"I'll think about that... and thanks again Nev, see you around," she waved back, making her way outside, finding Tristan resting against the door.

"Hey, how'd it go...? Everything cool?"

"Oh, yes sure, I just needed to talk to him about something, that's all... so, coming with me back home?"

Taking her hand, "Can I show you something? Please?"

Gwyn raised an eyebrow and gave him a strange look. "What's on your mind?"

Instead of answering, he led her to a spot where the entire coastline was visible and pointed to a particular spot. "See that spot right there? Someday, I'm gonna have a house right there. Think I'll be able to do it?"

Grinning, Gwyn just stared at the spot and smiled. "Well, with your current salary, it's possible, but you'll have to save for many years... but. If you get that promotion... things could be far more easier and less lengthy... and you would manage to pay all the debts related to getting it done in no time... mmmh."

Pulling her into a hug, Tristan rested his head on her shoulder. "There you go again, talking business. Is there anything else you don't think about?"

"You know that your boss is a workaholic after all," she chuckled, "you should have known."

Lifting his head and turning to face her, a hand was gently placed on her cheek, stroking it gently. "I know I shouldn't... but can I kiss you right now?"

She smiled, but slightly shook her head in response. "No... I will," she whispered as he closed his eyes, and Gwyn merely places a small kiss on his forehead. "Don't start pushing it again Tristan... please."

Removing his hand, he placed a lingering kiss on her cheek and slowly let her go. "I'm not going to. Shall we?"

Feeling that she was blushing, at least a little bit, Gwyn nodded back in response and locked her arm in his as they slowly starting making their way back towards the car. As she gazed straight ahead, without saying much, a new feeling started getting into her system - guilt. The kid was getting closer to her in a way she never really wanted to, just like Neville had mentioned to her. However this was the first time that she lived such a situation... it was actually becoming a two-way feeling.

-

The drive back home wasn't that long - it took Gwyn a mere thirty minutes to get from the coast to her apartment. However, it was quite the silent one - Tristan kept watching the surrounding from the passenger's window, while Gwyn switched on the car's stereo to hear some classical music on the way. 

"Thinking about something?" she asked him, once they had gotten into the suburbs of the city. "You haven't talked much through all of the journey back..."

"Yeah, just realized how different you and I are - as far as where we are in life. I'll admit that I've gotten a lot of stuff done in my life in a really short time but... you just seem more put-together than me."

That comment made her smile - he couldn't have known that in spite of her appearance, she had lived for so long, thus her life was what it was now even because of that. "Put-together is a very  _ original  _ description, I must admit."

"Well... that's the first thing that came to mind. I'm usually more eloquent than this... but you just do something to me that reduces me to a stuttering idiot."

Gwyn laughed heartily when she heard Tristan admit that to her. "You know what though? I can't recall you stuttering..."

"That's why I haven't said a whole lot," he replied with a wink. "Mostly it would be a lot of stuttered words, inappropriate comments, and me staring at you blankly."

"You're really some crazy kid, you know that?"

Laughing, he patted her hand that was on the steering wheel. "You keep calling me a kid... you honestly can't be  _ that _ much older than me... I mean at most, I'd peg you for being twenty-seven..."

Gwyn raised an eyebrow teasingly: "Twenty-what? Seriously, I am  _ deeply _ offended," she chuckled.

"Huh? Wait... may I even ask how old you are?"

"You said... twenty-seven right? Subtract four and you've got your answer," she replied with a wicked grin on her lips.

"Shit..."

"Ah well, I admit it though, I  _ do _ look older..." she smiled back at him. "You're not the first to tell me that."

"The shit part or the you look older part?" Studying her face again, he noted the slight dark circles under her eyes and the small wrinkles on her forehead, but overall, he found her to be extremely beautiful. "You're around my age... and you're absolutely gorgeous... God... this  _ so _ not fair... I can overlook that you're my boss, but the fact that you're my age and single hurts the most.  _ Damn. _ .."

"Life's not fair, Tristan. I've learnt to accept that fact," she commented, taking him by surprise. "You try to keep up with it as much as possible, but it always wins against you."

Reaching over to gently trace his fingertips along her cheek down to her jaw before letting go, he turned his head to look out the window again. "Tell me about it... You're still gorgeous though..."

She halted the car in front of what looked like a high-class residential apartment area and hit a button to open the main gate. "Thank you... for the compliment I mean."

"No problem. I meant everything." Looking around the residential area, he merely shook his head. "Again... we're in two different worlds... I feel like a pauper compared to you, who is like a queen. Now I  _ know _ I haven't a chance in hell... I can dress up and pretend, but that's all it is in the end."

"Will you stop that?" she quickly snapped back at him, as she starting driving towards the garage. She could have never mentioned that her place was a gift from Fred... "I was lucky enough to get my hands on this place."

Giving her another brief glance, he just shook his head sadly.

"You know what, I don't accept people with that frown in my apartment, so... no frowns please..." she replied with a chuckle.

"...Then I should get going... and head back to the office..."

"You're the most stubborn kid I ever met... after myself," she commented, once getting out of the car, after getting it parked safely in its place.

"Didn't exactly work my way up by being a total pushover," he shot back as he got out of the car and opened the trunk, pulling his bicycle out.

"Wait, what do you think you're doing now?"

Opening the rear passenger's door, he grabbed his bundle of clothing. "I told you, back to the office. I appreciate the ride here, should be easy to get back," he replied as he made his way over to his bike, but gets stopped by Gwyn grabbing a hold of the front of his jacket.

"Care to explain now?" she asked, with a menacing tone of voice.

"Despite me actually feeling things for you and actually giving a shit about you, we're too different. Like I said, I shouldn't even try with you. So, I'll just go back to being your subordinate... in every way possible. Please let go of me,  _ ma'am _ ."

It was something she had never expected to do in the last few hours. Her hand almost moved in automatic mode when she slapped him firmly on his right cheek. "And I thought you said you weren't going to leave my side..."

Despite the pain, Tristan never flinched as he steeled his gaze back into Gwyn's furious eyes. "As your subordinate. I don't believe I ever promised you as a  _ friend _ . Now, please let go of me or are you going to order me to stay?"

Turning to give her back to him, she walked away to move next to the elevator leading towards her apartment. "Do what the hell you want then, I don't care. You want to go back to the office? Go."

"You don't, huh. Surely that slap meant that you actually give a shit about me. Tell me I'm wrong, and I'll stay. Otherwise, I'll just see you tomorrow. Your choice."

As the elevator door opened, Gwyn slipped inside, still with her back facing him. "Have a nice day, Faraday."

Once the door closed, Tristan shook his head as he was about to depart, but saw something on the floor of the car. Opening the car door, he realized it was the notebook they were using earlier. Flipping through the book, he stopped to where a pen lay amongst the blank pages. After a few moments, he scrawled a small note:

_ Gwyn- _

_ Do you ever think a Queen could ever fall in love with a pauper? _

_ Tristan. _

Closing the notebook, he left it on the hood of her car before departing from the garage and heads towards the office, leaving the dessert bag untouched on the passenger's seat.

"Ma'am... are you all right, something happened?" Anne asked jumping from her chair, as she saw Gwyn rush inside, head down, heading straight for her bedroom. 

"I'm fine... just... I need to rest... for a short while, that's all," she replied, looking up at her with a couple of tears flowing down her eyes. "I'll be fine, don't worry."

Anne knew she was lying, especially since Gwyn barely ever cried. Something had hit her so bad, that she couldn't resist the urge of doing so. Plus, it was frustrating... not being able to do anything about her.

Once having locked her room, Gwyn shoved her jacket off her, removed her heels and let herself tumble down on bed, taking one of the pillows in her arms while tears started flowing freely down her pale cheeks. She just needed to sleep and get all that out of her system - tomorrow would be like just it always was - her at the office, her giving orders, her subordinates coming up to discuss matters with her, overtime, meetings with Fred, a night out for a hunt... and back home for her meal. Everything back to normal... except for the fact that a certain Faraday wasn't there. To talk, to discuss, to just... being there. And that thought only made her sob uncontrollably till she fell asleep. Not quite the norm - for a  _ vampire _ after all.

-

Upon arriving back at the office, Tristan found that it was practically deserted. Heading into his office, after leaving his bicycle in the small kitchen area of the floor, he shut the door and threw himself into his work, determined to forget the fact that he started to feel his heart breaking a little.

-

"Anne... why on earth are you still awake?" Gwyn asked, as she made her way inside the kitchen once she woke up from bed. "It's late..."

"Not too much," the maid chuckled, as she got back on her feet. "I've waiting longer for you ma'am sometimes..." Anne replied, as she noticed the tired look in her eyes.

"Just bring me some coffee inside the office if you don't mind... I'll be working all through the night most probably... I've lost all sleep now... and maybe later I'll go out for a hunt," she finished as she stood up, making her way towards the other room.

"As you wish ma'am, will bring it to you in a couple of minutes."

Gwyn walked into her office, and without even switching on the lights, sat at her desk, resting her forehead against the cold glass desktop. After having a quick look around, then, the AD realised that she had left all of her things inside her car - she had other things on her mind at the time so she barely even realised that - and it included her agenda, her notes, and her notebook. "Oh, damn it... Anne! Will you come here for a second please?" she called, as Anne promptly came inside her home office.

"Yes?" the maid promptly answered, rushing by her side.

"I left my bag and the rest of my belongings inside the car... had a lot of things on my mind and didn't realise," she admitted, while handing her the car keys. "Would you mind going down and fetch them for me please?" Gwyn asked, while placing a hand at her temple.

"Sure. Will do," the maid agreed, making her way outside. 

"Damn... now I'm starting to feel... hungry too," she cursed, as she waited for Anne to come back.

Upon the opening of the elevator doors, the first thing Anne noticed was the garage door was still open, despite the main gate being closed. "How strange... I thought she arrived back here by herself?” As she shut the door, Anne started removing Gwyn's things from the car, including a small white bag that was on the passenger's seat. "Strange... these smell like the profiteroles from Neville's place..." Shutting the door, she was about to search for Gwyn's notebook - which seemed to be missing from the rest of her belongings - before finding it on the hood of the car. "Okay, now there's something definitely weird about this situation... perhaps Gwyn could shed some light on it..." Grabbing the notebook, Anne quickly made her way back up to Gwyn's office.

"Ma'am, I found your belongings in the car. Where should I place them?"

"Just leave them on the desk... and you go rest a bit, thanks Anne," came her reply as she was standing by the large window overlooking the city. 

Doing as instructed, Anne set the notebook and white pastry bag on the desk while setting the bag on the floor before departing for her room to take a quiet break.

Once Anne nodded and slipped away from her office, Gwyn walked towards the desk, sat back in her armchair and took the notebook in her arms, while leaning back her head to rest a bit. "I wonder how much work I'll manage to get done from here... and with all this," she muttered, as she started flipping through her notes. "Fred will demand feedback on the progress of the Advertising Department project pretty soon... I know how he... is," she halted, as her attention turned completely on one single page towards the end of the notebook. 

She knew that was Tristan's work - absolutely sure - and it made her blush, glare back at the book in anger and sigh at the same time. "Am I talking in gibberish or what?" she shouted, slamming the notebook at the desk. 

"The Queen wishes... but she cannot, not with how the state of things is... Tristan."

-

At the same time, Tristan continued to work on the project as though nothing was wrong. Determined to at least, for both their sakes, make the project into a complete success and further advance their careers. "She's not meant to be mine, I know that for certain, but at least I'll make her happy regarding this." Setting down his pen, Tristan stretched and rolled his shoulders for a good while before turning his attention back to his work.

"James, James, James," he said with a smile, "Hope you enjoy your new department here at work, buddy. I'm about to make you a very happy man."

-

"Anne, I cannot concentrate here... I'm off to my office," Gwyn stormed out of her room, while still placing things in her bag and starting to look for her coat.

Her maid, still awake as she was quite concerned on her mistress' behaviour and thus couldn't catch any sleep, rushed to her side to find her the item of clothing she was looking for, which was right in front of the two, on a clothes' hanger behind the door. "It's there..." she replied, pointing out the spot. "But isn't it late? It's past eleven o'clock, you should stay here and continue from your own office here if you can't sleep. What's the point of going at the main building ma'am?"

"It's useless Anne, I can't get anything done if I can't put my mind on things as I do there... don't worry, I'll be fine. Don't forget that there's a security officer at the door, and I lock the door at this time of night... I might stay there till tomorrow morning so, don't wait for me please, go sleep."

Anne just sighed at the stubbornness of Gwyn, but if she had decided, nothing would have dissuaded her. "However if you need anything, call me ma'am, I'll be glad to help."

"I know... thank you Anne," she turned once she finished fastening her coat and taking hold of her bag. "See you tomorrow, and good night," she greeted her, making her way out of the apartment.

-

Whistling as he finished his assessments, Tristan walked over to a set of file drawers near the back of his office. Opening up one of them, he removed a casual sweater and some jeans and proceeded to change his clothes, as he had a feeling that tonight was going to be a long one. Once changed, he began work on an efficiency flowchart and a few other ideas on how to streamline Advertising's workflow.

-

"Oh great, so damn great, now I'm feeling hungry too! Anything else?" she cursed, slamming her hands against the steering wheel of her car. Swerving to take a left turn, towards a place she knew was frequented by terribly idiotic (and drunk) office workers, she slowed down the car and left it in a nearby parking place. Once she got out, she opened her coat and hurried off to a nearby alley, in the attempt of alluring someone into her trap...

Since she didn't feel like taking care of the mess afterwards, she merely drained half of the blood in the man's system and coldly left the blabbering idiot shivering in the dark alley-way. "Hopefully I'll have a decent meal with Fred... this has just satiated the hunger..." she muttered under her breath, as she got back inside her car and drove away towards her office. The business district wasn't that pleasant to go through at that hour of the night - especially since you had to avoid running over drunken workers more than you had to follow the road. After a couple of minutes, she entered the company's private car park, placed her car there and headed straight towards the office, to shut herself inside till she felt like and till she got the work she had in mind of finishing done.

-

A loud growl and rumble in his stomach alerted Tristan to finally taking a sizable break. Yawning and rubbing his eyes, Tristan began looking around his office. A mess of coffee cups, some empty snack bar wrappers, two bananas peels, one apple core, and the remnants of a bunch of grapes were sitting in his garbage can, yet he was still hungry. "What time is it- HOLY FUCKING SHIT IT'S MIDNIGHT?! Oh God... no wonder I'm so fucking hungry... last significant meal I had... Shit! I've gotta take my mind off of her... but... I've never wanted anyone more than her... That's it, I need food. Next thing I know, I'm gonna see her pop outta nowhere while I'm here... Let's see..."

Leaving his office, the walk to Cynthia and Gwyn's offices was a quiet one. The young man slowly walked through the halls, trailing his fingers along the walls as he took in the various artwork hanging alongside of it; the pieces were more classical in nature, as they depicted life two centuries ago.  _ Hmm... I never asked why she... picked these pieces of art, but I do like them... _ Locating the small fridge that Cynthia had kept took a bit of effort, but as soon as Tristan opened it he immediately wished he hadn't. A lone scrap of a baguette, the remains of a micro-green salad, a small, half-full container of non-fat cottage cheese, three packets of mayonnaise, and a little cup of leftover, soggy garlic fries greeted him.

"...I can't believe this... this is  _ food _ ?!" Shuddering, Tristan began removing the contents of the fridge and began building a little sandwich from the leftovers. Once he was somewhat satisfied with his creation, the young man closed his eyes and tried not to think as he devoured the sandwich in record time. Running over to the small kitchenette by Cynthia's desk, Tristan grabbed a can of soda and immediately drank the contents - only to realize that it was a diet cola, causing him to practically gag. "I am never doing that  _ ever _ again!" Taking another soda, making sure that it was a regular root beer, he drank it slowly and began to make his way back to his office - only to stop dead in his tracks as he saw a familiar face step out of his office, nearly making him drop his drink as a million and one emotions swirled inside of him.

-

"Never thought I'd bring this thing over with me..." Gwyn sighed as she took the small white bag in her hands and stood up. Without realising it, while she was shoving her stuff into her bag back home to come over to the office, she had also brought the little package with her... Neville's profiteroles... they hadn't eaten those after lunch... seemed like light years' away... "Dammit I'm thinking about the whole thing again," she growled, as she opened out wide her office door and made her way towards Tristan's office.

It felt strange... yet, normal, as it wasn't the first time Gwyn had stayed at the office so late. She was used to it, in a weird way, especially when Fred required her presence for a meeting late in the evening. Follow-ups and all the required actions and orders would need to be carried out right at that moment - considering that Gwyn deemed efficiency and prompt action as some of the most important characteristics in her work. 

As she placed her hand on the doorknob leading to Tristan's office, she exhaled yet another sigh, almost as a tension reliever, and slipped quietly inside. Without further ado, she gently placed the dessert on his desktop, right in front of where he sat, grabbed a post-it note and scribbled something quickly:

_ Tristan, you forgot this back in my car. Enjoy it.  _

_ G.C. _

After closing the office's door, she looked back with half a smile, and headed back towards her desk. She might have gotten something else done... or maybe not... she thought, as she saw someone familiar coming into view...

_ He's still here?!  _

_ - _

_ When did she get here?!  _ Shutting his eyes and swallowing thickly, Tristan just stared at Gwyn and couldn't verbalize nor process just what he was feeling. One part of him just wanted to yell at her, another part wanted to kiss her senseless, another part wanted to comfort her, and the last part - probably the one that scared him the most - wanted to tell her that he was falling in love with her, just before taking her right then and there, making her scream his name. Opening his eyes, the dark blue irises observing her closely, the young man gave Gwyn a slight nod before speaking.

"Good evening, Ma'am. What brings you here at such a late hour? Shouldn't you be home, relaxing with a comforting glass of red wine and a good statistical report? Now, if you'll excuse me, I have several more refinements to make to my preliminary report."

Moving swiftly, being careful not to brush against her, Tristan entered his office and quickly shut the door - leaving a speechless Gwyn Coulston in his wake. Once inside, he leaned against the door, desperately trying to forget how she looked, how her perfume smelled, but most important of all, how she tasted when he kissed her.

-

"I... forget it..." she muffled, as she was stopped abruptly by Tristan's slamming of his office door. "And I thought that... fuck..." she cursed, storming her way back towards the office. Once she returned back inside, she closed the door shut, taking a couple of reports back in her hands in the process and decided to concentrate on her work as much as possible thinking about nothing else that could distract her. And that wasn't too difficult, especially since she wanted to blast that damned kid away from the office for that kind of behaviour.

-

Looking around his office, the young man's attention caught sight of a small white bag his desk, as well as a small note next to it. He quickly read the note and grabbed the bag, running immediately to Gwyn's office and entered her office without knocking. Setting the bag down on her desktop, Tristan stood directly in front of her and leveled his gaze. "Please, damn all the consequences and all the reasons why I shouldn't do this right now because I know you want this just as much as I do..." Placing both hands on her cheeks, he leaned in and gently kissed her.

-

"What the..." barely having the time to respond in any way possible, and considering that Tristan had rushed into her office like a storm; in a split second she found herself cradled in his arms, while he kissed her gently.  _ Another kiss... this time though... seems... sweet _ ... she thought, as she felt his lips over hers. She wanted to let him go, but at the same time not. She wanted him to get out of the office and leave her on her own... but at the same... she was starting to get overcome by another feeling... a much warmer one, contradictory to what her usual demeanor was. As she wrapped her arms tenderly around him, however, she cursed her nature for the first time... and all the possible consequences that it would entail, and returned the loving kiss.

-

Strawberries were the first thing that came to mind when he kissed her, as there were a few other things he could identify. Red wine was another obvious item, since it was on her desk, a hint of scotch, and... something else, but he was having a hard time figuring out what exactly it was. Pulling away, Tristan kissed her forehead softly before saying the inevitable, "I'm so sorry for everything... especially for hurting you."

"You're going to put me in a lot of hellish trouble, you know that, don't you?" she whispered, resting closer to him.

"How so? And look... I told you before, I've never felt this way about anyone... so I guess I'm still learning. I said a lot of stupid things that I didn't mean - but it's just that... You can probably guess what I'm trying to say, right?" he whispered while resting his head on her shoulder. "You are the first person to  _ ever _ make me feel this."

"Probably... but still, couldn't you have found someone less problematic? I mean... your boss... what I am... I..." she chuckled. "Nothing..."

Kissing her cheek, Tristan held her tighter. "Maybe I could have, but there's something about you that seems to swallow me whole. I feel like... I feel like I'm in free-fall around you, but I haven't quite hit the bottom just yet. And I told you, you're worth all the trouble so I wouldn't go so far as to say that you're... nothing. Far from that..."

"There's so many things you don't know about me... and many of them I cannot even talk to you about... and still, you..." she continued in a whisper. "You really are a stubborn kid, aren't you?" she looked up, smiling.

"...Then let me in - but only as far as you want me to go. I want to know about all the little mundane things in your life: your favourite drink in the morning, your favourite song to sing in the shower, what you put on a bagel... stuff like that. The more personal stuff - only when you're ready, I don't want to push and since yes, this is a very dangerous type of romance and I don't want to risk everything we've ever worked for. I already care about you more than I should... but, it's too late for me to stop. As for me being stubborn, you've seen me at my worst and middle-ground all day today."

"You, not me. I have the CEO on my side... we've known each other for ages so... that's why I've been telling you,  _ repeatedly _ , that this would have placed you in a much more dangerous situation than me... I didn't want you to risk everything you've worked for, with so much effort. Not for some baby crush... but this... it seems far more serious than I had originally imagined..." she smiled. Then, in a serious tone, she asked him: "There's one thing though... how will I know for sure that this isn't a ploy to get into my good books definitely? Not a plan to deceive me in some way... I mean, don't get me wrong... but... there's still the professional sphere I have to think about, plus, do I have any guarantee that you won't be blackmailing me on this..." she finished, looking away.

Placing his hand on her cheek, he slowly turned her head to face him before kissing her chastely. "I would never lie to you. If there's one thing that I would never do, it's lie. If you want, ask Cynthia - she's known me since we were kids - and she'll tell you that I've never lied to her in the time that I've known her. If I was in it to say that I fucked my boss, then I wouldn't have spent this entire night working my ass off just so I could give you all the necessary materials for a preliminary review. You have more power over me - that much is clear - and you could always say that I've harassed you or something, which I probably wouldn't deny - despite it being a permanent mark on my record - so how could I blackmail you? In all cases, you literally have me by the balls. I have nothing to risk, except my career and my heart."

Gwyn gave an audible sigh, as all that Tristan was saying to her, in real terms, would have gotten much more serious. He was risking more of his life, rather than his heart or his career. Being so close to a vampire.  _ That _ way. Under normal circumstances, she would have ripped him silly at that point, but... the sincere look in his eyes confirmed that the situation was far more different than she could ever imagine. It was a different look from the one that other man used to give her - it was pleading she used to get from them - Tristan's look was that of determination and of sincerity. Making it all the damn too difficult to ignore...

"Can I see that preliminary review now?" she smiled back at him, taking a step back.

"Share dessert with me and I'll even give you all of my reasons as to why I chose specific things too?" he asked with a mischievous grin.

"Go fetch it from your room and come back here... we'll discuss it now if you like," she suggested.

"Great! See you in a bit." After letting go of Gwyn, Tristan stole another kiss before he headed back to his office for his materials - and dessert.

Gwyn, on the other hand, was still somewhat confused of what had just happened.  _ So fast... and so damn complicated _ , she thought as she sat back at her desk, taking her usual professional stance. "One thing I'm warning you about, Tristan," she said, as he got back into her office, with a smile on his face. "Don't you dare go overboard without my permission... no kissing, no nothing during official office hours, understand?"

"Of course, I understand completely. But..." 

"Don't start with the buts now Tristan."

"If you'd let me finish, I was going to say that everything that transpired today, including just now, weren't during official office hours... as we weren't in the office during office hours. Granted we were in your office when we kissed just now, but - it's past midnight... so, you might consider  _ that _ and  _ this _ -" he gestured to the various notebooks in his hands, "-as overtime. Don't you think so, Gwyn?"

"Right..." she merely replied, taking the notebooks in her hands and starting to flip through them, reading intently.

Grinning as Gwyn switched into her no-nonsense, ultra-professional mode, he watched her read for a bit before settling down on her couch - and fell asleep immediately.

Quite a few minutes later, and without having realised that so much time had elapsed since she had started reading, she looked up from her readings and grinning satisfied at the output. "I tend to agree with your choice of your friend James as one of the top officials in... this," she stopped when she noticed that Tristan had fallen asleep on the couch. She stood up, fetched her coat and placed it over him like a blanket to keep him warm.

"What on Earth am I going to do with you... my little human?"


	3. III

Over the course of the next few weeks, both Tristan and Gwyn saw each other fairly regularly as they continued to work on the Advertising Restructuring project. Once Gwyn presented the preliminary review to Fred, the pair continued to work as professional colleagues by day and by night, they continued their own lives - though every so often a kiss or a hug would slip in at odd occasions. During that time, both learned about each other's hobbies and habits. Gwyn found out that Tristan was quite athletic and loved to be active outside, hence the bike rides to work or his lunchtime five-mile runs when the weather was perfect. Upon learning that Tristan loved to rock climb, she suggested a place that not only specialised in indoor climbing, but outdoor as well near the coast - to which he kissed her in thanks and had regularly gone there after work. As for Tristan, learning about Gwyn's love of classical music and history was surprising yet not but it was learning that she was quite the dancer made him smile as she taught him some of the lesser-known dances from time to time.

Meeting Anne was quite an interesting moment for him, but the two hit it off immediately and soon enough, they became fast friends. Whenever Gwyn would tell Anne that Tristan was on his way there, she would make sure that plenty of fresh fruits were around, as well as chocolate milk - which he admitted was one of his favorite drinks - was well-chilled in the refrigerator.

"Seems you two are getting along quite well, right Gwyn?" Fred asked, as she handed him yet another update report.

"The man is pretty pro-active, and has some good ideas, as you can see. If you give me your approval, I would like to start recruiting the new staff complement as soon as possible... since those are just the internal adjustments that we need to carry out. As for the external, that would mean, ads on the papers... and carrying out the interviews... possible overtime... quite the thing, and he's more than ready for that, as we discussed things out together already."

"Perfect. And Gwyn, go check the room at the back, there's a little _surprise_ for you," he commented with a grin, clearly done to show off his perfectly white teeth. "Thought you'd appreciate."

"I thought you'd never ask," she grinned in the same way, as she walked towards the other room. "Are there more than one?"

"Five of them, just pick and choose," he laughed. "Hungry aren't you?"

"Starving... I've been so busy that I didn't even have the time to hunt lately... you should have seen the dark color under my eyes... disgusting... make-up just works wonders with these things... can I have them all?"

Fred stared back at her, bursting out in a hearty laugh. "They're all yours, go ahead. Drain them to the last drop if you like."

"Thank you," she winked back, thrilled at the fact that she'd feel back to normal in a few minutes. _And it was such a damn good feeling after all..._

-

"-Yes, that's perfect. Great! Thank you very much. Take care and have a good day." Setting down the receiver of his phone, Tristan began making a few more notes before dialing up Cynthia. "Cyn! Free this coming weekend?"

"If it's for a date, no. If it's for other things, I might consider," she said with a serious tone, before bursting out laughing. "What's up handsome?"

"For other things. Anyways, since the weather's looks like it'll be awesome this coming weekend, what's say me, you, James, and couple of other people check out the rock climbing place by the coast and then have a good old bonfire on the beach say... Saturday night?"

"Sounds fine for me. Mmmh... Tris, if you have in mind of asking the boss... she'd say no for sure, she hates these things," she replied, while at the same time flipping through Gwyn's agenda.

"Nope, not gonna. Just us and another friend of mine. I promise."

"Who else? I'm just curious..."

"Umm... her name's Anne. She's AD's housekeeper. Kinda on the shy side, but she'd fit right in with the rest of the others - she's like a female version of James if you want an idea of her personality," he replied with a laugh.

"How'd you get to know her? I know her myself... when Gwyn's rarely working from home, she answers the phone. Seems nice to me too."

"Whenever AD drags me off to work over the weekend, it's usually at her place. It's been winding down a bit, since AD met with the CEO for a status update, so AD told me to take the weekend off. Anyways, since I've been going there often, I'd end up talking to Anne until AD yells for me to get back to work..."

"That's AD for you... and I'm still surprised that she's got a permanent maid in her house you know..."

"Woman's so damn busy it makes sense to have a permanent maid to keep up the place. There's a lot of wood and delicate art pieces in the apartment... things get dusty if you don't take care of it... Speaking of which, ugh, Sunday's laundry day... Maybe I should ask Anne if she could help me out..."

Upon hearing that, Cynthia bursts out laughing on the phone. "Oh come on, laundry can be fun."

"Not when you have like a pile that's as tall as you are - and probably outweighs you by a good ten pounds or so..."

"Want me and Val to come over to help? I think your sister wouldn't mind checking out on you," she chuckles as she hears Gwyn's door close shut. "And by the way, boss is back if you want."

"That could be a plan... I'll spring for lunch and dinner if you guys can help me out? Please? Oh and... I'll probably head over in a few. Got more things for her to look over and sign."

"I'll phone Val up this evening... she definitely won't say no if you're involved," she smiles. "And yes... she got back from CEO so she might need to talk to you."

"Awesome awesome. Be there in a sec."

"Sure no problem."

After hanging up the phone and grabbing his stuff, he headed over to Gwyn and Cynthia's offices.

-

"So... you're totally cool with helping me out with ye olde laundry on Sunday?" he asked while hanging over her credenza, trying to reach the door of her fridge for a drink.

"It's as if you're going to be hanged," she said with a laugh. "It's no big deal... we'll get it done in no time, us three together. Oh and by the way, boss is waiting for you, Mister."

"Well, you'd say it like that too if you knew what the pile looks like... I've had to quarantine it to the spare bathroom... I know I know... just gimme a drink already - and not the diet crap."

"Will you not offend my weight-watching stuff please? It's at the back..."

"But I can't reach it from here," he whined. "It's your fridge and I'm not hanging over your desk for my health here..."

"Good Lord Tris, sometimes you're really aggravating," she sighed, with a chuckle as she reached for the fridge and handed him a cola. "Happy now?"

After making sure it was regular, he cracked open the can and began drinking. "You still love me regardless of how aggravating I can be. And yes, I'm quite happy now. Later." Walking over to Gwyn's door, he knocked on the door before entering. "So... I was think... ing. Wow... Hi."

"Mmmh? What's wrong?" she asked him, feigning innocence. _All of that blood must have had left its impact..._

Taking another drink, Tristan still gaped slightly. "Nothing nothing nothing at all... God you look amazing - I mean, here," he murmured as he handed her the papers, "these are for you. They're authorization papers for the transfers of some of the personnel..."

Gwyn raised and eyebrow at him, took the papers in her hands and gave him a mischievous grin. "Don't I always?"

"...Yeah." Beginning to studying her face, he began to grin stupidly. "I take it the meeting went well? I mean, obviously it had to if your in such a fantastic mood... and... oh my God I want to kiss you right now..."

"Tremendously well if you like, we have the total and absolute go-ahead from CEO for the transfers we want to carry out, and we can start working getting the external recruitment up and running... and... door's locked if you like... but... remember what you promised me, none of _that_ during office hours. And we're smack in the middle of them," she grinned back.

"...I did I did... but... _Fuck_... you look so damn _kissable_ right now... Right! Nevermind! I'll... just be leaving... now? Shit, I can't seem to make myself move here..."

At that comment, Gwyn burst out laughing. "Talk about being straight to the point... want me to carry you out in my arms to your office?" she continued, while stifling another laugh.

"I'm totally being serious here... and no... I'd rather take you in your office right now-I mean shit! That didn't come out right... I'll... well, fuck..."

"Come over here for a second will you?" she asked him, gesturing for Tristan to move by her behind the desk.

"Ye-yes ma'am..." Forcing himself to move over to where Gwyn wanted him to stand, Tristan found himself trying to avoid looking at her.

Taking advantage of the fact that he was wearing a tie that morning, Gwyn, still seated in her black deskchair, reached out for it and made him lean down to be face to face with her. "I swear... this will the _only_ exception I will ever approve of... since you are being so damn cute and since I am in such a damn good mood," she finished, bringing herself to kiss him. 

Freezing momentarily, he began to relax slightly and eagerly kissed her back - though forcing his hands and arms to remain locked at his sides out of fear of what he might do.

"And _now_ , you can head back to your office," she finished, letting go of his tie, whilst at the same time rearranging the collar of his shirt.

"Y-yes ma'am... Oh and by the way... Is it okay if Anne accompanies my friends and I for a fun night out on Saturday? Going to the coastal rock wall and will have some dinner on the beach afterwards."

"Sure. Don't forget to ask her, it's not a problem from my end. I won't be home anyway."

"I will... Need me to come over tonight? Or are we good with the project thus far...?"

"I'm quite satisfied... more than satisfied actually, and so is the CEO. Very pleased with all of the work already carried out, exceeded all of his expectations for sure. As for tonight... you might, but you can take the evening off if you like... I guess I'm too clement with you today," she chuckled.

"Well, I was going to ask Anne if she wanted to join us on Saturday, but if you have _other plans_ for me tonight... I won't say no..." Smirking mischievously as he regained his composure, he started making his way over to her door, holding the cola can lazily in one hand. "If I may say so ma'am, you look... _deliciously fuckable_ right now," he laughed as he walked out of her office.

"And if it wasn't _you,_ kid, I would have easily drained you till the last drop..." she chuckled, as she took hold of the reports he had brought her and started reviewing them immediately.

-

Upon leaving, Tristan passed Cynthia's desk with a stupid grin on his face. "I'll be going on lunch now Cyn. If AD is looking for me later - tell her I'm going running..." _Followed by a very_ cold _shower... think I got a little too worked up back there... but wow that was hot..._

"Again? I think I'll need to go with you... you know, because of the extra kilos... seems meeting was OK, right?"

"Meeting went swimmingly. If you're up for it, I wouldn't mind the company."

"Really? But you're too fast dammit... slow down a little bit and I'll come... wait, I'll tell AD first..." she told him, while lifting up the receiver.

"Totally fine and I promise I'll just jog no full running or sprinting." 

"Great! Uh, Ms. Coulston... yes, it's me... I'm going out for lunch... yes thank you, yes... see you later," she finished, placing the telephone back in its place. "She's in quite the mood today..."

"Told you it went well, now... go get changed and meet me in my office in say... twenty minutes?" 

"Yes sir! See you!" Cynthia promptly replied, rushing away from her office.

Once he was sure she was gone, Tristan poked his head back into Gwyn's office quickly before heading back to his own to change. "Off for a relaxing run with Cyn. Need anything, you know where to find it. Have a good afternoon, Gwyn."

"You too," Gwyn waved back at him without raising her head from the reports, back to her usual business demeanor.

-

"Hey beautiful, ready to go? The sun's shining, birds are chirping, and the AD has let me live for another day... life's awesome."

"Kill off her good mood and I'd beat you senseless... let's go," she grinned back, as they headed out of the main building together.

Stretching his legs, Tristan continued: "Now why would I go and do that? Her being in a good mood benefits me, y'know. Plus, she's a great boss anyways..." 

"Yep," she replied, nodding in approval. "Nothing to do with Ryan Black in one of the other sections. A friend of mine told me that he really is a pure-hearted asshole."

Sighing as he started jogging slowly, Tristan promptly replied. "Oh yeah... _that_ douche. Cole's forced to work with him sometimes - he's always tells me that the bastard keeps a strategic pecking order... and all the women forced to work for him are practically harassed by the guy, but won't say anything about it... I feel really bad for them... but... it's hard to do anything if they won't come forward. Hope someone teaches that asshole a lesson..." 

"Watch out for him though... I won't tell AD myself, but you could, considering your good relationship with her... it might not affect her, but it might affect you. He could start becoming pretty pesky if he'd get to know about your project, and that it's going well. Quite the envious bastard he is..."

"I'll let her know when we get back... Now come on slowpoke, we need to get you back into shape! Bikini Season's almost upon us! Stick with me and I'll assure you you'll knock any guy dead - since you're a total package compared to the ditzes out there..."

"Forget it, I don't wear that... bikinis I mean... that's underwear in the disguise of a bathing costume! I'm all for the traditional full costume! It's more comfy you know."

"Aww... you've already got a killer body... wouldn't mind seeing former tomboy now practically a supermodel Cynthia Ericsson in a tasteful, yet stylish bikini."

"You won't..." she blushed. "And will you stop with the compliments please, you're making me blush darn you."

"What are friends for? And I mean it, you know I'd never lie to you," he replied as he started jogging behind her and placed his hand on her back, keeping her moving forward as they jog.

"Pfftttt... you're a loveable dork, you know that?" she laughed, while he was still making her move forward. "But the bikini's a no-no."

"I do... and thanks. Also really? No on the bikini? Fine, can I go with you when you go bathing suit shopping then? That way, I'll make you try one on..."

"Damn no! That's even a bigger no," she quickly retorted. "Are you serious? Of course you can't!"

That reply made Tristan laugh while they carried on jogging. "So not fair. Why is it whenever I go out to pick out some stuff, you always insist on tagging along - 'it's to make sure that the shorts fit you properly' - yet I can't watch you go bathing suit shopping..."

"Because... I don't want to buy a damn bathing suit! I hate those traps," she snapped back. "Plus, what shorts? Did I ever come with you when you buy your bathing outfit? No."

"When I had to get shorts and tights to wear when I ride my bike, dummy. Also, when I was getting football shorts... then the shorts for tennis... Oh, and the ones I wear for rock climbing..."

"You asked me to! And I quote: ' _Cyn, please please can you come with me, I need to buy...'_ Does that ring a bell?"

"You could've said no..." he grinned as he slowed down a bit. "You okay? Wanna take a break? And besides, if you were tagging along because you wanted to check me out, you could've told me. I wouldn't have cared."

"Check you out? For what reason?"

"Just messing with you. Though you were the first girl ever to pinch my butt - for that reason alone, I usually wanted your opinion on my fashion sense. Since I'm practically clueless at times... Stuff to run around in, I'm good. Casual stuff, good there too. Business casual... iffy at times. Formal... pfft. And seriously, how are you holding up? We can stop jogging if you want to."

"That's because I _am_ a fashion expert, at least I know what looks good or bad on a man... take you for example, you're just like a prime example of how a man should look like at work... there are others that need to burn down their wardrobe in a Guy Fawkes' day bonfire. I'd help with that. Oh and by the way, AD has my same opinion on this just to let you know. Strangely enough, on one of her "good mood" days we had a talk on that. You're in our Top 10 of best dressed men at work..." she chuckled. "And I'm fine don't worry... have I asked you to stop, no... so continue."

"Gee, thanks and if you're not tired... Catch me if you can!" he called back as he started running past her, though not quite at half-speed.

Raising her arms in the air, Cynthia merely chuckled. "What? No, fuckin' way, Tris, come back! Why you..." she laughed, running up in the pathetic attempt to reach him.

-

Half an hour later, Tristan was practically dragging Cynthia back to her chair while laughing. "Hey, no pain no gain, Cyn. I promise I'll come over and give you a massage, alright?" 

"If it weren't you I'd tell you to keep the damn massage to yourself but I wouldn't mind that now actually... and if tomorrow morning I'm all sore, I'll personally come up and kill you."

"Well, I'll give you a back one now and if your legs are sore in the morning, I'll head over. Deal?" asks Tristan as he began kneading her shoulders and back slowly.

"Deal... whatever," her expression, however, changes to a more relaxed one as the massage starts making its effect. "You know I love you when you come up with these brilliant ideas don't you?"

"I've been known to have a few here and there, and yes, love you too. I should probably check in with AD soon... feeling good now?"

"Much better, thank you. And remind her about you-know-who... please," she told him, as she felt him give a final friendly squeeze to her shoulders.

"Good," he whispered, kissing her temple, "I will and go get changed... not exactly professional for you to be in your running clothes while you work..."

"Oh fuck, I forgot about these! Thanks for the heads-up Tris! Love ya!" she thanked him, while running off to get changed.

Tristan grinned back as he watched Cynthia run off before knocking on Gwyn's door before entering. "Good afternoon Gwyn. Everything alright?"

Upon hearing her office door open, Gwyn raised her head and merely acknowledged Tristan's presence. Her concentration was at its climax in the afternoon. "Here, those are ready and approved if you want," she replied, pointing at the stack of reports at the edge of her desk. "I've got others to work on right now. Had a nice break?"

"Quite lovely actually and my apologies beforehand for dripping on your floor - we just got back. Thank you for the reports. Also..." he paused to wipe his face with the edge of his t-shirt, "I was wondering if I could talk to you about Ryan Black. Seems that there are several people who have a problem with him."

"Oh... _him_ ," she replied, rolling her eyes in what seemed to be a bored, almost frustrated, look. "Go change first, then come talk to me."

"Alright, though it'll take me a while. Still be free by the time I come back?"

"Sure... and drop these off to your office when you come back," she told him, while handing him a whole lot of new files. "And don't give me that look, they are the officer files for you to have a look at, especially the annual appraisal forms. I want to be 100 per cent sure that I don't have a repeat of the previous department's failure."

Pouting slightly, he took the files reluctantly and was about to head out of office, before deciding to ask, "Tie or no tie?"

Looking up at him, she grinned back after a long while of focusing on her work. "Yes, I want you here with that damn tie on please."

"I'm starting to think you have a fetish for me wearing ties... Kinda kinky there, ma'am," he answered as he walked out of the room, carrying the files and about to head back to his office when he heard her call out once again.

"Will you just go get changed now please?" she commented, pointing at the carpet right under him. "I would terribly appreciate if you stop sweating like crazy on _that_. It's quite on the expensive side, you know."

Sticking his head back inside her office, he just grinned at her. "You probably wouldn't mind me sweating if we weren't in your office... especially if we were elsewhere... say, your bed?" he quipped as he left quickly before she could throw anything at him, laughing the entire time.

As soon as she heard the laughter coming out of the AD's office, Cynthia couldn't help but smile as she watched a beaming Tristan walking towards her desk. "You smell of sweat; did she tell you to go get changed? She hates that."

"I know I do, yes she did and I am aware of that. Still alive though, so... looks like my luck's holding out. Be back soon..."

-

Depositing the files on his desk, Tristan grabbed his clothes and his spare toiletry set and headed to the men's shower to get cleaned up. Twenty minutes later, a newly freshened-up, damp haired Tristan strolled past Cynthia's desk, whistling. "Miss me?"

"Much better Mr. Faraday..."

"Hand me your comb please?"

"Slicking it back?" she asked him, while handing him the comb over.

"Yep. So annoying when my bangs are wet... slicking it back is the only way it makes it not so bad - then it just flops back to normal," he mumbled as he combed his hair quickly and handed back the comb. "Good?"

"Perfect. It actually makes you look quite hot," she grinned, winking back at him.

"Not quite what I had in mind whenever I do this but... eh, whatever. See you soon." Knocking on Gwyn's door, he entered the office and closed it after him. "Afternoon, ma'am."

"After... that’s much better than the stinking version of you that was here a few minutes ago," she smirked, as soon as she saw Tristan entering her office.

Chuckling to himself, he sat down in the chair in front of Gwyn and crossed his arms. "You'd still love me regardless. Anyways, I only comb my hair like this to deal with the wet hair... not for you." Playfully, he stuck his tongue out at her. "Though I'm impressed that you like my hair like this..."

"You seem... like a mafia boss," she chuckled, looking back at him once again, with a wicked grin on her face. "You could put quite the competition with the CEO." Then with a sincere look in her eyes, "You do look quite good like that though, really."

"Nah... not my style to look like some mafia gangster... I'm too nice, though me as a future CEO sounds nice. And thanks... So, let's get down to business, shall we?"

"Sit down then... got those files with you?"

"But I am sitting... _fine_..." Sitting up properly, he sighed and handed the files over. "Here you go. I flagged the ones that I had some questions about but I figure we can always just go over these tonight? I wanted to talk about Ryan Black instead, as I know of several people who are having a difficult time doing their jobs because of him."

"That guy's an asshole and I've already heard complaints about his ways... I've talked to CEO about him, and he knows about the issue but cannot do much at this point, but... he's monitoring him, don't worry."

"Are you sure? I mean, Cyn's pretty concerned and my friend Cole Thompson is Black's subordinate. He told me about Black's particular pecking order and his specific... _preferences_... for particular types of individuals working under him. I know he's highly ambitious but... I'm worried that he might try something against you, as our project has been going quite smoothly."

Gwyn looked up at Tristan with a very serious look in her eyes - in spite of the fact that they were talking business, they actually seemed darker and more intense than they usually did. "What do you mean by _preferences_?"

"According to Cole... they... look similar to _you_ , Gwyn. Blonde hair, hazel to brown eyes, average height, slender to average build... Most of these women, they're too scared to say anything - since Black's their boss - so they just don't do anything. I know you're tough and can take a lot of shit, but... I'm worried that this sick fuck might actually try something against you..."

"He's doing that _again_ , goddammit," she swore, slamming one of the files on her desktop. "That idiot will never learn," she growled, while getting up from her desk to walk towards the window. 

Looking up from his seat, Tristan watched as Gwyn stood by the window. Getting up, he stood next to her, but kept a safe distance away - despite wanting nothing more to hold her close against him. "What do you mean, 'he's doing that again'?"

"Do me a favor and keep away from him as much as possible, and tell that to Cynthia too on my behalf," she told him, still staring fixedly outside.

Sighing slightly, Tristan placed his hand on her shoulder and steered her towards the couch. "I promise to tell Cyn... but... how am I in danger of this guy?" 

"It's difficult to track that man's movements... or whatever he is plotting... hence, I don't know whether he's actually watching me or not... he might, and he'll notice how much we are collaborating right now... that's why I'm going to repeat this... _stay away from him_."

"I promise I will..." he replied quietly as he sat down. Reaching over, he took her hand and gave it a light squeeze before holding it loosely. "Can you tell me what he's done before...or should I even bother asking?"

"Better not tell you, or else you'd run off to kill him. And... you mentioned that he has a certain preference for blondes right? I guess you can come up with what he's done in the past to piss me off..." she told him. "He's the kind of person you'd never want to cross paths with."

"Yeah... I can figure. Want me to stop by tonight to go over the reports? I was just going to head over to the gym after work, but I'll be free afterwards. Is that alright?"

Upon hearing that, Gwyn turned to look at him and smiled sweetly, trying to get that bastard out of her head. "Yes... but, do try and get changed before you come."

"I think I can manage that... and I can see it in your eyes y'know, you're thinking about him..." he whispered as he pulled her into a hug. "And I promise that I'll stay away from him and make sure that Cyn does too, you have my word." 

"Good... now, run back to your office," she ordered him, still with that concerned smile on her face and which somehow, made her look slightly older than usual. She barely ever did, but Tristan was quite sharp at noticing that.

"Yes ma'am." Letting go of her, he took both of her hands in his and kissed them before getting up. "Will you be meeting with the CEO to tell him about this asshole?"

"I'll talk to him about that next time we meet, I promise you... but I've already warned him and he had already chided him multiple times, but it seems he's too stubborn to understand."

_"You'll be mine someday, you'll be mine and we'll have a pure-blood vampire legacy all for ourselves..."_

_"Shut up."_

_"Try and deny that Gwendalynn, but it's all in vain, you know what I'm saying..."_

_"I said, shut the fuck up and let go of me you idiot!"_

_"That day will come, I can wait for centuries if you like..."_

"You wish," she muttered under her breath, after a short flashback of previous events came to her mind. 

Tristan, noticing the slight change in Gwyn studied her worriedly. "We'll be okay, won't we?"

"We will, little one, and don't worry about me, I'll be fine," she smiled back, placing a kiss on his forehead. "Now, buzz off will you?" she told him off playfully while winking back.

Giving her a small smile and nod as he backed away from her, Tristan grabbed his reports and let himself out of the office.

-

Once he headed out, Tristan headed for the nearby gym and proceeded to take out all of his frustrations onto a punching bag. Picturing Black's face on the bag and thinking about what he was doing to the various people at work who were too afraid of him, the young man gave into his anger and nearly knocked the bag off of its chain as he attacked it. Once he was sufficiently happy (as well as felt the sting in his knuckles), Tristan headed home to clean up and then left again for Gwyn's apartment. As he arrived at the main gate, he found Anne standing outside for him.

"Hey. What are you doing out here?" he asked as he was tugging on the bandages around both of his hands.

"To warn you. The mistress is in one of her furious modes... she’s locked herself in the office and is hurling anything that is easily thrown, and not breakable, around... she needs to vent her anger this evening I suppose. Something happened at work? Thought you might know something about it Mr. Tristan..." she finished, sighing deeply. "I might have a clue but I'm not sure."

"It's Tristan, Anne, no need for the Mister part of it. And... yeah, some total asshole named Ryan Black happened. He's been tormenting a ton of staff at work and I let Gwyn know about what he's been up to lately," he replied with a sigh. "Anyways, how long has she been in total rage mode?"

"More than two hours... she calms down for a couple of minutes, then starts off all over again... I was hoping you came back soon, maybe she'll listen to you."

"C'mon, let's go. I'll see what I can do..." After wheeling his bike inside, the pair headed up to the apartment where a lot of banging and shouted obscenities could be heard from Gwyn's office. "Holy fuck... I'm surprised that there aren't holes in the walls from her throwing shit around... More than two hours you said, right?"

Anne just looked back at him and shook her head. "Yes, one of the longest I ever recall... no wait, there was a worse one... she gave a punch at the wall that shook all of the apartment, and I'm not joking."

"Good thing my reflexes are fast - looks like I'm gonna need 'em. Wish me luck..." Breathing deeply, Tristan opened the door and ducked as a paperweight was thrown at his head before moving inside quickly and shutting the door. "The fuck?! Gwyn, calm the fuck down-Hey!" Narrowly missing getting hit by some random object, he continued to make his way over to where Gwyn is standing.

"I'm not fucking calming down Tristan, goddammit who the fuck does that son of a bitch think he is?!" she shouted out again, hurling the next best thing she found at hand - a stapler - and shoving it to the other side of the room, hitting what seemed to be an expensive vase in the process. "And get out Tris, you don't want to be seeing me like this!"

Tristan immediately seized her hand to stop her from throwing the next object (an envelope opener) and quickly wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight. "Shhh, stop... This won't solve anything..." he whispered quietly in her ear. "And no, I'm not leaving."

"I'd kill that asshole if I could..." she whispered, still trying to get away from his grasp.

"I bet you would, but still... throwing all this shit around ain't gonna magically make him drop dead," he quipped as he started stroking her hair gently and holding her tighter.

"I'd have my own ways to do that," she muttered under her breath.

"Oh I bet you do..." whispered Tristan as he sat them on the ground of the office before kissing her cheek. "Looks like we both have some anger towards the asshole..."

"And you know _nothing_ about him..."

"Don't care. He's threatening my friend, he's harassing my fellow staff, and he's hurt you somehow. I'd kill him too if I had the chance..."

Sighing deeply in an attempt to calm down, Gwyn then rested her chin on his shoulder. "Let me just tell you this... he tried to harass me once... and he won't mind doing that again. For a hundred and one reasons... "

Resting one hand on the back of her head and the other on her back, Tristan simply nodded as Gwyn slowly calmed down. "I know I promised that I'd stay away, but... if he happens to try anything and I was around... I don't know what I'd do..."

"I'm sorry..." she whispered, finally calming down. "This goes far deeper than you could ever imagine, Tris..."

"You're sorry? Why? You don't have anything to be sorry for..." 

"I can turn into a rather vicious creature, as you can see," she chuckled bitterly, as little did he know that she was referring to something else in reality...

"Well, if it's of the once-a-month variety, I think I can handle that. I have three older sisters after all..." he chuckled while rubbing her back. "You okay now?"

That comment made her laugh lightly, at last. "...Bit better now. Thank you. And this had nothing to do with _that_ you know... _that_ is yet to come... even though it doesn't affect me much... and what's that look? Do I really get snappy once a month? Come on Tristan, it's not true," she pouted, slightly more relaxed.

"You're always snappy so I can't really tell the difference, Sweetheart," he grinned.

"True..." she whispered back, as she held tighter to him, without actually realising that she was doing so.

As he held her, all Tristan could feel was peace. Without meaning to do so, he leaned forward and kissed her gently.

While moving away from him, Gwyn smiled, placing a hand on his cheek. "I'd probably have trashed the rest of the house if you didn't arrive... I scared the life out of Anne again I suppose..."

" _Again_? Gwyn Gwyn Gwyn, what are we going to do with you... hmm?" he replied as he took her hand and held it gently. "We need to figure out some more constructive ways for you to deal with this stuff... like maybe invest in a punching bag - which is not me?"

"I'd never hit you like that... maybe I'd get angry at you when you piss me off like you often like to, but... I'd never hurt you."

"Well then, that's nice to know," he replied with a chuckle. Carefully, Tristan placed his hand on Gwyn's cheek - being mindful of the bandages on his hand. "So if I piss you off, you'll just yell and scream at me, right?"

"Well depends..." she replied, with a wicked grin forming on her lips. "Or maybe I'd get my revenge... for example, I'd dump a truckload of work in your office. That would make me feel... hey wait," she stopped, noticing his hands. "What's wrong with your hands?"

"You weren't the only one venting out anger. I took out my aggression on the punching bag at the gym. I'm fine, but my knuckles just sting - that's all."

Sweetly, and almost out of character for her, Gwyn took both of Tristan's hands in hers, bringing them to her lips and kissing them gently. "You shouldn't have gotten this angry because of me... and of that idiot... he doesn't deserve your attention... I really hope to catch him unprepared in something and bring that to Fred's attention. Can't really do much as things currently stand."

"Too late... I told you, he's already giving my one friend shit, he's harassing people I know, and he's got like some sick obsession with you. I'm already involved whether you like it or not. Besides, I was already pissed off at that fucker - you being hurt by him just happened to be a contributing factor to me wanting to kick his ass."

"Pretty sick isn't he?" she commented. "The first time I knew about the 'blonde harem' he was creating made me kick my office door so furiously that Cynthia had to call for it to be changed, I'd broke off the hinges..."

"Goddamn woman... You really need to work on your anger management issues... Maybe I should teach you some relaxation techniques - may do you some good..." laughed Tristan as he massaged her shoulders. "And they aren't _those_ I assure you..." 

"Don't start with the New Age, yoga, meditation and that sort of crap... Cynthia's already brainwashed me on them and I don't believe a single thing about them. They wouldn't work on me... and... hey Tris, that actually feels good," she told him, closing her eyes. “What's _those_?"

"Not meditation, Sweetheart. I usually do other things to relax, like play the piano or just draw. But, I was taught martial arts at a young age as well as breathing techniques associated with it - I still use 'em and they help out a lot. Glad you like the massage and as for _those,_ you're a smart, beautiful and attractive young woman - you tell me," he said while winking playfully.

"Tris, no," she replied laughing. "I should have known."

"Then don't ask questions you already know the answer for. And... I know it's gonna sound weird... but, could you lie on your stomach? It's kinda hard to get to your lower back when we're sitting like this..."

Gwyn merely raised an eyebrow and blinked back at him. "Since I trust you..." she muttered as she lied down and looked up at him. "How's that?"

"Much better and thanks," he answered as he began working on her mid and lower back, "No wonder you're so damn irritable... it's all knots."

"That's definitely not the only reason why I'm irritable..."

"Well, not like I can predict your less irritable days... Don't freak, just going to push your shirt up a bit..." he told her as he pushed her shirt up to reveal the lower portion of her back and gently pressed his thumbs against her skin, working the muscles loose.

"Are you sure you don't want a paperweight thrown at you right? Oh damn you, that felt good..." she admitted while resting her chin on her arms.

"Hey, I know what I'm doing. My sister Val taught me - she's a masseuse by trade. Considering all of sports I'm into - I was really thankful she decided to go into that field as I know how to take care of myself. On the other hand... I don't mind demonstrating these skills for those who need it and, you _definitely_ need it..."

"Good to know, good to know..." she sighed, focusing on his touch and trying to relax as much as possible.

"Still trust me?" he asked her as he stopped his hands momentarily to remove the sweatshirt he was wearing, leaving him in a t-shirt and jeans, before resuming the massage.

"Can you tell me why you took off your top now please?" she asked him, still with her eyes closed.

"It was just my sweatshirt - I still have my t-shirt on thank you, and I did it because I want you to rest on it...and I'll need complete access to your back so your shirt needs to come off."

"What?!" she gasped, turning to look at him. "No."

"Whoa hey, alright. It would've made it easier but fine... If I give you my t-shirt - and you wear it - I'll keep going. Okay? My shirt's thin enough that I can effectively massage your back - yours isn't which is why I needed it off."

"That sounds better... now," she replied as she stretched out her arms towards him. “First, you hand me the shirt, then you turn to look in the opposite direction while I put this on... and no tricks Tristan... okay?"

At that, Tristan quickly removed his shirt and handed it over before staring at wall behind him, pouting slightly. "Fine... just tell me when you're done."

In a split second action, Gwyn quickly took off her high collared black shirt and slipped on the t-shirt Tristan had just handed her, obviously not without noticing the usual smell she was getting used to... and which made her give a small smile everytime she got inside the office building - she'd recognize that out of a million by then. "You can look now, I'm done."

Giving her a grin, he motioned for her to lie back down again. "Feeling better now? Sure this wasn't all a ploy to get me shirtless? I'd have taken it off anyways if you asked me to," he continued exactly where he left off. "And what was the smile for?"

"You started the shirtless thing, I didn't say anything of the sort... and I won't ask you for that anyway..." Then, as she rested her head on her arms once again. "I recognized your smell on this shirt..."

"My... smell? Huh..." he muttered as he shook his head lightly as he worked on her shoulders. "What do you notice about it?"

"I know it's just... you. Cannot really explain it actually... there must be... your cologne of course, a hint of aftershave... not that you need it much anyway... mmmh... soap... seaspray..." she turned a little to smile at him. "It's quite particular."

"Hmm... never really thought about that..." he smiled back at her as he finished up the massage. "So, how are you feeling now?"

Turning to sit up slightly, Gwyn looked straight into his dark eyes. "Much better, thank you. Can I have my shirt back now?" she asked, realising that he was right in front of her, shirtless.

"You honestly look better in mine, but here," he handed her back her shirt, "And..." he stared right back into her eyes, "Am I allowed to kiss you now?"

Gwyn looked back at him and merely nodded back in response. "We're not at work after all... you can... if you feel like..."

"Not a matter if I feel like it, but rather, would you mind if I did so?"

Taking the situation in her hands, Gwyn placed her hands lovingly on both of his cheeks and moved to kiss him before he did. Somehow... leaving him surprised.

As he kissed her, the only thing Tristan could think of at that point was how much he didn't want to lose Gwyn. She felt like... home to him somehow and as she kissed him back, he hoped that she felt the same about him. 

She hated to admit it, but the more time passed, the more time she spent with him, the more she started to realise that she really cared for the kid. More than _cared_ actually. And as much as she didn't want anything to happen to him, at the same time knowing that him being so close to her would mean placing him in constant danger, she decided that evening that she could go on and give it a try. Defying her nature, defying the Clan... defying _everything_.

"Hey Tris..." she smiled, once the kiss finished.

"Hi," he smiled back before resting his forehead against hers. 

"Will you promise me you'll never leave my side?"

"As your friend, as your subordinate, and most importantly of all, as myself, I promise that I'll never leave your side for as long as you'll have me."

"Thank you..."

"You're welcome..." he hugged her tightly before kissing her again.

-

Two days had passed since Tristan had visited and comforted Gwyn over Ryan Black and their relationship had forged into a stronger bond. They were still professional during the day, but behind the closed doors of Gwyn's office, they were more relaxed than before as they talked business and about mundane things. The hugs and kisses were more frequent than before, but still mostly confined to stolen moments and rare opportunities.

Despite it being a Saturday night, Gwyn was stuck in another meeting with Fred at the office, but had allowed Tristan and Anne to take her car for the evening. Tristan agreed and both he and Anne had picked up some food and drinks for their little nighttime barbecue before heading down to the coastal rock gym to meet with the others. After a few hours of just hanging out and having fun, everyone had congregated onto the beach and got the bonfire going as they enjoyed a simple dinner and dessert by the ocean under the full moon.

For Anne, who had not met so many people in one place, was slightly overwhelmed at first but had easily fit in with the rest of Tristan's friends. She had mostly clung to Tristan and Cynthia in the beginning, but ended up finding a kindred spirit with James (whom Tristan said was fairly similar in personality to her - he was right of course). Abby, Cole, Kenneth, Laura, Mark, Nicole, and Karin had also become friends with her and she was very thankful that Tristan had invited her. As everyone sat by the fire to talk and stay warm, both Anne and Cynthia huddled close to Tristan and the three of them had talked about everything but both work and Gwyn - of whom they were glad was in a better mood these days. As the night wore on, everyone said their farewells (and Cynthia reminding Tristan about Sunday afternoon) and departed for their respective homes - with both Tristan and Anne going back to Gwyn's apartment.

Once inside the apartment, Anne fixed some hot chocolate for herself and Tristan as they sat around the small dining table.

"So, have a good time tonight? Told you you'd have a great time," Tristan said with a large smile.

"I did and thank you again, Tristan - it was wonderful."

"Great, as I'm really glad that you enjoyed yourself. Maybe next time we can all go out to dinner or something..."

"There was something I was meaning to ask you, if you don't mind."

"Not at all. Go ahead."

"Are you and Cynthia...?"

Immediately, Tristan laughed and gave Anne a hug. "Me and Cyn? No no no... we've been friends since we were little kids - she's been in every class that I've had starting from grade school to before I left for college. She's been my best friend since forever and I love her like my sister. She gets on really well with my family - her best friend, aside from me, is my sister Valerie - and I get on really well with her family. As for liking each other romantically - I'll admit she was my first kiss - but other than that, we realized that we were better off as friends."

"Oh well, I thought that-"

"We've always been close like that. Don't worry about it."

"Anyways, I wanted to thank you," said Anne in an almost wistful tone.

"Huh? For what?"

"For being there for Miss Gwyn. She's... a bit difficult at times, but she's a very good person."

"I know. I'm glad I've gotten to know her better..."

"You are the first person in a very long time to make her happy, and seeing her happy makes me happy... so again, thank you."

Stunned by Anne's admission, Tristan reached over and gives Anne's hand a squeeze, smiling the entire time. "Thank you for taking care of her all these years... and for letting me help you. You are a fantastic person to be around and I hope for the best for you."

Smiling back at Tristan, she returned his gesture before collecting their empty cups and proceeded to wash them as Tristan dried them. Once finished, Anne motioned for Tristan to rest in Gwyn's room, much to his shock and amusement.

"You're kidding. Please tell me you're kidding."

"Nope. I have strict orders from Miss Gwyn herself. She said for you to make yourself at home and that you are free to do as you see fit."

"But me sleeping in her bed? Isn't that a little presumptuous? Not to mention she'd probably kill me for doing this..."

"It's just a bed Tristan. Miss Gwyn often comes home late after these meetings - and she usually goes straight to bed. If you want, feel free to sleep out here in the living room. But I warn you though, the couch out here isn't the most comfortable. I learned that the hard way..."

Sighing, Tristan shuffled off towards Gwyn's room as Anne giggled at his antics. Once inside the room, the young man was in awe of the room as much like Gwyn's offices, both in her home and at work, her bedroom reflected that of her love for the Victorian era. He spent several minutes just absorbing and studying the intricate details of her dresser, the wardrobe, the night tables, and of course, the bed itself. Upon entering the bathroom, there were still touches here and there, but it still looked like a regular bathroom - much to Tristan's relief. Quickly stripping down to his boxers, Tristan brushed his teeth (with an extra toothbrush that Anne had provided), washed his face, hung up his clothes, and climbed into Gwyn's bed before falling asleep.

-

At the same time while Tristan, Anne, and all of their friends were enjoying their Saturday night, Gwyn was attending a meeting at the behest of Fred. For Gwyn, the meeting served as another chance to observe and possibly confront Ryan Black.

"You seem bored Lady Gwyn, what's the matter?" one of the younger vampires in the meeting asked her.

While sitting on the couch, legs crossed, dressed in full in her Clan uniform, Gwyn merely yawned and looked up at the young one standing in front of her, ecstatic that he was talking to one of the highest ranking vampire individuals in the group. "I've heard this over and over again... what I'm just looking forward is dessert. Anyway, you should go and listen to Frederick, it's not like you've been around here for long."

"R-right miss! Thank you," he rushed off, leaving Gwyn still with a darn bored look on her face. 

"And that is all..." Frederick finished, grinning back at the whole lot of vampires that was gazing in awe back at him. "Now, my dear friends... we have a dinner to take care of."

"Oh joy, at last," Gwyn smirked, meeting Fred's look and grinning as she walked towards Fred. "That was quite the speech... however, can you try and give it a revamp?" she commented with a mischievous grin. "You know, I think I'm starting know it by heart..."

"That's because you've been here for so long now," Fred replied, placing an arm round her waist, a gesture close to how a father would act with his daughter. "Anyway, you're seeming quite happy of late, I've noticed you... anything new I am not aware of?"

"Nothing particular... just glad that work is going on well. And especially that project you've entrusted with me and Faraday, it's almost before the planning schedule at the moment... which reminds me, I need to set a meeting with you early next week... with not just that on the agenda."

Frederick continued looking ahead while walking by her side. "What's on your mind then?"

"Black. Fred I've been hearing loads of complaints about him, including an informal verbal report from Faraday and Cynthia telling me about what they heard, or what they've seen him doing. He's doing what he did years ago, Fred... I know you've chided him already, but... it seems he doesn't want to listen, in any way. What do I need to do, rip him apart?"

"That won't do anything. Plus, has he hurt you in any way? No. That's when _I_ would come into the picture... as for his attitude towards the staff, I'll bring it to his attention, without mentioning it was you or your subordinates telling me about it. Don't worry, I can be pretty discreet when it comes to these sort of things. Now, dearest child, will you forget about all your work-related woes and dig into what I've brought for you today, I know you'll like it." 

Gwyn placed a kiss on Fred's cheek and smiled, even though the thoughts related to Black hadn't left her mind. They were just... being placed momentarily on hold for the time being. Grinning as he opened the door leading to his private office, Fred just gestured for Gwyn to slip inside and as he opened his arms wide, a number of human bodies could be seen on the office's floor.

"Feast as much as you like, I've already had my significant share, they're all yours now."

"Wasn't aware it was my birthday already," she laughed, a wicked look taking over the look in her eyes.

"I'll be seeing you little Gwyn, enjoy," Fred whispered as he walked back out, to watch over the other vampires and to leave Gwyn have fun on her own.

-

"Talk about wine... _this_ is what actually makes me feel drunk," she grinned as she wiped off her mouth and made her way out of Fred's office. She couldn't believe she had drained six humans in a row - probably not going for a hunt every evening like she used to made her hunger even more fervent than usual. As she started walking back towards the main hall, she slightly unfastened the first button of her uniform, and swiftly continued to make her way back.

"Mmm, thought I smelt something rather _delectable_ in the air... nice to know that I was right..." came a rather oily voice from the shadows of the darkened hallway. Stepping into the barely lit room, Ryan Black smiled rather wolfishly as his eyes raked up and down Gwyn's body - taking careful note of her bared neckline.

"What the hell are _you_ doing here?" she growled, once she had stopped dead in her tracks, as that voice was difficult not to miss. "I don't have any time to waste with you. So, if you excuse me..." she told him in reply, as she gave him her back and continued her walk.

Reaching out and grabbing her neck, Ryan forcibly slammed Gwyn between two paintings on the wall, enough to rattle both the frames and Gwyn herself. "I think _not_ , dear dear Gwyn." Removing his hand, Black stepped closer to Gwyn and bared his fangs. "I've been hearing things... rather I've used some of my subordinates to alert me of your movements... things have been going well for you, haven't they? Mmm, they have, which is why _Daddy Dearest_ has been rewarding you consistently. Also, I heard a curious thing..."

Black sniffed the air around Gwyn before grazing his fangs against her neck, leaving a faint trail in his wake. "Your subordinate, _Faraday_ , is the only other person on this project of yours. Now why is that? Is there no one else that you would trust to handle such a rather large-scale project?"

Still shaken by his sudden movement, Gwyn was still feeling slightly sore, and only managed to narrow her eyes to slits at his mention of Tristan. She didn't _want_ him to mention him, he didn't _need_ to mention him. "No one else, and it's not _your_ business nor competence to comment on whom I entrust with the tasks that are given to _me_. And... let me go _now_ ," she ordered sternly, attempting to move out of his grasp.

Grabbing her wrists, he pinned them against the wall above her head. Hovering even closer to her face, he licked the outer shell of her ear before grazing her cheek with his fangs, applying a bit more pressure to leave a bloody cut against her fair skin, which he took care to lick at as well. "I don't think you quite understand what's going on here, _Gwyn_. You're not playing by the rules here... bringing in an outsider to handle such a high-level project, an outsider that's merely a human boy! I will not be upstaged by a mere whelp, as it should be _me_ who's in charge of this... You can't imagine how disturbing it is to hear our illustrious _Father_ speak so highly of that brat..."

"You're _envious_ aren't you," she grinned back at him, as a hysterical laugh starting coming up from the pit of her stomach. "You're darn envious because Fred has almost even more respect for _him_ than he does for _you_! You should focus on what you need to get done, instead of stalking my every move. Maybe _that_ would make you earn more recognition from Frederick," she finished, jerking her way away from him. 

"YOU BITCH!" spat Black as he grabbed Gwyn by the throat and slammed her against the wall, slightly crushing her neck as he did. "You don't even know what I'm truly capable of, do you! Since you seem so intent on protecting that little boy of yours, perhaps you'll take me on if something were to happen to him, hmm? Oh, Frederick has made it clear that he would love to have the boy join us... he sees the whelp as his crowning jewel. Now, if young Faraday were at the wrong place at the wrong time... I don't think either you nor _Frederick_ will be able to do a damn thing about it..."

"Don't you dare touch him! HE'S GOT NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS! Especially with _you_..." she snared back, raging at every single word he had just uttered in her face. "This is something between _you_ and _me_ , no one else. _Leave him alone."_

Narrowing his eyes, Black released Gwyn's throat - only to slowly undo the buttons of her uniform. "But... I'm willing to make a deal for the boy... so long as you agree to my terms, my dear Assistant Director..."

"What the... hell... _fuck you_ ," she shouted out, giving a kick at his groin. "I won't be doing _any_ deals, and you shall not be laying a finger on that human boy... I'll kill you myself if you do. And believe me, I would." 

Despite the kick, Black merely laughed as he got to his feet, pure rage and arousal written all over his face. "Temper temper, Gwendalynn. One would think that you have... _feelings_... for the whelp... What if _Daddy Dearest_ were to find out that his prized Commander is harbouring feelings for a human boy... hmm?"

"You really do work a lot with your fantasies, don't you? I don't have those kinds of feelings for that kid... he's just, an essential pawn, in my work," she lied, however looking as truthful as possible not to raise any further suspicions. "He's still of use to me, as he is. Once I'm done, then I'll dispose of him as I usually do." Then with a smirk, "I'll definitely won't be coming up to you asking for your kind permission to do so anyway."

"Will you now? Heh, that's rich Gwyn... Using him as your pawn... if anything, I'd say that you were _his_ pawn... The great Gwendalynn Coulston, being knocked off her pedestal by a human child." Smirking, Black lunged forward and tackled Gwyn to the ground. "Bet you bend to his every beck and whim, don't you Gwynnie?"

Gathering all of her strength, and considering she had just feasted, Gwyn placed her hands on his shoulders and shoved him away from her, making him slam against one of the corridor's walls. "You try that again... and I'll go inform Frederick about this, now." Then after getting back on her feet, she dusted off her uniform and fastened the buttons once again. "If that is really your strength, Black, you are sadly mistaken in everything you just said..." she finished, walking away from him swiftly, almost breaking into a run as she came at the end of the corridor.

Smirking as he watched her leave, Black straightened his uniform and dusted it off. "So... looks like I struck a nerve, Gwynnie. I'll keep my hands off you for now... but looks like I'll be paying closer attention to young Mr. Faraday. He may be of use to me..." Heading down the opposite corridor, Black flitted out of the building towards the downtown area of the city, looking for a nice meal or two.

-

Her office was the first place she could think of as shelter. Rushing inside, and locking the door as a consequence, she rested her back against its wooden frame, and let herself slide against it, in the attempt of catching her breath. Her head felt like exploding from all the words that sick bastard had uttered in her presence: about her, about Fred... about Tristan. Tris... As soon as her mind recalled what Black had told her - _Oh, Frederick has made it clear that he would love to have the boy join us..._ \- Gwyn felt her stomach upturning, placed a hand on her mouth and rushed to her bathroom. As she rested against the sink, she suddenly felt her world crushing on her - her work, her life... her years. Never had she felt that way, but all of the things she had earned, the bastard had known about them all. Especially about Tristan. _Particularly_ about him. Crying and throwing up wouldn't have done her any good, however, those were her only companions for the rest of the night... while at the same time, Frederick was having a toast to the success of his Clan and his company, and Tristan was fast asleep on her own bed. 

\- 

The sound of someone knocking and entering the room made Tristan bury himself under the plush covers.

A small hand wound up on his shoulder, shaking him gently.

"Tristan, please wake up, Miss Gwyn never arrived last night and I'm worried as she usually phones by this time."

Slowly opening his eyes, Tristan's eyes adjusted to the faint light in the room as he pulled back the covers to find Anne standing over him - worry clearly written all over her face. "Anne? What time-"

"It's nearly sunrise..."

Yawning, the young man sat up and stared blearily at Anne. "Why so early?"

"I'm deeply worried about Miss Gwyn...I'm afraid something may have happened to her..."

At the sound of Gwyn potentially being hurt, Tristan immediately shot out of the bed and pulled on his sweatshirt and pants, not bothering with the remainder of his clothes as he ran out of the room. Slipping on his shoes, Tristan grabbed the keys and made sure that his wallet was in his pants before heading towards the office, leaving Anne both relieved and amused as she began straightening the bedroom.

Pulling into the nearest parking spot, Tristan swiped his access key and entered the building - heading straight for Gwyn's office at a full run. Once he opened the door, he found her lying on her couch and quickly focused his attention on the nasty bruise on her neck and the cut on her chin. Reaching out to gently brush the bangs away from her face, he leaned in closely to her ear and whispered, "Gwyn? It's me, Tristan."

"Mmh?" she muttered, opening her eyes wearily. "Hey..." she whispered back. "Why did you come here?"

Brushing his lips gently over her forehead, he gave her a small smile. "Anne told me you never came home and she was worried that something may have happened to you... and apparently she was right. It was Black, wasn't it. He did this..."

Gwyn merely looked away from him and bit her lower lip, without replying.

Cradling her against him, he quietly murmured, "I'm so sorry... so sorry that I wasn't there to protect you..."

"You wouldn't have done anything against him... at least, this way... I was the one to take the direct hits," she chuckled bitterly. "Not you."

"No... it should've been me. And why do you say that? I told you I'd never leave your side, but the moment I do - this happens..."

"You've got nothing to do with this, Tris... the diatribe between Black and myself has been going on for years now," she muttered, as she sat up, groaning at the sudden pain she felt when moving even slightly.

Alarmed by the sight of Gwyn wincing in pain, Tristan helped her sit up and took her hands in his, kissing them. "What... what did he do to you...? I've got to get you home... you need first aid and rest - both of which Anne can provide."

"Let's just say... it was a pretty bad fight... that's why I'm telling you to stay away from him... please Tris, you need to promise me that," she whispered, looking straight into his eyes. "I am strong enough to handle him, but you wouldn't, just..." 

Placing a finger against her lips, he simply nodded. "Shh, I know you are... and... I promise I'll stay away from him... even though I don't want to." Leaning forward, he gently kissed the cut on her cheek and then planted fleeting kisses against the bruise on her neck and shoulder. “Let me take you home now?" 

Without realising it, tears started running down Gwyn's cheeks as she felt Tristan's soothing touch. "I don't want you to get hurt... not because of me... you really don't deserve this..."

"Nor do you deserve this... How many times have I told you, you're worth it for me. Plus I'm a stubborn bastard..." he smiled gently as he wiped her tears away. "I want us to be okay and I want you to be happy..."

Looking back up at him, still crying and with half a smile as she closed an eye again due to the pain, she just asked him: "Can we go home now, please?"

Gently brushing his lips against hers for a quick moment, Tristan smoothly slid an arm under her legs and supported her back with the other as he lifted her up and carried her out of the office. Once they neared the car, Tristan set her down and helped her walk the rest of the way. After making sure that she was safely secured in the passenger's seat, he got in and drove them home. As they arrived, Anne was waiting for them and quickly rushed to Gwyn's side.

"What happened?!" Anne gasped as she saw Tristan carrying Gwyn inside.

"Black," Tristan said simply as he set Gwyn on top of her bed.

"Him? Again!?"

"Sorry for not phoning you up, Anne... made you worry I suppose," she smiled back at she felt her back almost breaking apart while Tristan gently placed her on bed.

"Anne, could you please fetch the first-aid kit, a basin of warm water and a washcloth? I'll need your help with treating these injuries."

"Yes sure, I'll be back in a minute..." she replied rushing out of the room.

Sitting next to Gwyn's prone form, but keeping a hold on her hand, Tristan just smiled down at her. "Y'know, despite the obvious injuries, you're still beautiful."

Gwyn just gave him a small smile and looked away, however still keeping her hand tightly into his. 

Using his free hand, he placed it on her uninjured cheek and made her look at him. "Hmm... still got that fire in your eyes... good. I never want to see that go."

"He might have got me this time..." she whispered. "But it won't happen again, I promise you that."

Leaning down, he pressed his lips to hers in a gentle, unyielding kiss.

"Thanks for helping me," she told him as he moved away, while Anne had entered the room again. "You've really seen me in my worse these days..."

Helping her sit up as Anne tended to her wounds, he let out a quiet chuckle. "You've seen me at my not-quite-comparable worse, but it was still pretty bad. Let's just say that we're even. And as for helping you, you're welcome, though I wish I could do more for you..."

"You've seen me furious, you've seen me beaten up... I've never seen you this bad... except when..." she smiled. "Maybe you're slightly right..."

"Just a little. Now, will you let me tend to your back?"

With just a slight nod, Gwyn shifted in bed and turned to rest her stomach against her bed, groaning even more loudly than before. 

Wincing as he studied the mottled bruises on her skin, Tristan lightly skirted his fingertips along her spine and unsnapped her bra to get a better look. "Anne, is there a salve in the kit to treat these?"

"There should be," came Anne's reply, as she walked up next to Tristan. "Miss Gwyn? I know you won't like this but... can you slip off your shirt for now?"

"I don't think it's time to say no right now..." she replied, slightly shifting up to slip off the shirt and handing it back to Anne. 

"Holy shit... that fucking asshole! Can't believe he... nevermind." Taking the washcloth and wringing it out, he slowly cleaned up Gwyn's back, planting kisses on particularly tender spots before applying the salve and slowly massaging it into her sore back.

"What were you going to say?"

"This should help out your muscles. I'll let Anne handle the bandaging, okay?"

"Fine for me... but you haven't replied to my other question... what were you going to say about Black?"

Sighing, he replied: "And... I was going to say that I can't believe he did this to you, but clearly he did..."

"You know he couldn't care less."

Once he finished applying the salve, Tristan slid off the bed and headed towards the kitchen. "You want anything? I was going to make some tea."

"No, nothing. Thank you..."

As he left the room, Anne began the task of bandaging up Gwyn's torso. The ambient sounds of Tristan bustling around in the kitchen and Anne humming to herself as she worked slowly put Gwyn's mind at ease, reminding herself that she was safe and cared for by the pair.

Securing the fasteners to the bandage, Anne stepped away and looked at her work. "How is that, Miss Gwyn? Is it too tight?"

"No, it's fine. Thank you... also, I suspect that the salve that Tristan applied is slowly working - as I don't feel as sore or stiff as before." A loud bang, followed by a yelp made both women turn their heads towards the direction of the kitchen, making them both suppress their laughter. "Anne, please see to it that young Mr. Faraday doesn't hurt himself in there," Gwyn replied with a genuine smile.

Nodding, Anne let out a fit of giggles, "Of course, Miss. Rest now, we'll take care of you - though I suspect that you may prefer the care of _someone_ else instead of me for a change." A small, slightly mischievous smile ghosted over Anne's face as she proceeded to check up on Tristan - leaving a slightly bewildered Gwyn to look on as she left.

Placing a hand on the bruise at her neck, Gwyn couldn't help but smile as the two were trying their utmost to take care of her. Maybe... being a little more... _human_ , in some sort of way would make her feel happier, in the long term... however, those words Black had whispered to her were still buzzing loud and clear in her head. _He would love to have the boy join us..._ "No! No way!" she shouted out, startling both Tristan and Anne at the same time, while she buried her head in her hands. "Shut up, just... shut up..."

At the sound of Gwyn shouting, both Tristan and Anne ran into her room, the tea left ignored on the kitchen counter. They soon found her, head in her hands, and murmuring to herself. Sharing a look with one another, Anne left to fetch the tea while Tristan sat next to Gwyn and held her tight without saying a single word.

After a short while and calmed down, Gwyn looked up and smiled back at him. "Thank you... and... I must look like a mummy," she chuckled softly.

"Obviously not my mommy, but I think the mummy look is rather fetching on you at the moment." Planting a kiss in her hair, "You're welcome."

"Here's the tea," Anne told the two, as she placed it on Gwyn's bedside table. "If you feel like eat-"

"No Anne, thank you. Food's the last of my thoughts right now..."

"Thanks Anne and by the way Gwyn, the loud bang and yelp were from the tea tin falling on my head... why would you ever put it that high up on the shelf? And you sure? Not even toast? Or is it still too early?"

Gwyn shook her head in response. "Yes, I'd end up one to one with the toilet seat again... plus, I'd definitely throw up if I think about that asshole once more."

Shaking his head, Tristan kissed her forehead. "Hey, don't worry. He won't get you here... we'll make sure of it. Try to think of something... I dunno, happy or something. If that's not possible..." he replied, giving her a grin. "Mind if I play something, or will it wake the neighbors, since it's still really early in the morning?"

"No it won't... but are you sure?"

"Leave it to me..." he answered, giving her one final hug before taking his tea with him into the living room and parked himself in front of the piano. Once he sure that the piano's tuned nicely, he began to play.

"Schubert's Swan Song... wait... how did he?" she whispered as Anne sat by her side.

"You had the music sheets lying around on the piano top... that's why he knew about it," Anne smiled. "He really does care about you... Miss," she whispered as Gwyn started smiling when she heard the first notes.

"Prince Albert used to send Queen Victoria sheet music together with his letters, especially during times of distress in her early days as a monarch... I'd say..." she said, as she followed the music more intently. "He used to tell her that he'd be playing that same music while she would be reading the letter..."

"I remember that..." Anne muttered, noticing that Gwyn was finally calming down. "Why don't you have your tea while Tristan is in the other room... it's still warm..." she suggested, holding out the cup for her.

"That's a good idea, thank you," she smiled, taking the cup in her hands, welcoming the warm feeling emanating from the tea cup.

As he played the song, Tristan felt a bit happier though he was curious as to why the particular piece he was playing was where it was. Grinning as he finished playing, he took a sip of his tea (completely overdosed with sugar and milk). "Anything else you want me to play?" he called out from the living room.

"A waltz!" Anne called out, as Gwyn gave her a weird, yet, happy look. "Miss Gwyn loves waltzes..."

"Hey Anne, will you stop that?" she chuckled as Anne smiled back at her. "It's fine Tris, anything you find on the piano's fine for me..."

Taking another sip, "No, tell me what the waltz is. I can play it - even if you don't have the sheets for it. Trust me."

"I'll be back in a minute, I know which one you might like to listen to..." Anne promptly replied, winking back at Gwyn, then rushing towards the living room. Gwyn smiled as she heard the two discuss what was best to play for her. "Who would have thought..." she whispered, resting her head slightly against the bedrest.

Soon, sounds of a waltz and a few laughs began to filter through the apartment. 

"Think you'd be able to dance to that Tristan?" Gwyn chuckled, wincing at the same time as the movement related to the laugh actually made her feel another ache at her chest. 

Looking towards her bedroom, while still playing the waltz, he merely grinned. "I can waltz just fine, thank you very much. I'm not _that_ useless, y'know. I just prefer playing music rather than dance to it, that's all. Maybe when you're better, I'll owe you a dance or two."

"Maybe..." she replied, still holding the cup in her hands.

"Just 'maybe'? Aww...I thought I meant more to you than just a 'maybe'," he laughed. 

"I think you'd be quite dashing in that sort of outfit," she chuckled, noticing Anne by her side stifling a laugh.

"Pfft...maybe."

"Anne agrees too," she grinned back, as she rubbed the bruise on her neck once again.

"So long as I don't look like a total idiot... I might consider it - so long as you dress up to."

"That shouldn't be a problem... trust me," she commented, then turned her gaze towards Anne who was getting back on her feet. "Where are you going?" she asked her, as she started gathering the empty cups and settling them on the tray. 

"To the kitchen, and leaving you a bit on your own again, you might want to rest..." she nodded, heading out of the room, leaving her to Tristan's music.

Walking towards him, before heading to the kitchen, Anne went by Tristan's side and smiled. "I'll be in the kitchen for now if you want to check on Miss Gwyn... she looks much better, thank you."

"Alright. Almost done... There," he punctuated the last note with a flourish as he stood up from the bench and took his empty tea cup with him. Handing the cup over to Anne, Tristan wandered back into Gwyn's room and grinned widely. "Well now, don't _you_ look better. How are you feeling?"

"Much better, and... thanks for that," she replied, smiling back at him, while massaging one of her hands with her thumb, as she rested both on her lap.

"My pleasure. Now, how about you get to rest for a few hours. I'd love to stay here all day, but... I have laundry to do at home and need to leave around lunchtime. Cyn and my sister Val are gonna help me... been too busy to deal with it until now." 

"I can go if you like..." Anne told the two, while standing at the door. "I apologize for eavesdropping Miss, but I couldn't help not listen to you."

Chuckling, Tristan just smiled. "No need for that, it's fine with me. Plus, I'll be spending some quality time with my sister and my best friend. It'll be fine Anne, thanks though."

"But _I_ need you here..." Gwyn replied in a whisper, looking away from the two.

Blinking, Tristan slowly turned his attention back to Gwyn, who was currently looking away from him. _Did she say...?_ "Um... I can... may I use the phone for a second? I'll call them and tell them that there's been a change in plans - I'll tell them it's work-related."

"Yes of course, let me tell you where it is... you can use the one in Miss Gwyn's office if you like," she replied, accompanying him out of the room. 

"Great." Once in the office, Tristan phoned both Cynthia and Valerie, telling them that something at work came up but that Anne would be helping them with the laundry and that he would meet them for dinner later. Letting out a sigh, he looked back at Anne with a small grin on his face. "You wouldn't be _planning_ anything, would you?"

"No not at all," came her sincere reply. "But it's pretty obvious that she'd end up thinking about what happened again, she needs you by her side for some more hours..."

"Yeah... you're right. Okay, I'll give you the address and the key to my apartment. Like I said over the phone, sorry for the mess as I haven't had any time to do any cleaning of the sort... also, phone me up when you guys are done - I plan on taking you all out to dinner this evening. It's not much, but it's the least I could do for today."

At that, Anne raised an eyebrow. "You're going to leave the Miss on her own?"

"Nope. I'll take her along too. Hopefully she'll be feeling up to at least a little dinner. For now, I just want to make sure that she at least rests for the day."

"I wonder whether she'll feel like going out," she replied, as she put on her coat.

"Think she'll mind if we have a little dinner party here instead then? I really do miss seeing my sister and I feel kinda bad about it..." said Tristan as he scribbled down his address on a post-it and fished out his house key from his pants' pocket. 

"You _might_ ask her... however I don't think she'd appreciate being seen around in that state... that's why I wonder if she'll come for dinner with you," she replied as she took both the post-it and the key in her hands.

"I'll try... and thanks again... for everything." Thinking for a few moments, "Just phone me up when you're done. As much as I would love to treat you out too... would it be possible for you to come back so that I can spend some time with them? I promise I'll make it up to you."

"Heard everything you two," Gwyn called back at them.

Guiltily, Tristan headed back into Gwyn's room. "Sorry... It's just... I'd prefer having you around at least a group of people - lest he tries anything else."

"Tell them to come here with you when you're ready Anne, I don't mind... plus, Cynthia knows about Black."

"You... you wouldn't mind? Are you sure? I mean, it was just a suggestion after all and I didn't want to impose anything..."

"You're not imposing anything, kid. So, Anne, I'll be seeing you later?"

"Yes ma'am. I’ll tell them that you had a slight accident with your car?"

"Perfect. I'll talk to Cynthia myself later..."

Both bewildered and amused by the exchange, Tristan simply waved as Anne let herself out of the apartment.

"I'll be seeing you later then... take care," Anne bid them goodbye as she slipped out of the front door.

-

Once Anne was gone, Tristan settled himself on the bed next to Gwyn. "So... need me for anything else?"

"Not really..." she whispered, leaning against him to rest her head against his chest. "Needed you here in a fairly egoistical way..."

Chucking, he immediately replied. "Really now. Never thought I'd hear you admit to such a thing. What, pray tell, is this egotistical manner that you're speaking of?"

"You had to meet your friend and your sister and I almost ordered you to stay. Pretty egoistic..."

"I was planning on staying till lunchtime, but... It's pretty clear that you're still shaken up by this whole thing. And they understand how busy I can get - Cyn especially - but at least I'll be able to see them later on, so it works out. Now..." he told her, taking hold of her hand, "I think that you should rest now." 

"Maybe you're right..." she whispered back, groaning slightly as she shifted to huddle closer to him.

"Heh, _now_ you listen to me... though I think you'll be much better off under the covers rather than on top of them."

"You think so? It's not that I'm feeling cold or something..."

"Fine then, _I'm_ cold... your bed is soo much more comfy than mine - even the sheets are more comfy! And besides, if you're resting, then that means I can go back to sleep..." he replied with a lazy grin. "Weekends are my 'sleeping-in' days..."

"Talk about having someone watching over you," she chuckled wearily. "Just go ahead, it's fine for me."

"Hey, just doing my part..." he answered, getting off the bed and heading into the bathroom. "No peeking... I'll be right out..." 

"I don't even have the strength of getting out of bed, never mind the peeking... and I wouldn't want to peek on you anyway," she chuckled as Tristan walked away.

After a short while, Tristan came out of the bathroom in his t-shirt and boxers. "Sure you wouldn't..." Making his way over to Gwyn, he picked her up slightly to pull back the blankets on her side, before gently tucking her back under them as he made his way over to her side and climbed in. "Now you are free to use me as your personal stuffed animal."

Upon hearing that, Gwyn laughed lightly. Then, as she rested her head against his chest once again, calming down as she heard the steady beating of his heart, Gwyn muttered the one thing she'd never thought of saying in all of her centuries of life. 

"I love you."

Said in a way that had nothing to do with the greeting between best of friends, or with how a parent would bid farewell to his child... it was a heartfelt feeling that came out our her lips at that very time. 

As he heard her say those three little words, the first thing that Tristan did was pinch himself - which resulted in a mild sting along his side. The second thing he did was look over at Gwyn's contented face and replied back sincerely, "I love you too." And the third and final thing he did was kiss her sweetly.

"Thank you..."

"For what?" 

"For keeping up with me..."

"You're not the easiest person, but I'm glad that I can keep up with you. For a second I thought you were going to say something else..."

Gwyn gave him a quizzical look and blinked back at him. "Like what?"

He grinned back at her before whispering, "'For loving me'..." 

"Too much of a romantic cliché... I'm not into those," she smiled back at him. "I'm anything but a romantic cliché, you must admit."

"True. Because if this were a romantic cliche, then I'd probably try something... but I won't."

Gwyn raised an eyebrow and chuckled softly. "The romantic cliché wouldn't have been beaten senseless by a sick maniac and almost killed off... and feeling as if her back has been chopped to pieces, her stomach is going to burst in any moment, and... she'd be the happiest person on the planet."

"What the fuck is that kind of romantic cliché? Or is that in relation to us...?" he asked, giving her a strange look.

"I meant she'd definitely not be me," she chuckled resting her head against his chest.

Sitting up momentarily to remove his t-shirt, Tristan settled back down and wrapped his arms around Gwyn gently. "That's for sure... if that's someone's idea of a romantic evening, point me to the nearest toilet so I can go vomit..."

"Definitely not mine... I would have loved staying like this with you for a romantic evening, without doing anything that's currently racing through that mind of yours, but not like this, with half of my system almost paralysed... which reminds me. Don't you dare try and look for him when you're back to work. I'm pretty sure he'll try to provoke you into a fight."

"I said I wouldn't. Also I wouldn't dream of trying something to engage you in some _strenuous workout_ right now... I'll just wait until you're better before I try that." Taking her hand in his, he continued: "How about we try to stay out of the building more? We can meet for lunch outside of the office to work... That way, he can't track our movements?"

"Tris, he's got informants... pretty good ones, both in and out. He'd get to know we're meeting out of office."

"Run with me. No, I'm serious. If his informants are that sharp, then they'll know that I go running during lunch. Why not try something different as far as our meetings go?"

"As far that the running goes, I'm in... what about the meetings?"

"Can't help those now can we, as we have to meet. You said that the CEO's been really thrilled with the project thus far, right?"

"Yes," she smiled back. "Very much."

"Then... what's say we arrange our meetings with him involved as well - I'm sure he'd love to hear what we're thinking."

"We might..." she said, in a voice that sounded more tired than before.

"Something wrong with that? Hmm... then how about we move the meetings here? Not in this bed, but here, in your office"

"No... no... I'm fine... so, I'll try and arrange more of our meetings with CEO, but not all of them. He doesn't need to be aware of all of our discussions."

"Okay, for the more formal ones - which we have about every two or three days - we can have with the CEO. The informal ones... we can have here? Or when we go running?"

At those questions, Tristan didn't get any reply from Gwyn's end. Her breathing was now deeper, and slightly calmer... she had fallen asleep in his arms, right in the middle of their discussion.

Studying her sleeping face, the young man just grinned. "You are terribly adorable when you sleep..." Kissing her forehead, he settled back down and fell asleep, holding Gwyn close.

-

As Anne walked through the door of Tristan's apartment, she smiled at the sight. Though much more modest and smaller than Gwyn's apartment, the young man did his best to make it feel comfortable. Several pairs of shoes lined the hallway next to the entrance: one pair for when he rode his bike (these ones were made to specifically clip to the pedals), three pairs for running (all of which were in the same sorry condition), two pairs of dress shoes for the office (one black, one brown), and a pair of his rock climbing shoes. Despite being the home of a young bachelor, the apartment didn't feel like one to Anne as explored the rest of Tristan's home.

In the kitchen, most of his dishes were on the drying rack while a glass and spoon were left in the sink. On the fridge door, there was a notepad and pen (it had a grocery list started), a few postcards, a few children's drawings addressed to 'Uncle Tristan', and finally a few take-away menus. Opening the fridge, Anne found to be stocked simply with bottles of orange juice and milk (both plain whole and chocolate), a half-bag full of grapes, a small container of half-eaten salad greens, a bottle of red wine ( _He drinks the same kind as Miss Gwyn does..._ ), some leftovers, and a few other odds and ends while the freezer was very much in the same state. A fruit bowl sat atop his little dining table, which Anne noted was nearly empty save for a banana. Leaving the kitchen, she studied his living room which had a small piano and a large easel in a corner of the room while two couches, a large ottoman, two large chairs, and a coffee table fit comfortably in the remaining space.

Unlike the Victorian style of Gwyn, Tristan was more modern in his decor as he chose things with clean lines, dark woods, and no elaborate carvings. Despite that, the little apartment was still extremely inviting as Tristan favored bright colors for his throw pillows and his paintings. The hallway led to the remainder of the apartment: the master bedroom, spare bedroom, and spare bathroom. 

The first room Anne entered was the master bedroom, which also contained the master bath. Light grey walls and the various blues of his blankets marked the theme of the room. The queen-sized bed was mostly centered in the room as two night tables flanked the bed, two chests of drawers was against the walls, and a chair completed the room. Entering the bathroom, it was fairly clean, save for some clothes spilling out his hamper and onto the floor. Even the toilet was immaculate and much to Anne's amusement, the seat and lid were down. Opening a nondescript door, Anne found Tristan's sizable closet that mostly contained his clothes for work, though there were two more sets of drawers inside the closet; rummaging through the drawers, she found them to mostly contain his underwear and casual clothing. 

The second room, was a spare bedroom as well as small den for Tristan. _He probably does his work from here before he heads over to Gwyn's home..._ The room itself was colored in mostly blues, but it still felt warm and inviting.

Finally, Anne reached the guest bathroom and as soon as she opened the door, she began laughing. The motherload of Tristan's laundry had wound up in the bathtub, with a few stray items landing on the floor. _No wonder he needed help to get this done..._ Shutting the door again, Anne located the washer and dryer (which were full-sized, much to her relief) and began the task of sorting the clothes into specific piles. An hour into her task, Cynthia and Valerie had showed up and after some short introductions, the three women began sorting through Tristan's clothes being careful to include the pile from his hamper in the master bathroom.

"Val?"

"Yeah Cyn?"

"How does one boy go through so many pairs of boxers?" Holding up a pair of Tristan's shorts (these were black with various green polka dots), Cynthia just smiled as she tossed them into the 'dark' pile.

"He actually cares about his hygiene?"

"I think he does. Miss Gwyn always seems to comment on his style and manner of dress."

"Does she now... And Miss Gwyn seems to be happy about that, huh?"

"Oh yeah. On her better days, the AD actually gushes about his dress-sense - though I'm usually talking with her about him. I never thought that the little boy I grew up with would grow up to be an extremely gorgeous guy. Unlike more than half the meatheads around the office, at least Tristan can boast about having an actual defined six-pack... and a rather cute butt."

Anne laughed as she recalled Tristan's words from last night. "Do you always talk about Tristan like that, Cynthia? He mentioned something about that."

"Yeah - it's a running thing we have with each other. We compliment one another by being as shallow as possible - just because it's easy to joke about it. I love the idiot like a little brother, but I'd be stupid not to notice how attractive he really is. He's just not my type - I want someone who isn't as active as he is... since Tris has been on the go since forever."

"Mm-hmm. Ever since he was a baby, he was all 'go go go'. Probably the main reason as to why he's where he is today. School was easy for him - which lead to him skipping grades and graduating from college by the time he was a teenager. He actually traveled extensively after he was done with school before working for _New Dawn Securities_. Catherine, Olivia, and myself have watched him grow - though it's hard to think of your baby brother as anything but that. He's grown up quite well, really well-rounded, and is quite the charmer. Speaking of which, any news on whom the little idiot's interested in?"

Both Cynthia and Anne share a look and a laugh before smiling at the older woman.

"We think he has a crush on the AD. Every so often, you can see how much they like being around each other as they're always teasing each other and sometimes Tris will get completely flustered around her. I gotta admit though, the boss lady and my best friend look really good together - _really good_."

"What do you think Anne?"

Setting down one of Tristan's t-shirts, Anne gave them a big smile. "I honestly think he loves her - he's one of the few people that she has gotten close too. Miss Gwyn is a rather private person, but Tristan has managed to slip inside her walls and hasn't quite left. They are quite good together and I hope that they can find some sort of happiness."

"Aww... that's too cute. But it's risky - since he's her direct subordinate. But, since it's Tris - he's too bull-headed to stop. She must've left quite the impression on him, as I honestly can't remember when he had a steady girlfriend - that boy's always been focused on his work rather than everything else around him. I'm quite biased, but I honestly think my baby brother is quite the handsome little devil."

"You can say that again, now they're the devil and his assistant," Cynthia chuckled. "But it's fitting..."

Anne looked up at her and smiled. "They're not evil though... as the devil is... there are far more evil people roaming about..."

"You know that AD can be quite..."

"I know... but she's sweet and kind, you can't even imagine that... she acts the way she does because she's _forced_ to do so..." she muttered back, earning Cynthia's curious look. 

"She's being more relaxed lately in fact..." Cynthia mused. "Ah well, that's better! And good moods look great on her anyways," she laughed, while taking another one of his boxers in his hand, grinning. "Please tell me, why the heck does he have a purple pair of boxer shorts... I mean... Val... it's _purple_ dammit!" 

Valerie looked up at the item Cynthia was holding and stifled a laugh. "Well, you shouldn't ask me, _he_ bought that thing." 

"You should warn Gwyn of his tastes in boxers..." Valerie continued. "She might get shocked if she sees him in this."

Anne and Cynthia looked at each other, and burst out laughing heartily. "I definitely wouldn't dream of doing that..." Anne chuckled, holding her stomach while she took the load of whites in her hands and moved towards the bathroom. 

"I might tease him about that though... such a glorious hint," Cynthia grinned in response, following her with the light coloured bunch of clothes. 

\- 

Sunlight streamed through the windows of Gwyn's bedroom, which were covered by some light drapes, but somehow the light had managed to fall on the pillow that Tristan was currently sleeping on. Minutes later, the light from the sun fell onto his face, causing Tristan to fidget in his sleep and Gwyn to groan in mild protest as her 'pillow' moved.

"What's wrong?" Gwyn pouted slightly, still with her eyes closed, huddling closer to him.

Instead of answering, Tristan simply pulled the covers over his head to hide from the sunlight as he rolled onto his side.

_Should your stories about me be true, I should be the one to cover up from the sun_ , she thought, as she rested against his back, still trying not to move as much as possible.

Keeping his eyes shut, he spoke quietly, "Go back to sleep... you need to rest..."

Chuckling, she placed a kiss on his back and smiled. "I know... you too."

Rolling over to face her, he opened his eyes and smiled at her. "I like waking up next to you... feels nice."

Gwyn didn't reply to that phrase, just huddled closer, while Tristan wrapped an arm round her waist, to slightly rub her back. 

"Comfy?"

"Yes... but it still hurts... quite a bit, he didn't go too easy on me..."

Craning his head lower, Tristan began to nuzzle gently into her neck and slowly planted kisses over the bruised skin.

"I don't want this to ever happen to _you_ , Tris... if it were you, you'd be... dead by now..."

Briefly stopping his ministrations, "I hope it doesn't but should something happen, will you take care of me too?"

"You don't have to ask... of course I would, we'll take care of each other... mmh?" she whispered back, smiling.

"Mmm, good." Kissing the bruise one more time, he began trailing kisses up along her neckline and jaw before kissing her deeply.

Gwyn placed a hand on his cheek, and caressed it gently, as she placed a kiss on his forehead. "You need to rest too..."

Grinning widely, he kissed the tip of her nose. "Ruin my fun why don't you. Alright, I'll do as you say, _ma'am_... but you should follow your own advice too."

"I will, I will," she whispered back, dozing off as Tristan held her close.

Keeping his hold around her rather loosely, Tristan fell asleep before Gwyn did.

-

"Dammit Val stop it, I'm not a kid!"

"It's the second time I've seen you stealing from the serving plate, Tristan, and you're not even home for heaven's sake!" Valerie chided him, as Anne had started bringing up the main course. "And in front of your boss!"

Gwyn smiled; even though she was still rather achy all over, it was relaxing having humans around in her home, alive. The ones she'd generally get inside her apartment were either doomed for 'accidental death' which had always been covered by Fred's connections within the local authorities, or for a 'slow agonizing and painful death', which very much depended on the type of individual she'd have actually encountered. She didn't bother too much about this matter - after all, she'd been living that life for decades at end. At least though, she had Anne by her side, who was both her helper, and her sidekick. Now, though, there wasn't just one... but three of them, lively bickering over food in her own dining room, making her wonder at the same time whether she could have been this carefree if she were a human. 

"Let him be Valerie, I don't mind... he could have my share actually, I'm not too hungry myself," she said earning a wide grin from Tristan on one side of the table and a sigh from Valerie on the other. 

Tristan's look turned into a more serious one as he gazed back at Gwyn. "Are you sure? You haven't eaten much yourself..."

Gwyn merely shook her head and smiled. "Anne, just give him my serving too... please. I think I should go back to bed..."

"Need help?" Tristan promptly asked, rising from his seat and moving by her side, and taking her up in his arms. "Should work better that way."

Earning the girls' grins, and a death glare from Gwyn, Tristan carried back the woman back to her bedroom, placing her gently on her bed. "I didn't ask you to carry me back here in your arms, Tristan," she commented, slightly flustered since it wasn't just them two in the apartment now. 

"I thought that it would expedite the process. Can't exactly have you stumbling on your way to bed now, can we? In your condition, you shouldn't even be moving all that much anyways... hell, when I fell off my bike and landed in a ditch a few years ago... I was practically laid up at home for the next week and half, and probably beat up a little worse than you." Tracing her cheek gently with his fingers, he gave her a grin. "I'll only carry you around like that when we're _alone_ alone, deal?"

"Deal..." she smiled back at him, quickly followed by her pointing at three woman spying them from behind the bedroom door. "Someone's watching over you Tristan," she commented with a chuckle.

"They are _too_ obvious at times..." he sighed while running his fingers through his hair. "But... since I've mostly grown up around women, it's to be expected that they have this need to watch over me. Despite the audience, mind if I kiss you?" 

"You might need to provide explanations to Cynthia though..." she whispered. "And ask her to say nothing to no one of this... and I think you might also tell her about Black now."

"I'll talk to her, don't worry. But _you_ though, you should rest and take it easy for the next couple of days. I'll see you in the morning, right? And did you want me to come over to help you out?"

"I have Anne... you should go to work as you usually do... and be surprised of my absence with everyone, as it's not usual for AD to be on sick leave... I'll phone Fred myself."

"Can I stop by in the evenings to drop off your stuff then? That way, I can give Anne a break from taking care of you... probably help you out with your back too."

"I would be expecting you to come here in the evenings, _Faraday_ ," she replied, in a mock stern tone of voice.

"Is that right, _AD Coulston_?" whispered Tristan as leaned in and kissed her.

"I'll be seeing you tomorrow then..." she whispered back when the kiss ended. "Stay safe for me, please."

"Yes and yes, I promise I will. Should anything with Black happen - say he corners me or something, do you want me to contact you?"

"Yes," she merely replied, the look in her eyes changing to a darker one in an instant.

"Got it," he replied quietly while taking her hands in his. "Sleep now, Gwyn. I'll be back for you in the evening tomorrow." Giving her hands a small squeeze before kissing them, he whispered back to her, "I love you."

"Me too... and don't punch anything random," she chuckled, giving a quick caress to his bandaged hands. "They're quite helpful you know..."

"Are they? Well, when you're better... I'll show you what I can _really_ do with them..." he smirked as he got to his feet. 

"Pillow's too heavy... trust me, it would have landed on your head if I was feeling better," she smiled. "Take care... and avoid staying in the shadows..."

Taking one last look at her before leaving the room, he grinned. "You know me, I always walk in the light anyways. Good night and sweet dreams."

As soon as Tristan closed Gwyn's bedroom door, he found two of the three women gaping back at him. One of them in particular...

"Tell me... tell me I wasn't having visions back there..." Cynthia stuttured, staring back at Tristan in a surprised look.

"I don't know... as I can't really comment on the fact that you guys were spying on us..." smirked the young man as he went back to his seat and resumed eating his dinner.

"Tristan... it's..." she whispered, placing a hand on her face. "I can't believe it..." she chuckled, then grinning back at him.

"Hmm?" Swallowing his food, he just grinned back at the three. "You tell me, what did you see back there?" 

"You and... AD... _kissing_..."

"Then you saw what you saw and none of you are allowed to tell _anyone_ \- especially you Cyn, as you know how much trouble we'll both be..." Taking a sip of his water, "It's been... brewing for a while... but things have come up to where it's gotten serious. I know that... that it seems like I'm going after her because she's my boss - like I'm trying to sleep my way to the top - but its not like that at all... I-I can't really explain it really..."

"You don't need to... I know that look," Valerie quickly commented to that. "You're being quite sincere enough about it... no need to add more."

Cynthia, on the other hand, just stared back at Tristan, sighing. "You should have told me... I mean, I had the _impression_ that you were getting interested but... that you had a crush but... I never thought, it was that serious already..."

Looking down at his plate, he simply studied the green peas and gravy to avoid Cynthia's gaze. "It... happened today - the serious part of it I mean. I wanted to say the words first - but she... _she_ said them before I could. I once asked her if she were able to fall in love with a guy like me... guess she did," he finished with a content smile on his face as he looked back at his best friend.

"And she's never been like this..." Anne chimed in. "Believe me, Tristan... it's the first time, today, I've seen her, this _happy_."

At that admission, three faces immediately stared at Anne in shock and amazement.

"Re-really? She's never... Are you sure Anne?" Tristan asked in a near-whisper. 

"Quite sure, been with her for some years now so I'm certain of what I've just told you..."

"I... wow... that's just... wow..." 

"You never expected that eh?" Anne smiled back at him sweetly. "Keep in mind though... that it's not easy for her to go through all this... there are... _things_ , that you still cannot know about her... and that she's going to try and keep you safe from. The state she is currently in is related to one of those reasons."

"Well, whatever it is, I won't push it. When she's ready, I'll be there to listen."

"That should be fine for her..." Anne smiled. "Just stay close to her, and you keep safe from harm. If anything befalls you, she'd feel guilty for eternity."

"Eternity, huh? That's quite a long time..." Looking back at both Cynthia and Valerie, he gave them a warm smile. "So you two... you've been rather silent. Want me to take you both home now?"

"I was just observing my little brother in love," Valerie chuckled. "I won't say anything to mother for now, you'd have to tell her yourself eventually..."

Grinning, he nodded back at her. "Yeah, yeah. Maybe when I'm ready - she still treats me like a little kid... so I dunno how she'll handle this... And you, Miss Cynthia. How are you?"

"Glad, satisfied, thrilled, surprised... and relieved. Is that enough of a description?"

"Whoa whoa... that's a lot of adjectives there... what's up?"

Cynthia then got up and walked up right behind Tristan and to rest her head on his shoulder. "I'm just happy for you," she whispered, placing a kiss on his cheek.

Gently, he leaned his head against hers. "Thank you. It means a lot to me. And don't worry... I'll try not to drive her that crazy as often, though when the mood hits..."

"We'll just have to call you in to calm her down..." she grinned back at him. 

"Dunno... I have some rather _unorthodox_ methods..." he smirked mischievously.

"Right... _right_. I _so_ , don't want to know, thank you very much..." she laughed out, smiling back at him. "Now... what do you say if we left AD to rest quietly, and Anne in peace? Which reminds me, need help any help Anne? With the clearing up I mean..."

"I'll bet. Anyways, we should probably get going - gotta work to pay the bills. Anne, you'll be alright here, right? Just call me if you or Gwyn need anything. I'll be over as soon as I can."

"No need, thank you. It's my work after all... and... I will, Tristan, don't worry," she replied to both, while getting back on her feet. "We'll be seeing you tomorrow right?"

"Definitely. Let me take care of these two first, then I'll drop off the car and take my bike back home with me afterwards. That alright?"

"If that is all right with you..." she smiled back. "I don't think Miss Gwyn would mind you taking her car."

"Hmm... well I will be coming back tomorrow - alright, I'll just drop it off tomorrow night then. Better?"

"No no wait, I meant for tonight... no, don't go to work with it... please," Anne quickly retorted.

"Huh-oh, I wasn't going to. I have a garage too - it's where I keep my bike and other things so there's plenty of room - I meant I'll just drop it off when I head over here tomorrow. Would that be better instead?"

"Ah... yes... sounds better," the maid smiled back at him, relieved. "Sorry for that reaction..."

Tristan continued to observe the look in Anne's eyes, which seemed to darken at times, but understood that she was probably worried about Black. "No, it's no trouble at all - if it's about Black...then I get why you're freaking out over this... I promise I'll be careful."

"Black?" Cynthia jumped up, as she was putting on her coat. "What's with him?" she asked, as Anne nodded back silently in response to Tristan.

"I'll tell you later... I promise. Hey Val, you want to stay with me or with Cyn? I know you have an early morning tomorrow but whatever's more convenient for you."

"I wouldn't mind if you drop me off first, if that's OK for Cynthia," his sister replied, accompanied by a yawn. "Sorry."

"Oh it's not a problem, plus, Tristan owes me a conversation about something so..." she smiled, looking back at Anne. "Thank you so much."

"Our pleasure..." Anne echoed back in response, tipping her head in a little bow.

"Okay... so I'll drop Val at my place then you... got it. Good night and take care Anne," said Tristan as he tied up the laces of his sneakers and pulled on his sweatshirt.

"Good night..."

-

After a short drive and leaving Valerie at his apartment, Cynthia moved in the passenger's seat by his side, and once he drove off, she looked ahead and asked the question Tristan was expecting. "What's the deal with Black, will you tell me now?"

"Not here... it's probably best if we talk at your place... Okay?"

"Fine for me," she nodded in response, not noticing the serious tone in his voice. "It wasn't really a car accident right? Tris... don't speed..."

"I'm not speeding... and no... it wasn't." Sighing as they were stopped behind several rows of cars, he places his hand over hers. "I just want to get you home safely, that's all."

"Tris, you're scaring the hell out of me, once we're home, I want to know everything, please," she replied, giving a slight squeeze to his hand.

"I can't tell you everything - as I don't know all the details, but I will tell you what I do know. I promise."

After parking the car in Cynthia's garage, following an insistent request by Tristan, the two friends went up to her apartment swiftly. Once inside, Cynthia switched on the lights immediately and couldn't help notice that Tristan was making sure the front door was firmly locked before they sat on the couch in her living room.

"Care to explain now, please?"

Taking her hand in his, he nodded before speaking. "While we were at the beach last night, Gwyn had a meeting with the CEO and the other higher-ups - including that asshole Black. From what Gwyn told me... he attacked her. God Cyn... if you saw what she looked like this morning... Anyways, the thing with Black is that he's been obsessing over Gwyn - majorly - as... have you noticed that all of the women on his staff look similar to AD?"

"Yes... and I had managed to talk to her about it once, just to bring it to her attention so to speak... she looked concerned but not too much... listen Tris, he hasn't..." she paused, shivering slightly. "Has he?"

"No no no... she's really shaken up and was beaten up pretty badly - she was practically black, blue, and purple when I held her this morning in her office - but she told me that nothing happened other than getting the shit kicked outta her. Anyways... the thing with the 'harem' is that way back when, he tried something like this before because he was pissed that she couldn't give two fucks about him. So he started obsessing over her... and was always envious of the fact that she's super-successful. So right about now, he's seemed to be taking an interest in not only Gwyn... but anyone who's close to her - starting with yours truly. Listen, I want you to promise me that you'll be careful - please. I told Gwyn that I'd stay away from the fucker - and I want you to do the same. Please Cyn... I don't want you to end up like Gwyn - or worse."

By then, Cynthia was shivering violently and barely had the strength to reply. "I... I knew, somehow, that the man was sick... but not to _this_ extent..."

"I love and care about you too much, so please - watch out for yourself and I promise that I'll do the same. Anything come up - tell me or Gwyn as soon as possible. Okay?"

"I... I will," she stammered, still shaking as she gave him a hug.

Hugging her tightly, he kissed her forehead lingeringly before hugging her again. "He's completely jealous now, of not only Gwyn but of me too somehow - probably has something to do with the project and that the CEO's been really happy with our work. Since you're Gwyn's secretary and assistant... you might be a target because of us... With James moving to Advertising soon... I've gotta keep an eye on him too. God... what the hell is going on with that sick fuck? I'd love to move Cole to another department too... but I don't know if that's possible, since Black would totally be pissed."

"Can't you and AD talk to Mr. Rhule about all of this? He can't just keep roaming around, doing what he pleases without being apprehended... I mean, it's like leaving a serial killer on the loose till he kills again..."

"Hopefully. AD told me that she was attacked after the meeting - so Mr. Rhule doesn't know so far. I think Gwyn will tell him just what's up, but... I'm still scared. Not just for Gwyn or for you or for the others... I'm starting to hate this feeling of being helpless right now..."

"Hey," she smiled back, placing a hand on his cheek. "You know you're not, Gwyn knows you're not... you just, can't do much at this point, that man's got guts."

Smiling ruefully, Tristan simply rested his head on her shoulder. "I know I'm not... but it feels like it. Plus, Gwyn's been insistent on protecting me too... I just don't want to lose anyone to this fucking asshole..."

"You won't," she whispered back, rubbing his back. 

"I hope so Cyn. I really hope so. You okay though? Sorry to drop all this shit on you." He slowly started rubbing her shoulders comfortingly, cuddling close to the girl he'd known his entire life.

"Mmh-huh... I'm fine, and happy that you talked to me about all this... you've gotten this stubborn attitude of keeping everything to yourself, even when you're worried about something... you know I'm here for you whenever you feel like it... you're just like a twin brother to me... you know that."

"Heh... yeah." Kissing her cheek, he slowly got to his feet with Cynthia's help. "Love you."

"Love you too..." she smiled back at him. "You're going back home now?"

"Told you, got bills to pay so I gotta work. I'll see you in the morning. And maybe we'll take a jog during lunch?" 

"Totally... plus, I'm going to keep an eye on you more than ever before," she replied with a slight grin. 

Giving her a grin back, "Same goes for you. Plus with Gwyn... I'll _definitely_ be hanging around her office more. Get some sleep and I'll see you."

"See you... and you go rest... it's been a tiring day for you... buzz off," she chuckled, placing her hands on his shoulders. "Head straight home."

"Yeah yeah... now I know where she got that phrase from... both you and Gwyn have this habit of telling me to buzz off..."

"Oh really?"

"Yah really."

"Good to know, bumble bee," she told him, giggling.

"Oh bite me... leaving now..." he laughed as he headed out the door.

-

Yawning as he walked through the door to his office, the phone began to ring. "The fuck...?" Shrugging his shoulders as he closed the door, he picked up the receiver. "Hello? This is-Gwyn? Something the matter?"

"No, no... panic station," she chuckled from the other end. "I'm all right... you?"

"All right as well. Told Cyn about Black... little freaked but as to be expected... and to be honest, I am too."

"Thought she'd be..." she sighed. "Listen, I'm going to try and phone up CEO later on today... don't count on it much though... just... stay safe, both of you."

"Yeah... say... would it be-nevermind."

"What were you going to say?"

"...Would it be okay if I worked in your office today?"

Gwyn paused for a short while, then answered, "Yes you may. And considering you'd be close to Cynthia, you have my full permission... and... ugh..."

"What? What's wrong?"

"I'll have to get Anne to check my bandages plus... I think I've got a wound that's still slightly open... found small splotches of blood in the sheets this morning..."

"Oh... ouch I'm sorry. And thanks... Also, how's the back doing?"

"It's easier to move but it still hurts... I'll be fine."

"Want me to take a look at it later? I promise I'll make it worth your while..."

"I wouldn't mind that... and Tris, if you're going to work in my office, check out whatever there is in my in-tray, if there's anything related to Advertising, have a look at it and brief me up about it when you come home. Also, I wouldn't mind discussing some things with you this evening, I don't want to fall back on our schedule because of that asshole."

"Okay okay slave driver... I'll do it. Can't I just focus on the Advertising and burn the rest of my paperwork? I mean, do I really care about Records' bullshit?"

"I know I can count on you. And... no you can't."

Whining, he immediately retorted. "Why not?"

"Because it's a significant part of your work load and of your business objectives."

" _Fine_... and it's _boring_ too... At least today was a nice day for a ride and looks like it'll be good for a run later."

To that, Gwyn didn't reply, but burst out laughing at the other end of the telephone.

Hearing the laughing on the other line, Tristan promptly asked her: "What's so funny?"

"Mmmh, nothing..."

"Aww, c'mon tell me. Please?"

"It's hilarious when you start whining about work... and you're a manager... what would you do if you'd have all the work _I_ have? Which reminds me, ask Cynthia to gather all of the papers I need to get signed and hand them over to you... I want to get them done anyway."

"But it _is_ boring... Mmm... dump it on my subordinates? And you can be quite the cruel mistress, y'know that?"

"I've always been that in the eyes of many."

"...I'll get it done...Meanie."

"Listen Tris..."

"...Yes...?"

"Warn Cynthia that Black might try to reach me by phone this morning."

"Will do."

"He'd brag on the sick pleasure he felt in hitting me and how much he'd enjoy doing it again... so just, don't answer the phone in the first place."

"Got it..." he replied, counting off the notes he's been taking, before doodling a drawing of Black being attacked by wolves. "So... neither of us should answer the phone, right? Can I call out to you then? Or do I need Cyn to dial out?"

"Phone through Cynthia, much safer."

"'Dial through Cyn...' Okay. Now go back to sleep. I'll hold the fort while you're gone." 

"Tell Cynthia not to call HR... I'll call Fred myself. And... I will in a minute."

"I'll make sure she doesn't. Okay...gonna hang up soon and move into your office. Any last parting words?"

"Don't do any overtime since I'm not there and come back here soon?"

"That works for me. What's for dinner then? Also, may I stop at the gym tonight too?"

"I don't have a clue," she replied, with a laugh. "Don't tell me you're hungry already... as for the gym, whatever you like. But make sure you change beforehand. Don't need you stinking up the place."

"I just got in, haven't had breakfast yet... and if we're reviewing stuff tonight after I go to the gym, a boy's gotta eat. Right? And... can't I use your shower?"

"Right... go start working now," she ordered him, smiling. "And... no..."

"I swear you can be so mean to me sometimes... Fine... going now."

"Should have taken note of how many times you called me mean this morning."

Laughing he told her: "Well, you're _my_ meanie, so it's okay. Talk to you later."

"Later..." she paused, almost afraid of putting down the receiver.

"Y'know, one of us has to hang up soon, right?"

"... Right... go ahead."

"Do you want me to ditch the office and head straight over there now?"

"No..." she whispered back, "as much as I'd love to... no."

"Okay... gonna hang up now. Bye," sighed Tristan as he hung up the receiver and stared at it. "Well... this is definitely different."

Gathering up his belongings, Tristan headed over to Gwyn's office, where he proceeded to do exactly as instructed once Cynthia arrived.

-

"Hey, just wanted to say that was pretty crafty of you to hole up in AD's office while she's out," said Cynthia as she was stretching out her legs on the grass.

"No problem. She called right when I got in so... yeah. Ready to run yet, Superwoman?"

"Not yet and don't rush me - I need to stretch. Unlike you, Mr. I-bike-ten-miles-to-work-run-five-miles-during-lunch-bike-ten-miles-home. How the hell are so fucking active is beyond me."

"Dunno - just being outside makes me wanna do stuff. Speaking of which, we need to play football soon... fall season's starting up soon..."

"Oh God, so soon? Yeah we do - gotta keep the championship trophy with our team, don't we?"

"Definitely. Doing the swimming thing this year too?"

"Mmm... haven't decided. I mean, I liked my teammates and all, but there are some total bitches out there at those meets. I'll do it if you do it, though."

"Excuse to see me in swimming briefs?" laughed Tristan as he jogged in place as Cynthia was tying her shoelace.

"Idiot and no. I already know what you look like under the baggy t-shirt and football shorts you're currently wearing right now," she replied, taking off from their spot on the grass as they continue their run. "So, speaking of hard bodies, you and AD...?"

Blushing, Tristan kept his eyes on the road. "No, not yet. I'd prefer it if she was up to full strength, but right now - wouldn't mind giving her a _helping hand_ right about now, if you know what I mean," he laughed and winked at Cynthia's expression.

"You are a very naughty boy, Tris. Can't believe you sometimes... but... she _definitely_ loves what she sees."

"Oh? How so?"

"She's commented about your physique - usually comes up with the fashion discussion. You're slim, but you've actually got a nice build to you - cut and defined, but not huge. As I was telling Val and Anne, you're like one of the few guys at work who can boast about having a defined six-pack of abs - though I suspect that it'll be an eight-pack soon, hmm? I mean all the rock climbing..."

"Quit it Cyn... way too embarrassing..." Tristan said while his face was slowly resembling a tomato.

"What? You're a hot guy - not hard to see at all. Anyways, as I was saying, she told me about the clothing shop you guys went to that one day - guess that's when the relationship started brewing?"

"Yep. Correct as always."

"To your face, she said you weren't too bad..."

"Yeah, I remember that..."

"Bruised ego much? Just kidding. So later on when we were talking, she made a comment saying how someone with your killer body can eat so much food and not gain a thing and how when she hugged you that first time when you were at the beach... she was revelling over the fact that she got to see you shirtless. But it was the suit fitting, when you were stripped down to your boxers, that turned her on pretty good - she wanted to jump you at that moment," Cynthia laughed as she recalled Gwyn's words.

"You're _fucking_ with me. No way in hell she said that stuff..."

"Tris, I'm dead serious. You know that I'm usually straight with you."

"Yeah..." he said with a small grin.

"That's my boy. But yeah, there's one thing we're going to need to address if you are going to continue seeing AD."

"What's that?"

Cynthia reached over and lightly smacked Tristan's shoulder while laughing. "How the hell does one boy like you have so many damn pairs of boxers - in a variety of colors no less?"

Laughing, the pair continued to run as Tristan pulled away slightly. "I don't know why I have some of the colors I do - Cath's kids picked out some of the pairs, and Vicky picked out the purple ones, since she's all about purple."

"So you're saying your nine year old niece picked them out?"

"Yep. I was out with them that day - she said that all of my other boxers were boring, as I had just gotten back from the Islands and was doing laundry at her place, and that she wanted to pick out a pair that was from her. Hence the purple. What was I supposed to do? Say no to the kid?"

"Not exactly but... still... if you intend to get lucky with AD Coulston, you've gotta get rid of the more garish ones, Kiddo."

"I know... but they're comfy. Don't gimme that - you're the one that's stolen my t-shirts because they're 'so much more comfy than mine are'."

"But they are comfy... Fine. Well, then keep them separate - one for when it's just you and another for work or getting laid."

"You seem so hellbent on getting me laid by Gwyn..."

"Not like you haven't been thinking about it... And don't gimme that either. I know you - you're not quite like other guys, but you're still a boy - and you do think about it."

Coming to a halt, Tristan found a shady spot under a tree and sat down, with Cynthia mimicking his actions soon afterwards. "Yes I do think about it - hell, I wanted to take her right then and there in her office last Wednesday... but I didn't. I told you before that I've never felt like this before about anyone. I fucking _love_ her - that's how much she's affecting me. I kiss her and it's like coming home. I touch her and it's electric. I hold her in my arms and I'm in heaven. It's not just a fuck - it's never been about that. I want her to the point that I _need_ her. But... I'm not gonna push it until she's ready."

Shaking her head while grinning at him, Cynthia leaned over and kissed his cheek. "Tristan David Faraday, whatever are we going to do with you? You are in _deep_ , Kiddo. And it looks like I've gotta keep constant watch over you even moreso than before. I'm really happy for you, as you deserve it - as does AD Gwyn."

Slinging his arm around her shoulders, he hugged his best friend close. "Thank you, Cynthia Nicole Ericsson. Means a lot to me. Now all we have to do is find someone for _you_. I think Seth over in the Library might be of interest."

"Seth Jacobs? Well... he is kinda cute-hey! We're talking about _you_ , not _me_ here..."

"C'mon slowpoke, need to get back to the office and I'm not carrying your ass back there like last time..." laughed Tristan as he hauled Cynthia to her feet.

"Brat... and I'm going... stop pulling me you stupid boy you!" Giggled Cynthia as she jogged alongside Tristan, and swatted his butt causing him to yelp and chase after her.


	4. IV

After returning to the office, the rest of the day went off without a hitch and the two friends went their separate ways for the day. True to his word, Tristan went to the gym, showered and changed at home, packed a small bag, placed both the bag and his bicycle in Gwyn's car, and headed over to Gwyn's apartment as the sun was just starting to set. Once he arrived, he removed the bike from the trunk and entered the elevator, bag in hand.

\- 

Still resting in bed and reading, Gwyn couldn't help but recall the conversation she had with Frederick on the phone... it has been comforting yet at the same time, ambiguous... it was like being given a direction without exactly knowing where you'd be heading to. Flipping to the book that was lying in her lap in front of her, all of the details of their talk came back to her mind...

-

"Sick leave, Gwyn tell me you're joking..." an amused Frederick had replied to the phone call Gwyn made in the afternoon. The AD had totally taken him by surprise, Gwyn had never been sick (vampires rarely were anyway) and this came in quite unexpectedly, particularly since Fred had last seen her condition during the meeting. "What the hell did you do to get sick?"

"Ask that bloody asshole, Fred. He's the one who reduced me into this state... will you take up my advice and get rid of him?"

Fred paused when she referred to a one person in that particular way. "Black, laid his hands on you?"

Gwyn merely laughed at that, wincing slightly as that same movement ached the upper part of her body. "Hands? Fred, if I were _human,_ I would have died. How many times have I asked you to talk to him because of his behaviour? Vampires have to be noble in their acts, in spite of their true natures... how can you expect the Clan to be united with that sort of asshole roaming about? And vampire nature apart, are you _aware_ of what he's doing at work?!"

"Gwyn, calm down..."

"The fuck I'm calming down Fred! Do you know what kind of people he's gathering in his team?" she laughed ironically. "My clones! I mean, he's surrounding himself by people looking like me! It's not even a little bit subtle, what do you want, the whole damn place talking about the obsession Black has with me?!"

"Gwyn... we've already talked about this and I've already told you I'd look into it..."

"Look into it how Fred? Tell me?! Will you let him kill me and then do something? If it wasn't for Faraday I would have been dead in my office I suppose... or pretty much like it..." 

"Faraday? What's with him now?"

"Luckily he came up to my office, after I staggered my way back of course, and found me there. And got me back here at home. Really now, what are you waiting for to do something about him?"

"He's a high ranking vampire Gwyn, I cannot just..." 

"YOU'RE THE GODDAMN HEAD OF CLAN, FRED, FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE! You want me to kill him off with my own hands? I'd pretty much enjoy doing it after all this..."

"Gwyn listen to me," Fred snapped as he was hearing Gwyn's heavy breathing from the other end of the telephone. "It's already serious enough that he's laid his hands on you," he growled. "And I'll see to that... but I cannot do much Gwyn... he's a powerful one after all."

"I... I can't believe you're saying this to me."

"Gwyn, I love you like a daughter, but showing favoritism - especially in front of the Clan as well as in the office - is in quite bad taste. For anything to happen, I need solid evidence, but since it's merely your word and the Faraday boy's... I cannot do anything. I'm sorry."

"Right..." she growled back.

"Gwyn, you need to understand - he has a good number of supporters within the Clan. And squabbling amongst ourselves will do nothing for us, unless we get some new blood into the Clan. For now, we must learn to deal with one another. And I promise you, present some solid evidence for me, and I will see to it that Black is removed - _painfully_. As it stands, I'll give you three more days of sick leave - you should be fully healed by then - and then come see me for your meals, as I know that it's next to impossible for you to hunt right now. Am I clear?"

"Clear enough," she replied coldly. "Anything else you need to tell me?"

"Take care Gwyn, I want to see you in tip-top shape. It wouldn't do to have my top Commander laid up like some _human_..."

"No it wouldn't... I'll be seeing you Fred..." 

-

"Knock knock. You okay? I come bearing gifts from the office," said a rather quiet Tristan as he stood at the door of her bedroom. 

"Come in." 

Walking into the room, he immediately noticed that Gwyn was lying on her side, facing the wall. Sliding into the chair at the foot of the bed, Tristan sat quietly, waiting several minutes before speaking. "Something happened, didn't there. Do you... do you want me to stay or should I leave?"

"No stay," she replied, still facing the other way. "Well if you feel like anyway. I had a wonderful discussion with CEO on this goddamned situation." 

Placing the bag on the chair, Tristan got up and made his way over to Gwyn, kneeling in front of her. "Let me guess, he can't do anything about it without any solid evidence, right?"

"What does he want me, dead, to get solid evidence... goddamn, yes, I'd be solid by then..." she snapped back.

As he watched her vent, he reached out and lightly brushed his fingertips against the back of her hand. "I'm sorry."

"Tristan you've got nothing to say sorry for, why the hell are you apologizing now?" 

"Because you're hurting, and there's not a _goddamn thing_ I can do about it! That's why I'm sorry."

"Oh stop that, will you? It's not like you _could_ do anything... now it's just me and you against Black, _me_ actually."

"Then tell me what you want! I can't read your mind! Let me in. Please... I hate seeing you like this - bitter and broken. I want to help you, but you're not letting me."

"I can't! I... just... can't... you can only stay away from him for now... there's nothing much _we_ can do at the moment."

"Gwyn, I love you so much that it hurts me seeing you hurt. Talk to me, we can figure something out. You don't want me taking him on, I understand, but I don't want you to take him on alone. Please?"

"I won't take him on alone," she whispered, sitting up, while resting her head against the bedrest and looking back at him. "Rest assured, I won't." 

Getting up from his spot, Tristan sat at the foot of the bed - not quite touching her - and stared at the ceiling to avoid her gaze. "Promise?"

"Yes, I promise..." she smiled. "I don't think you'd want to see me quite, _dead_... if I did."

"No... it'd break my heart if that happened." Turning to look at her, he returned her smile, albeit a smaller, sadder one.

"Hey..." she whispered, placing a hand on his cheek. "Won't happen... don't worry."

Placing his hand over hers, he simply nodded back at her, the same sad smile on his lips. "I hope so..."

"It's not quite like you to look so pessimistic... it doesn't suit you..." she told him, moving to place a quick kiss on his lips. 

"I... I guess I can only be optimistic for so long before it feels fake..."

"I won't be killed off by that asshole, I can promise you that... trust me," she grinned back, wrapping her arms around him, letting him rest his head on her shoulder at the same time.

"You better keep that promise..." he whispered as he hugged her back, being mindful of the bandages.

"Will you trust me?" she repeated, in a softer tone.

"...Yes..." came the muffled response.

Smiling, she passed a hand through his hair, giving him a quick caress. "Maybe I'll tell you everything one day... however... it's too early for that now..."

"Tell me when you're ready?"

"I will... now, will you look at me and smile... I think I need that," she chuckled softly.

Lifting his head up, he gave her an actual smile. "Better?"

"Much better..." she replied, content as she moved closer to kiss him. "Now, mind to tell me how your day was?"

Leaning forward, he kissed her in response before hugging her close again. "It was pretty good, but it just got better."

"Mind you, same here... considering that I sulked on that damn phone call all day..."

"Well, I got grilled by Cynthia about us if it's all the same to you. Told me a few _things_ while she was at it... Should I repeat them, or can you figure out what she told me?" replied Tristan, a hit of mischief in his tone as he nuzzled into her neck and began kissing the bruise.

"Wait... what things?"

Chuckling, he continued on. "You weren't being entirely truthful in the suit shop, weren't you?"

"I wasn't lying when I told you that you looked good in that... what's the problem?" she asked, then struck by realisation as she recalled the conversation with Cynthia. "Oh... damn."

"Gotcha. So you do love me, hmm? Not just for my body of course." 

Laughing, she looked up at him. "I think I've already made that clear enough..."

"And you love me not just because of my hands either, right?" he smirked back at her as he started rubbing her shoulders.

"No... of course not..." she grinned. "They're just an added asset. But wait... that particular conversation came after seeing someone walking about in the offices with a terribly horrid shirt."

"Oh yeah? When was this? Most of my shirts are plain, a few of them are striped, and all of my ties are plain - couldn't be me."

"No it wasn't you... I would have told you in the first place... no this guy was in a _floral_ print," she winced back at him. "He just needed a grass skirt and could have easily done the hula with that..."

Breaking out into a full laugh, Tristan continued to smile. "I think I know who you're talking about... James and I were ready to go buy coconuts for the guy... and Cole had a ukulele in his office too."

"And he comes wearing that sort of stuff often, Cynthia has 'reported' those kinds of shirts quite another few times... God, they hurt my eyes..." she finished, stifling a laugh as she recalled what Tristan had just said. Then in a more serious tone: "If your friend Cole wasn't under Black, I would have suggested him as part of the new Ads department..."

"Me too. He's a great artist - that's why he gets along with the ad designers so well - and I'd love to move him over for that reason alone. But, unless I get something official, I can't do much about it. Cole and James used to design a lot of stuff when we were in school - I just stuck to painting and sketching, but those guys wanted to design anything you could put a logo on. Right now, I think his talents are being wasted by working for Black."

"And you think that doesn't irritate me? From a human resources point of view, placing Cole to work with your other friend James would have been a perfect move, considering that they get along well together... that asshole just places too many restrictions in my bloody chess board," she snapped back.

"Shhh, I wouldn't worry too much about it... as I told you earlier, I come bearing _gifts_ from the office. I think you'll be happy to make your next move."

"What are they about?" she asked, watching him as he gets up from bed to fetch what he had just mentioned to her.

"Some intra-office transfers that need your approval... the priority one's on top..." he cryptically replied while moving to lie on the bed next to her. "Take a look."

"What? Sending Black to hell for good? That would be one heck of a priority move..." she muttered as she took the papers in her hands. Upon reading just the first document, she looked up at Tristan and grinned. "Thought you'd suggest that."

"Heh. I was whining to Cyn about how I wanted to move Cole out during our lunchtime run... then this was dropped in your box from HR once we arrived back at the office. So, did I do good?"

"A request for a transfer falls in just about the right time... and you hadn't talked to him about it yet, true?"

"Nope. Haven't said a thing, especially since it literally was dropped in your box once we got back from our run and I was finishing the other reports you wanted me to review - which took up my entire afternoon by the way. All I got to do was tell him good night as I walked past his desk on the way out of the office."

Gwyn gave out an almost wicked, satisfied laughter that made Tristan raise immediately an eyebrow in response, since that reminded him of her usual, Assistant Director stance. "This feels good... at least the bastard won't say that _I_ did that on purpose..."

"So, to repeat my earlier question, 'I did good, right'?"

"Yes," she replied, taking the pen in his shirt's pocket in her right hand. "Signing up the transfer immediately."

"I think you're enjoying this a little _too much_ , but at least you're in a better mood..."

"I actually am, thank you."

"Now are you in a better mood because of me or because of work?" he asked while reaching for a pillow to rest on as he watched her work.

"Both both..." she promptly replied as she continued signing the rest of the transfer approvals. "Now remember that these need to be passed on to HR so that they send out the official letters..."

Giving her a dramatic sigh, Tristan rolled over onto his back and placed the pillow over his face. "You work too fucking much..." came the muffled statement.

"I love my work Tristan, you should know that by now... and being forcefully kept away from the office just gets me frustrated... which reminds me, CEO gave me three days of sick leave," she told him, expecting his reaction to be an angry one.

"Total bullshit right there. But... what can you do...? In any case though, need me to look at your back or is the paperwork more entertaining?" asked Tristan as he removed the pillow and sat up on the bed, looking mostly annoyed at by what Gwyn had just told him.

"Are you angry at me loving my work or at Fred giving me just three days to get back to normal?" she asked back, placing the signed work on the bedside table and turning face down on bed. 

"Angry at the three day thing and mildly annoyed by the work thing - but I know that you can't exactly make out with the paperwork - just leads to papercuts on your lips," he said with a lopsided grin. 

Leaning close to him before turning to give him a kiss, she whispered: "That's one of the things you'll need to get used to now... not that you weren't aware of that before anyway."

"Nah, it's alright. I'm used to it... though at least I can kiss back - the paper can't."

"I know..." she replied, resting her head on a pillow once again, as Tristan started massaging her shoulders.

"Hmm... can you lie down on your stomach? Need to look at your back, please."

"Yes... sure," as she did what he asked her. "Is that all right? And you can have a look at the wound I told you about this morning... it's the worse one of them all Anne told me."

"Of course. I'll be right back - just getting a washcloth and the first aid kit. Need your shirt off though..." he said quietly as he moved off the bed and walked out of the room to ask Anne about the first aid kit.

Taking advantage of that short timespan while he was away, Gwyn sat slightly up and took off her shirt (a baggy button-up pyjama shirt that Anne had managed to find in the deepest depths of her drawers for ease of medication) and rested back down on bed, with just the bandages visible.

Coming back into the room, with all of the necessary supplies, Tristan smiled slightly as some of the bruises had started to fade away. "Told Anne to take it easy, so it's just me who's gonna do this. From what I can see though, it's looking better than yesterday - all that bedrest seems to agree with you," he said while setting the kit down and removing a few items. "Can you unwrap the bandage by yourself, or will you need me to do it?"

"If you promise me you don't move from where you are," she asked him, sitting up. "Then we could do it without Anne's help."

"I'm practically glued to my spot, Sweetheart. No way in hell am I going anywhere."

Removing the clips fastening the bandages wasn't that difficult - it was the next that was proving itself to be trickier, especially since her arms were still sore from Black's hits. Seeing that some parts of it were also still stained by blood only made her frown, and once done she just covered her front with one of the sheets and moved to lie down on bed once again. Gazing at the rough bundle of bandages by her side, she sighed. "Seems it's taking longer than I thought..."

Frowning at the sight of some of the open wounds, Tristan headed into the bathroom to momentarily wash his hands before grabbing the salve jar and opening it. "I can put some of the salve into the open cuts, but if you want me to work on your back and shoulder muscles, I can't dress the wounds just yet. Your call."

"Whatever you feel like Tris, I want to just get better soon, that's all."

"Again, not a question of what I feel like but rather what do you want me to do. If I work on your back and shoulders while the salve's on the wounds, you'll feel the sting and cold while if I dress the wounds now, you'll be sore and stiff. So, talk to me, what do you _need_ me to do?"

"First the massage, then the salve... should work fine for me that way."

"As you wish..." Slowly and carefully avoiding the open cuts, Tristan begins massaging her back gently. "Y'know, if you fall asleep during this... I'll know."

"Mmmh... Ok..." she whispered gently. "Hey Tris..."

"Yeah Gwyn?" 

"Will you stay here tonight?"

"I have a change of clothes in my bag. I didn't want to presume anything, but I brought it just in case. Hopefully that answers your question?"

"Mm-hmm... it does."

"Good. Can I stay with you then?"

"That's what I meant in the first place..."

"Just making sure. How's the back feeling now?"

"Much better... Tristan... that wasn't an order though, if you can't stay, I don't mind."

"Think I'd leave behind a gorgeous, half-naked woman in this bed while I go back home to my lonely bed? I'd be fucking stupid if I did that."

"Maybe you have a point," she chuckled.

Leaning down close to her ear, "You know I do."

"Maybe won't wake up to nightmares like last night... I frightened Anne a couple of times yesterday... but asked her to tell you nothing about it."

"What? Why? I told you, you can talk to me. I don't care if you think you'll be waking me up in the middle of the night. If you need me here, I'll be here. Simple as that."

"They would have worried you silly... they were all about Black... and you," she answered, burying her head in the pillow in front of her.

"Me? What is it about me that seems to attract both women _and_ men?"

"Tris..." she paused, not wanting to tell him what she had actually seen. "You don't really want to listen to this..."

"Look, whatever you dreamed about, it's not going to happen, okay? Do you trust me?"

Gwyn just nodded at his question. "I don't want to let that happen anyway."

"Then tell me. I get mad, you calm me down. I'm already bound to your promise - I won't try anything against him - so... y'know, you can tell me."

"He was killing you in front of my eyes... hence, why I woke up screaming. Ask Anne... He was laughing because he had managed to have his revenge on me, through you..."

Placing his hands flat on her back, he slowly planted kisses down her spine. "I'll kill him before he even touches me. Maybe not today or the next, but it'll happen someday."

"I can still hear you screaming at the back of my mind... and it's something I'd never want to hear again."

"And I'm telling you, it's not gonna happen, okay? He'll never lay a finger on me, count on that." Placing one last kiss at the top of her spine, he sat back and studied her back. Aside from the bruises and the wounds from Black's beating, he noticed several smaller ones - that looked like pock marks - on her skin. There were also a few vertical scratches, but he barely noticed them as they blended into her skin nicely. "That oughta do it. Ready for the second part - the salve treatment?"

"Just go ahead, needs to be done," she smiled, still with her head comfortably resting on one of the pillows. "My back's a mess, isn't it?"

"Other than the chicken pox scars... and the bruises, it's still beautiful." Grabbing the washcloth, he carefully cleaned the open wounds and applied the salve, waiting every so often before re-applying as to work it into the wounds slowly.

As he was continuing the process of cleaning and applying the salve over the wounds, almost arriving to the point of screaming at times due to the pain, she couldn't help not smile at Tristan's interpretation of the fang marks scattered around her back. They were decades old but still clearly visible - all part of Fred's training to become a perfect vampire.

"Sit up for me? I can dress the wounds now if you'd like?"

Gwyn just nodded and sat up, covering her front with one of the bedsheets. "Should be all right..."

"Bit shy are we? Nothing I haven't seen before, but I'll respect your privacy. It'll just make my job a little harder, " he teased as he reached into the kit for a fresh set of bandages and gauze pads. First, he placed the pads over the open wounds, next he carefully wrapped the bandages around Gwyn's torso (having to awkwardly reach around her to wrap the front due to the blanket), and finally, he secured the bandage together. Moving slightly, he admired his work. "How's that?"

"Feels fine... a medieval warrior would be jealous," she chuckled. 

"Huh? What's that mean?"

"This is really well done... I wonder whether they used to have these sort of bandages under their armours... and... by the way, didn't really need to know that you had already seen female frontage," she finished, lying down to huddle against one of the pillows once again.

"I'm the youngest and only boy in my family. It was my eldest sister, Catherine, who named me Tristan - after that Tristan and Isolde story. David came about from both of my older sisters Valerie and Olivia - not sure why they chose it, but it works. But, as the only male in the family... I learned all about female anatomy at a very young age..." he grinned as began cleaning up. "Plus, when I was almost thirteen and Cyn was already thirteen and had hit puberty - she flashed me her breasts when we went to the beach one day during that summer."

"Which means I misinterpreted you again..." she told him, yawning as she turned her head to look at him.

"Not like you could've known. But, it comes in handy, as I know what days I should be more considerate than others - which is why I often leave chocolate items on Cyn's desk for a week straight during... y'know..."

"I'm sure she appreciates that very much..."

"She does. Somehow, because of her, I end up making brownies during that specific week. All she has to do is start whining about how her stomach's cramping - and I end up at the store buying brownie ingredients. It's okay though - I end up eating most of them anyways."

"You're good at baking though... I've tasted one of them thanks to Cynthia."

"Thanks..." Yawning as he climbed into bed next to her, he continued. "Not too hard to make, once you've made it a few times. I'll experiment occasionally with different flavours and combinations - but she's usually all about the double fudge chunk ones... not that I mind that one at all."

"And then her fridge is full of diet foods," she chuckled.

"Ohh God... don't remind me... remember our first major fight? I hadn't eaten anything since our lunch so when I was looking for something to eat... I made the sorriest excuse for a sandwich ever, nearly threw it up, and then proceeded to wash it down with a soda - only to find out that it was diet. Then you came and saved me with those profiteroles."

"I can be worse than her when it comes to diet though... I don't eat much anyway, maybe you've noticed that already."

"At least you eat good salads... that thing I ate was the stuff of nightmares! Which was why the next morning I had like three danishes to go with my coffee - and then went to get the greasiest bacon cheeseburger and fries I could find. That was glorious compared to... _it_.'

"You eat too much fast food I guess..."

"I do not... I just haven't had time to go grocery shopping lately as I usually make my own lunches. And besides, you're the one who was asking Cyn how come I can eat all that crap and not gain a damn thing."

"I was concerned about your food regime."

"The meat meat cheese meat diet? Pfft... only on certain days - Anne and Cyn could tell you exactly what I keep around the house. And it'll probably surprise you."

"Right... if you say so," she chuckled, pausing again. 

Feigning mock outrage, Tristan replied: “There’s mostly fruits and veggies in my diet - whole grains too. That's what's mostly at home. Regular red meat, occasionally but probably leaner cuts of red meat as well as lots of white meat make it onto my plate. I could probably do without meat, but... I'd miss it too much. Dairy's another main staple for me - I could go through a gallon of milk in about a day or two. Sweets are probably my main vice."

At the mention of meats, Gwyn merely twitched her eyebrows in response but added nothing to what he had just finished saying.

Yawning again, Tristan began to doze lightly with Gwyn in his arms. "I should probably sleep soon... but I don't wanna go to work... can't I stay here with you?" 

Huddling closer, without hurting herself in the process, she just grinned back at him in response. "No, on strict orders from AD. As much as I'd love to have you here... you're better off at work."

"Fine... then I'm gonna go change for bed... be right back." Kissing her cheek before letting go, Tristan got up to change in the bathroom.

As if with perfect timing, Anne came in to check whether Gwyn or Tristan needed anything, and the maid ended up looking at her mistress with a confused look. "Where's Tristan gone? I thought he'd come and say goodbye before leaving... strange..."

"No he's still here, changing into his pyjamas," she replied. "I asked him to stay overnight."

"Really?" Anne smiled back at her, almost relieved. "It's because of those nightmares, right?"

"Part of the reason in a way..."

"Other's related to Black right?"

"Yes," Gwyn nodded. "I'd be more relaxed knowing that he's close to me. I can't really imagine what's going on in that bastard's mind..." she sighed. "And since he's on the prowl during the night... makes it even worse."

"How are your wounds this evening?" Anne asked, taking the tray that was still resting on the bedside table in her hands.

"Bit better... but damn, some of them are really taking long to heal..."

The sound of the bathroom door opening, followed by a loud yawn caused both Anne and Gwyn to look up. Sleepily, Tristan looked at both of them. "Did I interrupt anything?"

"Nothing at all," Anne replied.

Scratching his cheek, "If you say so..."

"Goodnight to both then... if you need anything, I'll be in my room. Don't worry, just call me."

"Okay. 'Night Anne." 

"'Night," she whispered back, closing the bedroom's door behind her. At that, Tristan turns to look at Gwyn, noticing that she's already dozing off... to be expected after all.

"You - scooch over... You're hogging all the bedspace..."

Gwyn looks up at him, half asleep already. "What was that?"

"You have like over half of the bed... move a little, please? Or do I need to physically move you...?" 

"Ah... uh, yes, you're right..." she commented, shifting a little to leave him more space. "Is that alright now?"

Climbing into the bed to hug Gwyn closer, Tristan pulled the blankets over the two of them. "Much. Okay for you?"

"Fine, thank you," she whispered, placing a kiss on his chest as she huddled closer to him.

"Good night and I love you," whispered Tristan as he kissed her forehead before falling asleep.

"I love you too..." she whispered back as she fell asleep in his arms, knowing that she'd be safe from nightmares for the night.

-

"Nooo... I don't wanna go... you can't-wait, actually you can..." groaned Tristan as Gwyn pulled the covers away from him.

"Of course I can," she grinned back at him. "Someone needs to go to work you know..."

"Can't I work from here too?"

"Nope," she chuckled, moving close to kiss him. 

Tristan kissed her back deeply before sitting up. "Fine. Fine... now, if you would be so kind as to get off of me, I'd appreciate that. Otherwise I'm dragging you into the shower with me."

Hearing her giggling happily for the first time ever since he'd known her, Gwyn moved off him and grabbed a pillow to rest again. "No shower for me for now... back dictates."

"Don't worry, I'll get your back tonight. Your tub looks like it can fit two people comfortably..." he smirked at her before getting up. "Or should I do the whole sponge bath treatment thing...?"

"Stop that," she laughed, throwing the pillow she was holding straight at him. "Go get changed now."

Catching the pillow and tossing it back onto the bed, Tristan joined in the laughing. "Need to shower first - then I'll get changed. Though you know... I usually change in the _bedroom_ not in the _bathroom_..."

"Bathroom it'll be this morning, it's big enough..."

Grabbing his bag, he gave her a genuine smile. "You should laugh more - it suits you. Also, Good morning Gwyn," said Tristan before he headed into the bathroom.

"'Morning..." she replied, smiling as she watched him close the bathroom's door. Wondering whether she'd manage to keep her balance if she got off bed on her own, she slowly slid down to the edge, and after sitting up, she placed her feet on the floor and while still holding the bed, stood up, wobbling slightly. "Still not good enough," she whispered, closing one eye because of the sudden pain she felt up her back. After uttering a couple of curses, she looked back at her reflection in the mirror, to notice that her expression actually looked more relaxed and... happy, just like Tristan had mentioned. _Do I really look better this way?_

After fifteen minutes, a half-dressed Tristan opened the door of the bathroom to find Gwyn looking in the mirror. "Hey. What's up? You need anything?" Studying her entire figure, he smiled gently. "C'mon Gwyn. You'll be better in no time - where you'll go back to terrorizing me in the office with mounds of paperwork and useless reports..."

"Rightly so," she laughed once again, inadvertently at her reflection for the second consecutive time. "Do I really look that good when I smile Tris?"

Crossing the room to stand behind her, he rested his chin on her shoulder lightly as he looked at their reflection. "I love you regardless, but I can't say that I prefer the cold, professional AD Coulston over the Gwyn Coulston that's standing in front of me right now - cuts, bruises, and all."

Their reflection in the mirror, together, was something that could only make her smile, yet again. She was determined to keep it that way, especially after those last few days, for a long time... she was willing to get beaten and heal up a million times, as long as she'd keep the man resting on her shoulder safe. 

Sensing that she was about to start overthinking things again, Tristan turned Gwyn around in their embrace so that they faced each other. Immediately, his hands cupped her face before he kissed her.

"Hey both of you it's... oh right, guess I've interrupted," Anne promptly closed the door again thinking she'd enter to find them both still asleep.

"Tris... wasn't that Anne?" Gwyn asked as their kiss ended. 

Resting his forehead against hers as he kept his hands on her cheeks, he just grinned. "Probably. At least we weren't doing anything else... might have given her the shock of her life..."

"Maybe," she whispered, giving him a quick kiss on his lips again. "Now... someone needs to finish getting dressed, and have something for breakfast before he leaves..."

"By your command, I shall make my leave," replied Tristan as he bowed slightly and headed back into the bathroom to finish getting dressed. 

-

"You really feel like eating _all_ that?" Anne stared back at him, as Tristan took a full bowl of cereal, two slices of toast, an apple and a yoghurt. Anne wasn't used to such huge appetites and seeing Tristan eating that much merely made her chuckle. "You eat for a whole regiment in comparison to Miss Gwyn."

"This is just a normal breakfast for me. According to my doctor... I need to take in twice as many calories as most people - since I burn it off so easily. Plus with all the exercise I get... it adds up to being just enough for me," Tristan replied matter-of-factly in between bites of cereal.

"Anne? Is Tristan boasting of how fit he is over there?" she called out from the other room, grinning while she was having her cup of tea.

"Not my fault I'm like this... besides, it makes _you_ happy..." he quipped as he stuck his tongue out at her.

"You heard that ma’am, I suppose," Anne grinned back, as she moved inside the bedroom with two slices of plain toast in her tray. 

"Thanks Anne... and... yes Tris, makes me quite happy," she chuckled, as she grinned back at him.

"Tristan, you should keep an eye on the time though..." Anne told him, pointing at a clock nearby.

Munching on his toast, as he had already eaten all of his cereal, Tristan merely nodded before drinking his glass of milk.

"Don't you dare be late for work Tris!" Gwyn called back, teasing him once again.

"Yeah yeah... besides, it's just a straight ride down the hill to the office anyways - plus from here, the distance is shorter. I'll be fine, relax a little."

"I am relaxed... it's you who's taking it too easy," she sighed, as she had a bite off her toast.

Opening the yoghurt container, he devoured it quickly before getting up from his seat. "Fine, I can see when I'm not wanted...Guess I'll take my leave now," he told the two while hugging Anne and grinning, "Take care of yourself and the other one... Though knowing her, she'll start complaining once I'm gone."

"Complaining about what?" Anne asked, passing him his bag.

"That the paperwork isn't as entertaining as me..." he replied while taking his bag from Anne and walked into Gwyn's room. "But, you'll miss me anyways... as I've been missing you."

"You're still here," Gwyn replied, as she sat up and grabbed some of the papers lying on her bedside table. "It's already 8:30 and you need to be there in half an hou-" she stopped, as Tristan had moved to place a quick kiss on her lips. "Call me if you need any help..."

"Of course I will. Though I may just call you for the sake of just hearing your voice..."

Smiling, Gwyn just gave him a playful smack on his head with the papers she was holding and chuckled. "Off you go now..."

"Wait..."

"Mmh? What's wrong?"

Grinning, he leaned over and kissed her slowly. "Now I'll go. Have a good day... and I love you."

"Will you go now? I don't want you to be late because of me... And me too... "

"Going going..." After that, Tristan smiled back at her one last time before walking out of her room and the apartment.

"Need anything else ma'am?" Anne asked Gwyn, while standing at the bedroom's door.

"No no, nothing. I'm fine as is... I hope he doesn't encounter anything troublesome over there..."

-

"Just in time Tristan, good morning..." Cynthia greeted her friend, as she was checking out AD's incoming mail.

"Morning Beautiful. You good?"

"A good book and chocolates while you're peacefully in bed are quite relaxing in the evening... I'm doing pretty fine as you can see..." she winked back at him. "How was your evening? You checked on AD? How is she?"

"I did, she's doing a lot better - she'll be back in two days from now, and... evening was good. Basically gave Anne the night off and took care of AD. Spent most of last night cuddling - and laughing. It's amazing Cyn... she's like a completely different person right now... and I sure as hell ain't gonna let her go. You up for a run today or busy?"

"I'll go with you - as I'm starting to get into the groove of it all again. Also, since you brought up soccer - we need to start playing again, so... should I bring my ball or do you still have yours in your office?"

"It's in my office as usual. I end up practicing in my office sometimes when I'm thinking."

"How typical of you... anyways, go grab your stuff and hide out here - I heard that Black's on the prowl again. He was stalking the halls and boasting about something... probably about _you-know-what_ ," Cynthia whispered while running a hand through her chin-length, light brown hair. "Tris - don't..."

Sighing as he reached over and gave Cynthia's hand a squeeze, "I won't. He's after me too... I have most of my stuff with me right now, but I'll grab the rest of my crap and be back in a sec..."

"Alright, just give me your bag - I'll put it in AD's office."

Handing her the bag, Tristan smiled. "We'll be okay, don't worry."

"Hope so... now go. Otherwise I'm calling AD to tell her that you're slacking on your work," she teased him sweetly.

Giving her a mild glare, Tristan quickly set off for his office and inbox - before returning a few minutes later, with both the new reports and his worn football ball in hand. "Happy?"

"Happy... go get to work, Slacker," grinned Cynthia as she started pushing Tristan into the office.

"Bite me, Gossip Girl," came the affectionate reply.

For most of the morning, Tristan was busy working on the reports that concerned both Advertising as well as other day-to-day operations of the firm. On occasion, Cynthia would check up on her friend, only to find him not sitting at the desk, but rather he was found lying on his stomach on the carpeted floor - reminding her of when they were children and studying their homework. By the time it was noon, Tristan had finished his regular reports and was halfway done with reviewing more intra-office transfers for the Advertising.

Groaning, Tristan rolled over onto his back and stared at the ceiling of Gwyn's office. "I'm really starting to think that this project will never end... Ugh..."

"You do know that talking to yourself is the first sign of madness, right?" smiled Cynthia as she looked down at Tristan's prone form.

"Yes well, I've never been the shining beacon of sanity now have I?"

"Considering how far you've gotten at your age, I'd say that it was the madness that fueled your drive. C'mon, I bet you're just dying to get out of here," said Cynthia as she extended her hand down to Tristan.

Taking her hand, Tristan hauled himself up to his feet and removed his tie. "Best get dressed elsewhere... or are you gonna stay for the strip show?" he smirked at her mischievously.

"Nice try, Kid. I've already seen it all... although, I'm sure I can take some pics for AD and leave them on her desk as a get-well present..."

Blowing a raspberry at her, the young man just began to unbutton his shirt. "If anything though, I think she'd probably prefer the real thing over pics..."

"Most likely, Handsome. See your cute ass in about twenty minutes," waved the young woman as she headed out of the office, leaving a laughing Tristan behind.

-

"Ma'am, I think you should rest for a while, you've been reading since Tristan left this morning..." Anne came in her room to say.

"I will in a couple of minutes, had to read this report... and then I'll rest, I promise," she answered smiling back at her.

"Rightly so... or else I would have told Tristan about that..."

"You don't mean that do you?" she looked back at her in surprise.

Anne burst in a fit of soft laughter. "Maybe... it would have been quite interesting to see your reaction... in a way, but I won't do that, don't worry. Feel like eating something by any chance?"

"No no... thank you," Gwyn replied, while resting the papers on her table and lying back down on her bed. "I'll follow your advice though..."

"Good... I'll be in the other room for now... if you need anything, call for me..." Anne slipped out, leaving Gwyn on her own once again, to fall asleep a few minutes after.

-

"Hey... did you hear something?" asked Tristan as both he and Cynthia were walking back to the office after their run.

"Did it sound like a whine?"

"Yeah - hey, there it is again! I think it's... Look!"

Quickly, Tristan and Cynthia ran over to the side of the building and found a small lump of black fur huddled under a box lid. Lifting it carefully, both friends spotted a small, black and white puppy that was clearly shivering and hungry.

"Aww... poor little guy... c'mere, we're not gonna hurt you..." coaxed Tristan as he got closer to the puppy and lowered his hand so that the puppy could lick his hand.

The puppy, looked at both Tristan and Cynthia before taking a tentative lick at Tristan's fingers. Soon, the puppy got up and allowed Tristan to pet him while Cynthia did the same as Tristan.

"Poor guy... he's way too little to be left all alone like this. I know! Let's take him with us."

Giving Tristan a look as the puppy moved his head under her fingers, Cynthia just sighed. "Tris... we can't. How are you going to sneak a puppy inside the office? I mean sure he's cute and all - but what if he's dangerous? You could-"

"But _Cyn_..." whined Tristan as he gave her a look, "he's all alone. We can't just leave him here. Plus, he already likes us... C'mon, not like anyone would notice..."

Knowing that she couldn't resist whenever Tristan turned on the 'Puppy Dog Eyes', she just nodded. "Fine, but you're keeping him with you. I don't even know how you managed to do that to me all the time..."

The puppy let out a happy bark as he trotted over to Tristan, who picked him up and cuddled him close to him. "You're gonna need a name, pup... what to call you... I know! I'll call you Jasper, you like that?" The puppy simply began to lick at Tristan's face, causing both him and Cynthia to laugh. "Okay Jasper it is."

"Well then, Tristan and Jasper, time to head back in. Guess we'll just scrounge up something for Jasper to eat... but first, we should probably get cleaned up."

"Yes ma'am."

Both friends and the puppy (being carefully hidden under Tristan's t-shirt) headed inside the office, where he was promptly smuggled into Gwyn's office as both Tristan and Cynthia got cleaned up. Once the pair returned, Jasper was fed promptly and cleaned up before Cynthia managed to make a little bed for him; the puppy slept while his new owner proceeded to finish his work. Once it was time to go, Tristan headed towards the veterinary hospital rather than the gym, where he proceeded to get the puppy checked out and have his shots, then headed over to a pet shop, to get a few items for Jasper before heading over to Gwyn's house.

-

"Hi Anne, how's she been today?" asked Tristan as he was struggling to keep Jasper from moving around too much under his coat, while walking through the door of the apartment.

"She's asleep right now, but you might as well go inside and give her a little surprise... she spent the whole afternoon reading... she's resting only after my insistence," Anne said, looking up at Tristan sighing. "She can be pretty stubborn, you know that."

"Ever so slightly... Thanks Anne..." sighing, while also trying to stop Jasper from tickling him as the pup kept squirming around, Tristan entered Gwyn's room. Finding her as Anne had said, both boy and dog quietly crept over to where Gwyn lay and Tristan quickly brushed his lips against her cheek before sitting down on the nearby chair. Removing Jasper from his coat, Tristan then fastened the simple red collar around the puppy's neck and proceeded to play with Jasper as they waited for Gwyn to wake up.

Groaning as she inadvertently turned to rest on one of the sorest points on her back, the woman just opened her eyes and cursed Black for the millionth time in those days. Shifting on one side of the bed, once her sight came into focus, she saw Tristan looking back at her, smiling.

"Hey... got back early..."

"Yeah... had a friend to pick-up... you can meet him if you want..." Tristan said quietly as he shifted in his seat slightly.

Gwyn raised an eyebrow and stared back at him. "What friend?"

Turning his back to her slightly, the young man slowly moved in his seat to place Jasper on his lap. "This friend. Thought you and Anne might like some company. He's a sweet little thing - very well-behaved. I just got him his shots, he has a bed, food, and some toys - so he's all set. Probably work on the potty training, but he seems pretty smart." Tristan gave her a huge grin as he placed Jasper on Gwyn's bed, who immediately headed over to where she lay and wagged his tail happily.

Gwyn stared back first at Tristan, then at the puppy right in front of her and sighed. "Tris, I don't have _time_ for a dog!"

"Sure you do. He'll be great for you as it seems like he's pretty self-sufficient. He doesn't really bark, he's really friendly... and he already _likes_ you. Plus... he'll be here for you when I'm not around..." came the slightly small voice as Tristan reached over and began scratching Jasper's ears.

Gwyn stared back at him, not really sure what to say, while at the same time watching the puppy climb up her lap in a determined way, sit in front of her, and wag his tail happily back at her. "Seriously though..." she commented with a sigh, as she took the puppy in her arms. "What am I going to do with you?"

"You'll take care of him, feed him, and keep him safe. And in return, he'll give you unconditional love, be there when you cry, and will keep you safe. That's what you'll do."

"Doesn't that remind you of someone, mmh?" she whispered back to the puppy, as he licked her nose in return, earning Gwyn's chuckle.

As Tristan studied the pair in front of him, a flash of red and white caught the corner of his eye. Looking over at Gwyn's bedside table, a vase full of red and white roses sat atop of it. "Nice flowers. Where'd they come from?"

"Get well soon gift from the CEO... " she replied resting Jasper on her lap. "I must admit that they're pretty nice."

"Huh... the white I get... but the red?"

"Rhule loves red... I suppose it's one of his favourite colours... ever noticed the furnishings in his office, or even his ties? Always bloody red... hence, the colour of the roses," she replied, patting Jasper's head slightly as she let him rest on bed once again.

Eyeing the roses inquisitively, Tristan shook his head as he reached into his bag. "I have a few more reports for you... as well as some more transfers. Also, you received an invitation to some conference..." Standing up, he placed the placed the documents on her dresser and started to head out of the room.

"Tristan, stop right there."

Stopping at the door, Tristan reached a halt in his steps but doesn't turn around. "Yes?"

"Don't tell me you're _jealous_ about those..."

"No, I'm not... but... I should be heading out anyways. I have a meeting tomorrow with the Records people at eleven. Besides, you seem better. I'll stop by tomorrow to check on the three of you."

"You're not staying? But I thought..."

"It's alright. You have Jasper to keep you company. Besides, I thought it best for you two to get acquainted with one another. Be seeing you," Tristan quietly said as he closed the door behind him.

" _Fine_ ," she pouted, as she watched him leave, while Jasper started gnarling playfully at her bedsheets. "He's just like a father to me, dammit Tris... what did I have to do, burn the roses for your sake?!"

-

The ride home was rather quiet, as Tristan tried to process the meaning behind the roses. Once he got home, he simply toed off his shoes, dropped his bag and grabbed the wine bottle out of the fridge. Not bothering with a glass, Tristan drank straight out of the bottle until the wine was completely gone and stumbled into his room, passing out as soon as he fell onto his bed - still dressed in his work clothes.

Waking up the next morning, as the alarm was incessantly beeping, Tristan groaned as he felt the need to vomit increase as the pain in his head increased with the sound of the alarm. Quickly, he stumbled into his bathroom towards the toilet and emptied out his stomach contents. Once he was done, he fell back onto the floor and stared at the ceiling. "Was I really jealous over that? But there were red roses... from the CEO no less..."

Getting up took a bit of coordination that Tristan wasn't quite sure that he he had, but he managed to do so and quickly stripped off his clothes before stepping under the shower. As the hot water started to rouse him slightly, he couldn't help but feel guilty about how he acted in front of Gwyn but also feel some sort of anger towards the CEO. Resolving to talk to her about her relationship with him, Tristan finished up with his shower and went about getting ready for the day.

Upon entering the building, Tristan was relieved that there was next to no one in yet... until he started heading towards his office, as a familiar form was standing there. _Great... just what I needed... this fucktard decided to show up..._ Plastering a fake smile on his face, Tristan greeted the older man.

"Good morning, Mr. Black. What can I do for you?"

"Well well, aren't you just a busy little bee. Seems that Coulston seems to have you on quite the short leash, eh? Speaking of which, I haven't seen her around, do you know where I might find her?" smirked Black as he watched Tristan's reaction.

At the mention of Gwyn's name, Tristan tried to keep his features as neutral as possible. "She's taken a few days of sick leave. Came down with a mild bug, but she should be arriving soon. Again, _Sir_ , is there anything I possibly help you with?"

Smirking even wider, Black pressed on. "Taken a few days of leave? That's rich... That bitch is practically married to her work... not to mention she's one of the CEO's favourites - oh, you didn't know about that, did you dear boy. Well, rumour has it that she and the CEO-"

Black never finished what he was about to say as Tristan punched him in the face as hard as he could, knocking out two teeth while rattling the others as well as breaking Black's nose. Grabbing Black by his shirt collar, the younger man hoisted him up into the air - keeping him a few inches off the ground - before speaking in a quiet, emotionless tone. "If you ever call AD Coulston a bitch to my face ever again, I will personally kick your ass until you beg for me to kill you - which will lead me to continue kicking your sorry, jealous fucking ass in front of everyone. Also, if you proceed to continue treating your subordinates like shit, I will see to it that your life is a living hell. Are we fucking square?"

Laughing, Black simply sneered at the boy. "Oh I get it, you actually give a shit about that two-faced bitch. Think she actually cares about you? Then you're simply a naive little boy, Faraday. As I said, she's quite the favourite of the CEO - in fact, they're very close to one another... but no one knows how close they really are..."

Closing his eyes briefly, Tristan threw Black to the ground using a martial arts technique and proceeded to beat the man into a bloody pulp - not bothering to notice his split knuckles as well as random cuts and bruises on both of his hands. Once he was satisfied, the young man grabbed Black's collar and slammed his head on the ground before getting up and and grabbing his things. After taking the day's work with him, he took all of Gwyn's work as well before walking into Gwyn's office, locking the door behind him.

Hours had passed since Cynthia had heard anything from Gwyn's office. News about the beating that Tristan had given Black had spread throughout the firm like wildfire, and once Cynthia had heard it - she immediately tried to get Tristan's attention (by both knocking on the door or calling him) - but to no avail. Sighing to herself, Cynthia did the one thing she never thought she would ever do, she dialed AD Coulston's residential phone number and waited for an answer.

-

"Ma'am, sorry to disturb... but there's your secretary on the phone, and she's begging to talk to you, seems to be something urgent from what I've gathered," Anne said, as Jasper came up to her feet, wagging his tail happily.

"Urgent?" Gwyn asked, sitting up on bed in a split second. "What do you mean urgent?"

"I don't know exactly, Miss Cynthia hasn't given me any details... she just wants to talk to you..."

"Tell her I'll be right there... thanks Anne," she replied, as she sat up on the edge of the bed and slipped on her dressing gown and stood back on her feet.

"Will do so immediately ma'am, come along Jas..." Anne replied, taking the puppy in her arms as she made her way back towards the telephone.

As for Gwyn, walking was still pretty awkward, but at least the chills up her spine had completely left, probably also thanks to Tristan's work on her back. Despite it being a pretty short walk, Gwyn had to rest a couple of times, cursing back at the fact that Black had reduced her walking abilities to those of a toddler in his first attempts to get up, and feeling like she took forever to walk up something that in usual conditions would have merely taken her a couple of seconds.

"She's here... yes, see you... here ma'am," Anne finished, passing Gwyn the handset and making sure that she sat down before moving a few steps away from her mistress.

"Thank you, and... yes, hello Cynthia?" she replied to the phone, once seated.

"Uhm... Miss Gwyn... you need to come here, now," Cynthia asked with a low, almost stuttering voice that caught Gwyn unattended.

"Why? What... something happened to Tristan right?" she asked quickly, almost panicking slightly, as Anne watched her reactions change apprehensively.

"Well... yes... he and Black got in a fight..."

"WHAT?!" she shouted out, almost making the telephone set fall off her small, round table. "Is he hurt?!"

Cynthia merely shook her head and replied. "It's Black the one who got hurt this time round - and pretty bad I heard..."

"Where's Tristan now?" Gwyn asked, actually not giving quite a damn about Black's current health status update.

"Locked in your office... and he doesn't want to talk to me either... tried to talk to him behind the door, tried to make him open up too... but he isn't answering. I took a chance by giving him a call, but he isn't answering that either... That's why I called you. He might actually snap back to his senses if you manage to talk to him. Miss Gwyn... of all the years I've known him, he's never been _this_ angry... you need to talk him out of this... please," she pleaded, awaiting Gwyn's response.

"But I..." she sighed. "I'll come, but through the back entrance, Cynthia. I've got the keys to my office, obviously so it shouldn't be a problem getting there... I'll need your help though, I don't want to be seen inside the building at least not until tomorrow morning."

Cynthia grinned when she heard Gwyn's reassurance. "I will ma'am, as you wish! I'll be waiting for you at the emergency landing... should be clear enough from people."

"Good, me and Anne will be on the way right now... and... Cynthia? I'll be wearing a cape so don't panic, it'll be me."

"Got that. See you in a few minutes then," she finished as she hung up the phone, and rested her head on her desk.

-

Empty would be the perfect word to describe how Tristan felt at that moment. Curled up in a ball in a darkened corner of the office, he stared blankly at his hands, covered in both his blood and Black's. All because of how he couldn't understand what he was feeling. He didn't want to press the issue with Gwyn regarding her relationship with the CEO, but... at the same time, could he fully trust her with his heart? Despite the pain, he felt numb to everything around him, the ambient noise around him sounding like static on the radio, and he swore at that very second - his heart momentarily stopped.

-

"Sure there's no one around?"

Cynthia merely nodded as Gwyn put on her hood and looked at her directly in her eyes. "Yes, I just checked, you can come up straight with no problems... your office is right next to the emergency landing so... it shouldn't be much of a problem and... you're still not feeling too well, right?"

"Just a little... a night of rest should do the trick later on today, we'll see..." Gwyn replied, looking up. "Anne's waiting in the car outside, I'll try to get Tristan out of there and take him back to my apartment... he needs to get away from here for a couple of hours, especially because of the small talk there'll be around about him and Black... just, stay close to me Cynthia, I need backup."

"Sure... I... will. You have my word," she replied, starting to climb up the stairs in front of her.

"Good..."

After a few minutes, the two women had climbed up the stairs and were now just a few metres away from the office itself, when Cynthia turned to talk to Gwyn. "I'll go check the entrance to your corridor... should it be clear from people, I'll just wave back, is that all right?"

"That's perfect, thank you..." she smiled back at her, in a way, leaving her surprised. Cynthia had never seen her boss so... relaxed, in a weird sort of way.

As Cynthia had promised, the area had been clear from unwanted people, and thus Gwyn quickly took out the keys to her office, and hurried inside after opening the door, resting her back against it and sighing once she got inside. 

-

Looking up at the sound of someone entering the office, Tristan froze as he caught a faint scent of perfume and knew exactly who was in the office. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in bed right now? Maybe have the CEO prepare a nice supper and bubble bath for you? Clearly you don't really require _my_ assistance at the moment..." he spat with a hint of bitterness that shocked even him.

"Tell me you're joking... just... tell me you really didn't mean what you have just said!"

"Should I? Before I proceeded to beat the ever living shit out of Black, he seemed to hint at something between you and the CEO. Apparently, you're quite the favourite of his. Now why is that? Hmm?"

Gwyn removed the cape's hood that was covering her head and froze on the spot. "You're believing _Black's_ words... over _mine_. You're believing the words of someone that almost killed me and telling me all this!"

Quietly, Tristan stood up and looked towards Gwyn's direction. In a near whisper, he spoke again. "To be honest, I don't know what to believe anymore. I want to trust you, but with what Black said and the roses... the fact that there were red ones..."

"Wait... wait... do you seriously think I'm lying to you?! Do you think telling you that I love you was some sort of superfluous phrase that came up to my lips just like that? For the goddamn fun of it?! AND WHO THE GODDAMN CARES ABOUT THE FUCKING RED ROSES DAMMIT TRISTAN!"

"I don't know."

"Okay... okay... now I'm starting to think that you'll tell me that him beating me up was all made up by myself to get you closer to me. Come on, say that. Since you're believing every stinking word that asshole told you."

"...I beat him up because he called you a two-faced bitch to my face. Do you even know how that fucking made me feel?! I've been honest with you from the start - never asked for anything in return... Then I saw you here - broken - and it killed me inside. I couldn't do a fucking thing for you. Still, I gave you what I thought you needed... but now, I don't know if it's enough for you. If I'm enough for you."

"TRISTAN YOU'RE THE FIRST PERSON I EVER SAID I LOVED, WILL YOU GET THAT INTO YOUR DAMN HEAD!?"

Upon hearing that confession, Tristan stared at her in shock. "No... no way. You've never?"

"No I never, happy now? But it seemed whatever I said in these couple of days wasn't veritable enough to you," she spat, biting her lower lip. "Because some idiot's envious words are more relevant than mine... and what's with this CEO thing anyway? Fred's known me for ages, ever since my parents died, for your information. He's cared for me ever since, like a daughter. Those little things he does, like the flowers for example, are little means of showing his affection towards me. He never does that openly, he cannot anyway. He hates every form of favoritism, and in fact... that's why he acts that way towards me. Are you satisfied now? Or you want _Black_ 's version of that for comparison's sake?"

Taking the time to absorb everything she had just told him, Tristan made his way over to where she stood, but faced the other direction. "Will you accept the sincerest apologies of this slightly envious, all-around fucking moron who should have never doubted you in the first place?"

"You might go check Fred's bedroom to see if Coulston's left her clothes there last week, _you know_ , she doesn't really know where she leaves them, when it comes to sleeping around with the CEO," she muttered, bitterly, still not quite accepting his apology.

Hearing the tone in her voice, he moved to stand directly in front of her and looked her directly in the eyes. "I'm sorry for ever doubting you. I don't care if you never forgive me, I'll completely understand, but I really mean that I'm sorry. And I'm sorry that I broke your heart."

Still not looking at him, she just whispered back: "Just promise me you won't believe that sort of shit anymore..."

"Will you be able to promise me that you'll talk to me about things? It doesn't have to be everything... but just enough to keep me from ever doing something as stupid as this. May I have at least that much?"

"I think I've already promised you that I'd be doing that. But you had to make a fuss out of the damned flowers."

"I've already told you, I'm a stubborn bastard. Also, regarding the flowers... I did a little reading... and learned exactly what the bouquet really meant. So sorry again, I misinterpreted your relationship with the CEO. Now, if you want absolutely nothing to do with me ever again... I'll respect your wishes."

"I still can't believe you thought that. And I can't believe you're saying that again... now, will you just shut up? I _need_ you by my side dammit!"

"I've never been the flowers kinda guy."

"Who cares."

"Apparently you don't," he replied with a small grin.

"Right... so stop acting stupid please..."

"Is that an order? I seem to remember that since we're in your office, during business hours I might add, that I'm supposed to respond to you in a more formal matter..."

"Yes and exactly so. Plus, you have to get back home with me, you're messing up my carpet with your blood."

"Not really mine... well some of it is - but most of it is Black's."

"Yes, I felt that stink... are you coming with me now?" she replied, walking up by the door to open it.

"By your command, I'll follow you to the ends of the earth."

Taking his hand in hers, she smiled and had a quick look outside, finding Cynthia resting against the door's frame. "We can leave now..." she whispered back to her, while she arranged back her cape with the other hand. "Thanks for waiting."

Seeing that Tristan was back by Gwyn's side, Cynthia grinned back at the two, relieved and walked up in front of them to open the door leading to the emergency landing once again. "Just get the hell out of here now you two... plus, the boy needs to calm down and rest... if you need anything, call me. All right?"

"Thanks Cynthia, really, I do appreciate your help, always."

Her secretary just nodded in response, as she watched the two swiftly exit the door leading to the landing. "You're welcome... as long as you two take care of yourselves..."

-

During the ride to Gwyn's house, Tristan found himself dozing off in the backseat of the car as Anne and Gwyn talked quietly amongst themselves. As he was drifting in and out of sleep, the severity of the fact that he had doubted Gwyn's word over Black's scared him like nothing had ever before. Like she had admitted in her office, this was Tristan's first major relationship with someone. Sure he had a few flings while in school and during his travels, but nothing as serious as what he had with Gwyn. Rolling over as he lay in the backseat, so as to hide from both Gwyn or Anne stealing a glance over at him, a few tears rolled down his cheeks as he swore to make it up to Gwyn later while falling into a fitful sleep.

"Hey... Tris... we've arrived..." Gwyn told him, shaking him slightly once they had drove safely back to her apartment.

"Hmm? Already?" he asked sleepily while using his sleeve to rub at his eyes.

"Yes... come," she whispered back, reaching out an arm towards him.

Taking her hand, he felt her haul him to his feet. Yawning, he grabbed his bag and proceeded to drag it after him, much like a child dragging his blanket alongside him.

"I'll prepare a cup of tea for you, be back in a minute," Anne told the two of them, while Gwyn was placing a bandage on one of Tristan's wounded hands. 

"You don't have to do that... doesn't really hurt all that much..." came the drowsy response as Tristan kept wanting to close his eyes and sleep.

"Will you let me finish this up now? You really are, a stubborn idiot, aren't you?" she mused, placing a kiss on his hand when finished. 

"I've been called worse, and I'm _your_ stubborn idiot, remember?" replied Tristan while yawning.

Chuckling, she looked straight in his eyes and smiled. "Yes..."

"Good. Can I sleep now?"

"Want to sleep on the couch or in my room? I'll be in the office while you rest," she smiled, getting back on her feet.

"Bath first... then anywhere else... Want the blood off me..."

"As you wish... bath and bedroom are all free for you to use..." she replied, as she walked out of the room. "Need anything, call for me."

"Stay with me? I think I'll sleep better with you around..."

"Go have your bath... I'll be in bed reading."

Nodding, Tristan slid out of his seat and headed straight for Gwyn's bathroom. Once inside, he quickly stripped off his clothes and took a moment to stare at his reflection in the mirror. Cast-off blood from when he kept punching Black stained his cheeks, nose, and forehead. Dark circles from his hangover where firmly under his eyes, and he looked slightly paler from usual. Looking down at his hands, which were resting on the rim of the sink, spots of blood began to seep through the white of the bandages. Scrubbing a hand over his chin, Tristan dragged himself into the shower and stood under the hot water, wishing he could truly get clean. After several minutes, he sat down on the floor of the shower, hugging his knees against his chest as he watched the water circle the drain.

"He's taking too long for just a shower..." Gwyn commented which she was in the kitchen, drinking her tea with Anne, who was seated in front of her.

"Ma'am, you're too nervous right now... try to calm down, everything will be fine."

"Right... you're right, but... I think I'll go check anyway," she answered, getting up and walking inside her room. Stopping in front of the bathroom's door, she knocked lightly and called: "Tristan, you alright in there?"

The sound of someone knocking on the door roused Tristan from his stupor, which lead to him scrambling to his feet and shutting off the water. "Um... kinda, but I'll be out soon." Turning the water back on, he grabbed the bar of soap and cleaned himself up. After rinsing off, he shut off the water for good and proceeded to dry off before wrapping the towel around his waist. Catching his reflection again, he let out a small sigh as he noted that he looked much better than before.

Opening the door, he found Gwyn already sitting on the bed, reading a report. "Hi and... thanks. I think I might've fallen asleep in there..."

"That's why I came in to ask... come here," she replied, patting the empty space in bed next to her, and placing the report she was reading on the table by her side.

Climbing onto the bed, Tristan settled himself on the bed next to Gwyn and smiled as his head hit the pillow.

Sliding down to rest her head on her pillow too, she looked back at Tristan and smiled. "Slightly better now?"

"Yeah... so, even though I acted like a total jealous asshole today..." he smiled at her as he took her hand, "Can I have a hug?"

"Mmm-hmm," she hummed, as she wrapped her arms around him.

As he hugged her back, a wave of exhaustion and relief seemed to hit him as his heart felt a lot lighter than before. Slowly, but surely, Tristan fell asleep as Gwyn ran her fingers softly through his hair.

-

A couple of hours had passed and Gwyn had long shifted from her position, leaving Tristan sleeping peacefully by her side, Jasper at the foot of the bed mildly kicking his hind feet while he was dreaming and herself sitting up in bed reading. Passing her hand through Tristan's hair from time to time, Gwyn couldn't help but think about the mess Black had actually managed to create, and growled in distress as the thoughts of that bastard came back to her mind.

Letting out a yawn, Tristan blinked several times as he tried to figure out where exactly he was. Suddenly, he felt something furry brush against his free hand and then something cold against his cheek. Turning his head, he found a rather happy Jasper looking back at him before the puppy started to lick his face, causing Tristan to start laughing.

"That's quite a relief to hear... I must admit."

Still laughing, he picked up Jasper and gave him a hug, which caused the puppy to settle in his arms. "Felt good to do. Jasper definitely agrees, right boy?" A bark from Jasper seemed to answer his question as Tristan sat up and placed the puppy on his lap. "Other than me having some weird mental meltdown, anything interesting happen while I was away?"

"Other than... me fuming about yesterday evening... worrying, reading and missing you, no nothing of particular relevance..."

"We're a bit of a mess, aren't we?" Seeing her slightly confused look, he pressed on. "I mean, we're both trying to figure out how to make this work...but since we've never had any experience...we're just making this up as we go along - trying to see what works and what doesn't."

Gwyn merely looked down at Tristan and the puppy and smiled, leaning down towards him. "I don't mind... as long as you stay safe... and as long as we trust each other," she whispered, as she kissed him softly on his lips. "I missed that too..."

Letting go of Jasper, Tristan wound his hands through Gwyn's hair and kissed her back, trying to express everything he was feeling at that very second.

"Your hands are still bleeding..." Gwyn commented, as Tristan had moved to nuzzle closer to her neck. 

"Hmm... guess I was hitting him harder than I thought I was. I barely even remember it... it's like my brain just switched off completely... the only other thing I really remember clearly was us arguing in your office."

"After all that..." she sighed. "It could have gotten really dangerous, Tris."

"Huh? How so? I mean, obviously the next thing I did after beating up Black was locking myself in your office and throwing myself into doing work... The only danger I would've encountered there was getting a papercut."

"You noticed how much of a vengeful bastard he is... I need to know his whereabouts now... I don't want you or Cynthia, or any of your friends to get hurt because of him," she replied, in a thoughtful mode as Tristan started noticing the slightly dark circles under her eyes. "What's wrong?"

"You haven't been sleeping much?" Reaching to touch her face, he gently traced the dark circles under her right eye. "You shouldn't be losing sleep thinking about this guy..."

"I won't... and don't worry about me, I'm perfectly fine... probably it's because of all the mess we had to go through," she promptly replied, trying to divert his attention from the markings under her eyes - an indicator that she would soon need to nourish herself again. "I am resting anyway..."

Shrugging as he swung his legs over the side of the bed, Tristan continued: "Well, as you should be resting and not working... I'll be looking for something to eat... C'mon Jas, let's go find some food."

Taking him by surprise, Gwyn swiftly moved behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. "Where do you think you're going?" she chuckled.

"Uhh... go find food?"

Placing kisses on his back, Gwyn rested her forehead against him and laughed. "Anne's getting dinner ready for your information... she'll call us when it's done..."

"Hmm... well, in that case..." Tristan slipped out of Gwyn's hold and proceeded to straddle her waist while smirking. "Seems like you're feeling better..."

"Except for the occasional pain from the wounds on my back... much better... and," she replied, raising an eyebrow mischievously at him and grinned. "What... are... you... doing?"

"Mmm... I would be in the process of unbuttoning your shirt? That way I have better access to do... _this_..." Leaning forward slightly, Tristan began kissing down her neck until he reached the spot where her neck and shoulder met.

"Leave those buttons fastened up... please," she sighed as she held him closer to her. "Except... don't stop... _that_."

"Don't worry... didn't unbutton it that far..." Resuming his actions, he began to lick, nip, and lightly suck at that spot while hugging Gwyn closer to him.

"And seems you're feeling better too now... mmh?" she whispered back, happy that _her_ Tristan was back to his normal self once more.

Stopping momentarily, he responded as he lazily licked her neck. "I may be... thanks to _you_..."

"And someone's thought that I didn't mean that I loved him when I said it..." 

"And that someone realized that he was being a total asshole about not believing and trusting her..."

Grinning, Gwyn placed a quick kiss on his nose and whispered back. "Mmm... and he said that not me... _I love you_ , keep that in mind..."

" _I love you too_.." whispered Tristan as he kissed her.

"Dinner's ready... ma...’ am..." Anne paused blushing lightly, as she opened the door to find the two kissing gently. "Take your time... I'll be waiting... in the dining room."

"Tris... you noticed Anne entering the room?" she chuckled, resting her forehead against his.

"Should probably start locking the door from now on..." he replied while caressing her cheek. "Or we could always go to my place... nice, quiet, far from here..."

"Not soundproof."

Raising an eyebrow at Gwyn, "I mean, besides the occasional tantrum you throw... you really want to test that fact?"

Laughing as she sat up, Gwyn moved towards the edge of the bed. "Come on, you must be pretty hungry by now..."

Following her movements, Tristan pouted a bit as he re-adjusted the towel around his hips. "Instead of one thing, you made me hungry for _two_ things now... Though I should probably wait until you're a little better."

Blushing slightly at that comment, Gwyn moved towards the door, smiling. "Make sure that towel doesn't fall off... _for now_." 

"Don't have much of a choice... as it's pretty obvious that I'm totally turned on by you right now..." Tristan said quickly as he shifted slightly in his stance.

"Stop that," she poked out her tongue playfully at him as she walked out of the room. "Anne, we're coming, sorry for the wait," she called back.

"No problem Miss Gwyn, dinner's on the table..." she smiled back, happy to notice the good mood her mistress was in. "And prepared something for the puppy too. That's in the kitchen though..." 

"Not my fault..." he muttered as he headed towards the kitchen area, with Jasper at his heels.

"Sure it's your fault," she chuckled as she sat at the dining table. "It's just you who's half naked in here... after all."

Raising an eyebrow, he slid into his seat. "Didn't think you'd appreciate me wearing blood-stained clothes... most of which came from a certain creepy asshole stalker... but if you insist..."

"Better like this than in those..." she smiled, placing a kiss on his cheek right before they started having dinner.

Anne gazed at the two of them and smiled. "I'll be in the other rooms, if you need anything call for me," she told the two, lowering her head in a small bow.

"Wait. You can stay and eat with us, Anne. It's no problem, right?" 

"No but..." Anne hesitantly replied, looking up at Gwyn for a reply. 

"You know you're free to eat with us Anne, I don't see a problem with that. I've always left you free to choose wherever you want to stay... and you always choose the kitchen... just, sit down with us," Gwyn told her, smiling.

"Please? I'd like to hear about your day too, y'know," grinned Tristan as Jasper sat next to his chair. Looking at the pup, he shook his head. "Uh-uh. You have your own food buddy..."

"What? Mine?" Anne replied, sitting down in front of them. "There's nothing pretty much to say..."

"Really? But...what do you do during the day, if you don't mind me asking?"

As Gwyn started playing around with her food, as she still didn't feel like eating much, Anne smiled back at Tristan and replied: "Doing normal household chores... running errands for Miss Gwyn since she's barely in the house... day-to-day running of the house so to speak... if Miss Cynthia is her secretary at work, I almost am her secretary here."

"Definitely sounds like a full-time job. But at least you have the luxury of working-from-home," Tristan joked as he gobbled up the remains of his salad before moving onto the main course.

"I feel safe staying here... I... no forget it..." she smiled as she started eating too.

"Huh? Now you've got me curious. What were you gonna say, Anne?" 

"Nothing, really, nothing important... I... I'll go get some water," she replied, rushing to get up from her seat and hurrying into the kitchen.

"She's pretty shy when it comes to talking about herself... don't worry, it's not that she doesn't want to tell you... that's how Anne is," she whispered back at Tristan stared back at where Anne had gone.

Frowning slightly, he went back to his food. "Well, I hope someday she'll be comfortable enough around me to tell me anything. Ah well..." 

"Maybe she will, someday..."

"Hopefully... so, since I see that you're practically picking at your food - split dessert with me?"

"I wouldn't mind... I'm already pretty full," she replied, earning Tristan's stare. "What?"

"You _so_ didn't eat anything... C'mon, just two more pieces of the chicken, please?"

"I thought for a split-second that you were going to feed that to me," she replied, placing a hand over her mouth, stifling a laugh.

"Pffftt... I'm not that cliche..." 

"Maybe I could..." she wondered, eyeing her plate again. 

"Please?"

"Oh all right..."

"Good."

As Gwyn was in the process of finishing what there was left in her plate, including the chicken pieces, Anne came back inside and placed two small plates with what seemed to be a chocolate fudge cake, that made Tristan grin instantly. "Hope you enjoy it..."

Looking up, Gwyn smiled and replied: "Go get yourself a slice and eat that with us, you deserve it."

"Yeah, please do. Oh my God that looks amazing..."

"And that's nothing," Gwyn commented, winking back at Anne, who scurried back into the kitchen to fetch another slice. "She's quite good at preparing sweets. Not that I eat much of them... they're fattening... but I do enjoy them from time to time."

"Oh goodie for me..."

"I would have prepared something better than this if I had the time, but..." looks at Tristan as she sits down once more. "Someone needed help this morning," she smiled.

"Indeed," Gwyn chimed in, as she had the first bite of dessert.

After taking a bite, Tristan had the biggest grin on his face that Anne had ever seen. "Anne, you are an absolute goddess when it comes to desserts... Oh my God this is fantastic..."

"I'm glad you both like it, thank you..." the young maid replied, joining them.

Once they finished, Anne was the first to get up and start to gather up the dishes. "You two should go rest now... it was a long day, for both of you."

Looking over at Jasper, who was snoozing in his dog bed, "Make that a long day for all of us. So, decided that he's worth the trouble, hmm Gwyn?"

"I still can't believe I accepted, but it's comforting... having him here I mean... and I'm sure Anne appreciates the idea even more than me actually, am I right?" she asked, noticing Anne's sincere smile.

"I do... I do," she grinned back as she walked inside the kitchen with some of the dishes.

"Nice to know..." smiled Tristan as he grabbed the rest of the dishes and followed Anne into the kitchen.

"What? No no no no, just leave them there, you're a guest!" she panicked taking back the dishes from him.

"Ahh, don't worry about it, please? I'm used to cleaning up after myself - Cyn hates when I do it whenever I visit her, but she's accepted the fact. Also, I don't mind helping you."

"Yes but you shouldn-" she turned to find Gwyn resting, arms crossed over her chest, against the kitchen's doorframe. "Miss..."

"And you think I would manage to dissuade this stubborn idiot?" she chuckled. "I'll be in my room..." she finished, walking away.

"See you in a bit. C'mon, between the two of us, we can get this done faster. Right?"

"Yes I know but... it's still part of my work after all... you don't need to do that... go to Miss Gwyn..." she replied, smiling back.

"Uh-uh. I insist on helping you. Miss Gwyn will most likely be working - rather boring stuff anyways - so she'll be fine."

"You sure?" she asked, noticing that he had started drying the dishes by her side. "You really are stubborn like she says..." she chuckled.

"It's always been my nature. Since I think I'll be a fairly regular guest here... might as well get used to it," he laughed.

"Most probably..." And, just like Tristan had mentioned, the dishes were ready in a couple of minutes, placed in their respective cupboards and ready for the next meal. "Thanks for the help... really, you shouldn't have..."

"No problem and really, I'd still insist on helping anyways," he leaned over and kissed her cheek. "'Night Anne. Night Jas. See you two in the morning."

Placing a hand on her cheek, Anne just smiled back at him, thinking at the same time that Miss Gwyn had finally found someone that could take care of her... and make her a little more _human_. "Good night Tristan."

-

"So, what exactly are you reading now?" asked Tristan as he headed towards the bathroom to brush his teeth.

"Someone's report on the current human resources compliment available," she replied, smirking since the report was actually Tristan's.

Sticking his head out of the bathroom, while holding his toothbrush in one hand, "That sounds familiar... I think I wrote something like that..."

"It's yours," she chuckled, grinning back. "Very well written as always. I think I could use this to base my argument for a couple of promotions... we should invest in more middle management."

"We should, provided they're competent," he replied while settling under the covers.

"Probably I'll just follow the list of people you indicated anyway," she answered, taking notes. "And suggest them to CEO, even though I can go ahead with this myself I suppose."

"You could, but probably best to make it more official with his approval," he agreed, leaning his head against her shoulder. "So you're coming in tomorrow?"

"I have to. His orders. And I'm feeling better, so might as well..."

"...Then shouldn't you be sleeping soon? Or... if you're not too tired, perhaps I could - not _that_ so don't look at me like that, but rather - ask if you wanted a back rub."

"I was going to put a pillow between us if you would have continued," she laughed out. "That might work actually... manages to relax me pretty much... the back rub I mean... I saw that snicker you know."

"I didn't snicker... Anyways, c'mere..." Kicking away the blankets, he motioned for her to sit in front of him.

"Hey wait a minute... you're still with _just_ the towel on?" she stared back at him. 

"And what exactly would you like me to... there's always _that_..." he smirked.

"I swear I'm _really_ going to put the pillow between us," she replied laughing as she moved to sit in front of him, as directed.

"Hey, I'm the one who's not wearing much... _you_ just make sure that your hands don't wander..." Tristan said as he kissed the back of her neck before placing his hands on her shoulders. "Now relax..."

"My hands don't... what? Why _you_..." she chuckled, as she closed her eyes and exhaled a deep sigh. "Can you also try and have a look at the wounds please?"

"I can do that. Want me to remove your shirt or are you going to?"

"Was going to anyway, I'm still in mummy-like version after all, and will come in at work tomorrow like that... depends on their current state actually," she replied as she slipped off her shirt.

Moving his hands lower to remove the fasteners of the bandage, Tristan gave her a small smile. "The bruising's gone down significantly-" he told her, letting out a sigh as he started pulling the bandages away from her torso, "-and the wounds look good, really good. You're a pretty fast healer..." he reassured her while kissing her shoulder. "Lie down and I'll get to the rest of your back..."

Following his instructions without any objections, Gwyn lied down with her tummy resting on bed, while taking a pillow in her arms to hug it close to her. "That's good to know..."

"Mm-hmm... and no sleeping yet..." he chuckled while beginning to massage her lower back.

"Won't sleep... and... Tris," she asked, closing her eyes as she enjoyed his touch.

"Yeah Gwyn?"

"Why were you shocked that much when I told you that it was the first time I've ever fallen in love?"

"I was surprised that no one's ever gone after you. You're beautiful, smart, driven, classy... and downright sexy. But then again, what do I know, I've never been in love until I met you."

"You might never know... how a person really is, I mean..."

"Guess so... So, not surprised that you're the first person I've ever fallen in love with?"

"I am... well, I was even more when you told me earlier today..."

"How so?"

"Turn whatever you just said to me in their masculine version... and you'll have the answer... plus you're surrounded with friends..." she replied, sighing and resting her head on the pillow once again.

"Heh... though I'd probably say that I never found the right girl before I met you. Growing up, guess I never really cared to look for someone. Then came school - particularly when I was a teenager - I'd notice, but never bothered. While in college - then afterwards as I traveled around - I'll admit I had some flings here and there... but again, nothing serious."

The word made her eyebrows twitch slightly. "What do you mean by _flings_? Uh, wait... maybe I don't want to know actually," she sighed.

" _Seriously_? I was a teenager when I graduated from college - traveled around the world soon after that. I'd have been crazy not to have some fun - but in all it was just that - fun. I ended up staying as friends with pretty much all of them - since none of them were looking for anything serious from me either," he admitted as he began examining one of the wounds. "Why? Possessive much?" he teased.

"Not really... but... don't bother," she scoffed, burying her head in the pillow. Fred had been always uptight about those matters - had always repeated since she was a young vampire that those matters were sacred in their nature... that they had only to take place when they would have found their companion for eternity, as it would have lead to the birth of a new generation... Now, hearing Tristan mention the _fun_ he had when he was younger... made her bury her face in the pillow even more.

Sensing he said something wrong, though not quite sure what it was, he hugged her. "Hey look. You need to realize that I did a lot of dumb things while growing up - but that's the thing, I was growing up and learning. I couldn't exactly say what I wanted back then because I didn't know what I wanted back then. So, I learned by doing... learned from my mistakes... and started realising what I wanted out in someone when I found them. I'm lucky that I managed to stay friends with all of these people who helped me out - they helped shape who I am right now. So sorry if I said something wrong, but you also need to realize that you're exactly what I've been searching for all my life... All twenty-four years of it."

"You didn't need to justify your position... don't worry, I was just reminiscing some of the teachings I had when I was a child. Just to let you know... I was brought up in quite the demanding environment... so... fun was out of the question."

"Ah I see... Well, I will say that it was quite the learning experience..." he leaned over to whisper, "Once you're better, I could _demonstrate_ just exactly what I learned..." 

"Said the experienced lover-boy," she smirked.

Nipping at the spot on her neck that he was favouring earlier: "Well, you'll never hear me boasting about my abilities - I prefer the 'actions speak louder than words' route..."

Blushing furiously for the second consecutive time, she rested her face against the pillow again, hoping that Tristan wouldn't realise that whenever he mentioned that she was getting terribly flustered each time. Not that she wasn't aware of what he meant... but, in her experience, whenever a man - in her case, a bait - used to get that close, she'd generally kick them wherever and drain them to the last drop. Tristan's case was different... _completely_ different.

"But enough about that... feeling better?"

"Much better..." she whispered, as she grabbed her shirt back, placed it on her chest and turned to look at him. "Thank you..."

"You're welcome. Also, know that I'd do anything for you... for future reference of course," he smiled gently at her before kissing her forehead.

"Think we should bandage the mess all up again? And thank you... I'll keep that in mind," she smiled back.

"Do we have to go through the trouble of me having to reach around the sheet again like last time? I'd rather not... also, they're not bleeding anymore - so I'm sure your skin would appreciate being able to breathe without the bandages. Just put on your shirt - you should be fine for now."

"You're right," she replied, as she quickly slipped on her shirt and sat up briefly to face him.

Yawning, Tristan wrapped his arms around Gwyn and hugged her close, "Sleep now. Got a long day ahead of us tomorrow..."

Feeling her nod against him, the pair soon fell asleep quickly. As the hours wore on, Tristan ended up curled against Gwyn's back, his hands having wound up under her shirt and resting against her bare stomach.

-

Gwyn was the first to wake up a few hours later as a few stray glimpses of dawn were playing against the curtains that adorned the window of her room. Shifting to face Tristan, who was still sleeping peacefully, she chuckled and placed a kiss on his forehead, waiting for him to wake up.

Feeling that whatever he was holding onto move, Tristan cuddle closer to it, letting out a sigh before falling asleep again.

"Tristan, it's seven o'clock and I don't think I'd really appreciate us both going to work late..."

Instead of answering, he simply rolled over onto his stomach, clutching the pillow he was using.

"Whatever," she chuckled, sliding to the edge of bed and walking towards the bathroom, feeling the need to shower after having spent three days in bed. Making sure she had everything she needed with her, she slipped inside and closed the door, yearning for the cool feeling of warm water soothing her skin.

Several minutes later, Tristan let out a yawn and started to pat the space next to him - only to find it empty. Blinking awake, he squinted as he got to his feet and stumbled towards the bathroom door, opening the door without realizing it was in use. Walking past the shower stall, he headed straight towards the toilet, closing the door behind him.

Once ready and definitely much more relaxed, Gwyn wrapped one large towel around her and slipped out of the shower, hair still wet from the shampoo.

At the same time, the door to the toilet opened and Tristan walked out, the towel wrapped loosely around his waist as he walked towards the sink, completely ignoring that Gwyn was in the bathroom with him. Yawning again, he began washing his hands and reached for his toothbrush.

"Oh good morning..." an amused Gwyn commented, as she stood right behind him, arms crossed and grinning back at their reflection in the mirror above the sink.

Slowly turning around with his eyes half-closed and his toothbrush in his mouth, his lips covered by the the foam of the toothpaste, Tristan blearily stared back at Gwyn. A barely audible, "Morning..." could be heard as he started brushing his teeth again.

Chuckling when she realised that he barely even realised that he had just seen her coming out of the shower with only a towel covering her, she smiled and started making her way out of the room. "I don't think you would have continued doing that if you were fully awake."

Rinsing his mouth out with water, he let out another yawn before heading straight for the shower and proceeded to get cleaned up for the day, barely realizing that Gwyn had left the room.

First thing she did as soon as she got inside her bedroom was fetch the hair-dryer and dry up her hair to perfection as she always did. She then took out a light grey dress suit, made up of a formal office jacket, knee-length fitting skirt, and a white shirt. After putting on her underwear, full-leg skin coloured transparent stockings, skirt and shirt, she moved towards her dresser to sit down and put on her simple jewelry made up of a pair of stud earrings, a white gold thin necklace and a wrist watch. 

At that moment, a more refreshed Tristan walked out of the bathroom, a clean towel around his waist as he was drying his hair with another one. "Hey... when did you - were you in the bathroom with me earlier?"

"I was standing right behind you," she laughed out, standing up to fetch a pair of high heeled shoes. "But someone was so asleep that he didn't even realise I was there with _just_ a towel..." 

"Really? Damn... Ah well, at least I have other chances to see that..." Looking around the room, he scratched his right cheek. "Have you seen where my clothes went?"

Smiling as she pointed at one particular chair in the room, she replied: "Anne came in this morning I suppose, and prepared those for you..."

Glancing over at the chair, he caught sight of his navy blue suit, white shirt, and black neck tie. "Huh... when did she come in and whoa-you never would've known that blood was all over my shirt..." Grabbing his boxers, he pulled them on with his back facing Gwyn.

"Amazing isn't she?" she grinned as she placed the jacket on her bed and moved to gather all the papers she had lying around in her room.

Pulling on his shirt after dropping the towel, he continued: "Yeah... does she know how to get tomato sauce stains out of whites too? That I have the hardest time with..." Quickly, he pulled on his pants and tucked in his newly-buttoned shirt into them before reaching for his tie - but was stopped by Gwyn. "Need something?"

"Let me fix that knot, you're still asleep," she chuckled as she reached up, unfastened the knot and started tying it up for him all over again. "And yes, she does manage to get those nasty stains off from whites too."

"Hmm... may need her help with a few of my shirts then... and thanks."

"You're welcome..." she whispered, leaning forward to place a kiss on his lips.

He grinned before meeting her halfway into their kiss. 

"That's my manager... woke up now?" she grinned as she wrapped her arms lightly around his waist.

He kissed her again before smiling back at her. "Now I am... Y'know, if I'm gonna be making a habit of hanging around here, maybe I should keep an extra set of clothes around here. What do you think? That way, I don't show up to work wearing the same clothes..."

Laughing, she looked up at him and replied. "Mmmh... could be an option... _hey_ wait a minute, you're seriously considering of hanging around in my room with your clothes off?"

"Whoa hey... I meant that I could keep some shirts and shorts around here - that way Anne doesn't have to keep washing my stuff. I have a couple of emergency shirts at work - but that's it. But... what you just said a second ago, was that an invitation for me to do just that - hang around your room _naked_?" teased Tristan as he nuzzled into her neck.

"I was just _asking_... it wasn't an invitation," she told him, placing a kiss on his cheek. "Have you shaved?" she chuckled, in an attempt to divert the conversation.

"I don't exactly have a razor here... but I do have one in my office and don't change the subject. What did you think I was going to say earlier?"

"Nothing... really, but I don't mind if you get a change of clothes... considering how much you're staying at my place lately, it's more than natural... and I wasn't really changing the subject," she pouted lightly.

"Sure you _weren't_... But, I could always do that if you _asked_..." he whispered before kissing her again.

"Ask what?" she whispered back, as his kiss ended.

"Since it's your house, I should at least try to abide by your rules... So, if I had to do the naked thing - I'd do that if you asked me too," he smirked while hugging her close.

"Not very classy, you must admit..."

"Eh, it'd be funny more than anything." Kissing her cheek, he continued: "But you're right, it wouldn't be appropriate on your part... guess I'll have to ensure that you're naked alongside me if I do the naked thing in your room.”

"Quit that... oh you know, _I_ wasn't the one who missed someone in just a towel a few steps away from him," she chuckled.

"I'm not a morning person... thought you realised that?" Letting go of her, he walked over to the door. "Coming? After all, you were the one saying that you don't want me to be late..."

"Was looking forward to hearing that..." she replied, following him, finding Anne right in front of the door as soon as they opened it up.

"Just in time," Anne grinned. "Breakfast's ready for you if you like."

"Yay food!" cheered Tristan as he flopped into his seat and proceeded to fix up his plate.

"First he acts like the mature man in my room, then he transforms into a kid in just a few seconds," she laughed as she had a seat by his side. "Thanks Anne."

"You're welcome, need anything else, just let me know," the maid replied, giggling at Tristan's reaction to the food.

"Pfffttt... you're probably the first person to call me mature to my face. Half the time, everyone calls me 'Kid' or 'Brat' - everyone being my friends," snorted Tristan as he devoured his eggs and bacon.

"I always called you kid... or boy myself, come to think of it," she mused, as she started nibbling at her food.

"Proof positive right there..." he grinned while taking a drink of chocolate milk.

"But as you may have noticed, my opinion is changing significantly..." she grinned back.

"For the most part... but you'll probably go on and call me that anyways."

"Who knows," she winked back. "Told you, maybe _you_ 'll make me change my mind about that."

Smiling back at her, he replied: "As there may be a chance - somehow I still doubt that. Since you're the boss and all..." He blew a raspberry at her before finishing his breakfast.

Barely eating half of the food that was on the plate, Gwyn stood up from the dining table and smiled at the two of them. "You finish up, I'll go gather the papers from my room and the office... see you soon," she finished, walking out of the room, the familiar sound of her heels against the wooden floor clearly audible.

After finishing his food (as well as helping Anne out again in the kitchen), Tristan played with Jasper for a little while as he waited for Gwyn to come back.

"So, ready to leave?" Gwyn asked, as she was standing in the doorway, fully dressed in her suit, with bag in one arm and files in the other. Just like she always did... 

Petting Jasper one last time, Tristan picked up his bag and slung it over his shoulder. "Yeah, I think so..." he replied while looking down at his hands, only to see a few splotches of red seeping through. "Guess I'll have to take it easy today..."

"They're still bleeding?" Gwyn asked, placing her things on a nearby chair and walking next to him. "Sit down will you? Anne, can you get me that blessed first aid kit please?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Yeah... I'm surprised though. I've been in a few fights, but...then again, I did knock Black's teeth out so maybe that accounts for something..."

Taking his hands in hers, she made sure that she carefully removed the bandages and had a good look at the wounds. "Dammit Tris, they don't look too well... " she whispered, as Anne came by her side with the kit and a small bowl of lukewarm water. Dabbing a small piece of gauze in the water, Gwyn made sure to clean the wounds as much as possible, apply some soothing balm and antiseptic to both hands, and left them to dry for a short while. "You could have broken both..." she whispered, placing a kiss on both hands.

"Heh heh... sorry. Wasn't exactly thinking when I was beating him up..." 

"I know," she replied, bandaging carefully first his right hand, then the left.

"It's alright though. Doesn't hurt _too much_ but... at least I can still write and do other stuff. Carrying stuff may be out of the question for a few days at least..." he gave her a sheepish grin. 

"I'll ask Cynthia to help you out, whenever you'll need help... just give them time to heal a bit, please," she finished, as she was done with the bandaging.

"I will, but like I said, they're okay. So... do you want me to wait downstairs? Or are we ready to go? Also... can I hang out in your office later? May need to bounce some ideas off of you..."

"You're welcome to call anytime, but tell Cynthia beforehand just in case I'm in a meeting or something... and yes, we can leave now... what?" she stopped as Tristan placed a hand on her arm.

Leaning over, he placed a random kiss her cheek. "Nothing. Bye Anne! Bye Jasper - you be good for Auntie Anne. We'll be back later."

"Need anything Anne, call me," she whispered as she closed the front door while Anne waved slightly back. Walking at a brisk pace, the two then found themselves by Gwyn's car, and after getting inside, Gwyn welcomed the fact that she could drive again to work - which meant that she was feeling better.

"Listen Tris, should anyone ask, I picked you up on the way as I happened to meet you by coincidence... agreed?" she told him, eyes steady on the road.

"Yep. Besides, I left my bike at the office anyways... so I was walking on the way to work and you saw me."

While waiting at a turning, she gave him a brief look and grinned. "That's the way."

"See? Always thinking - for the most part at least," he grinned back as he tapped the side of his head.

Chuckling, she continued driving as Tristan gazed out of the passenger window. "And what are you thinking about now?"

"Umm... despite the fact that kicking his ass felt _really good_... I'll probably get written up for it. Not too crazy about the prospect of having to find a new job because of this..." he frowned.

"Won't happen," she grinned back widely. "I should be meeting CEO late in the morning, and he'll probably call for you to talk. Might give you a verbal warning, and that's it. Trust me."

"Really? Usually when this sort of thing happens... I'd have been fired on the spot..."

"Not if your direct superior is by your side and can defend your actions."

"Hmm... you may have a point there... Ah well, guess I'll just see what happens."

"Just trust me. You might actually find thank you notes on your desk this morning."

"Okay. Oh and... Love you."

"Me too..." she whispered back, as she parked her car in the spot reserved for managerial staff. "Now, straight to the office and need anything call me," she told him as they entered the elevator together. 

"Will do." Reaching over, he took her hand in his and gave it a squeeze before setting a bit of distance between them as more people got into the elevator.

"Good morning ma'am, good to see you back, heard you were on sick leave... quite strange for you to be so..." one of the men that had just gotten in the elevator commented.

"As a matter of fact, yes Evans I was, and just like any other office employee, I can have sick leave, I'm not a robot," she snapped back, as Tristan realised that Norman Evans was one of those incompetents at Advertising that Gwyn couldn't stand. "Maybe you should focus more on your work, rather than acting as the village gossiper."

"I... yes, I will," the man stuttered, feeling like a complete idiot in front of the Assistant Director as he rushed out of the elevator at the tenth floor. 

As he watched Gwyn yell at the guy, he grinned as he realized that she was back to normal. Seeing that his floor was coming up, he started to move towards the front. "'Scuse me, floor's coming up. Also, welcome back, AD Coulston. Hope all is well with you at the moment?"

"Better now. And Faraday, don't forget about our meeting later on today, don't you dare arrive late," she stated, resisting the urge of not grinning back.

Once the doors opened, Tristan looked at Gwyn and gave her a small nod while giving her a smile. "Of course Assistant Director. I'll be there. Have a good day," he said as he walked out of the lift and towards his office.

"Good morning, AD. It's good to see you back," Cynthia greeted her with a full smile. "I've sorted all of the documents you need to see by order of priority to make your work easier... and... how's Tristan doing?"

"He's fine... and in his office right now I suppose, thank you for your help Cynthia, yesterday... really," Gwyn smiled back at her, in a heartfelt gesture. 

"There won't be any repercussions on his position here, will they?"

"No, no... trust me, he acted to defend himself and others. I'm sure he'll be around later, you can talk to him about that if you want... anyway," she said, changing to her usual business-like attitude. "Thank you for the documents, though... apart from those however, I want you to prepare a full schedule with the meetings I have for today and tomorrow - time management... can I have that in fifteen minutes please?" she ordered, as she opened her office door.

"Yes ma'am. Will be on your desk in no time."

"Thank you, and good day," she replied, as she slipped inside and closed the door behind her. Moving to slightly open the window to let some light inside the office, she couldn't help but notice the legacy Tristan had left inside the room. Armchair not in place, a couple of cereal bar wrappers still in the bin, the paperweights she usually kept on her desk diligently not in their usual position... a couple of stray papers full of random doodles... and... a football. "Tristan, what the heck is _this_ doing inside my office... I mean... what the heck were you doing in here with this thing?"

-

Once he turned on the lights to his office, just as Gwyn had teased earlier, there were several 'Thank You' cards on his desk, as well as a few other gifts. Laughing, he set his bag down and began to read through the cards. After he had finished with the cards, he wrote down the names of everyone who had given him something and began to phone them up to say thanks. Nearly fifteen minutes later, a very amused Tristan phoned up Cynthia.

"Yo. How's it going over there?"

"Good morning hero, how are you?" Cynthia replied with a chuckle. "What the hell were you doing on the phone, have been trying to phone since forever."

"I got a bunch of stuff from people - mostly thank you cards and gifts... and that was just from this morning."

"And AD seemed in quite a good mood this morning... any idea why?" she grinned.

"She's back to work. I think being at home drives her nuts. Anyways gorgeous, patch me through to her?"

"Yup sweetheart in a minute, that's why I was calling you," she laughed. "Have a nice day, hold the line..." she told Tristan, as she placed the call on hold and called Gwyn at the other office. "Miss Coulston, Mr. Faraday's on the line, shall put him through?"

"Yes please," came Gwyn's immediate reply. "Thanks Cynthia."

"AD comin' up, enjoy Tris," Cynthia laughed as she passed the call to Gwyn. 

"Yes?"

"So... you know when you told me that I might be getting some thank you cards?"

"You found them didn't you?"

"Actually, I got more than just cards... there're a couple of gifts too - hold on..." Setting down the receiver on his desk, he heard a knock on his door. "Yeah? Come in."

The door opened and one of the mail clerks poked his head inside the office. "Hey Tris, got more stuff for you. Everyone's talking about the ass-kicking you gave that asshole - so much so that the mail centre's getting a bunch of stuff for you from other staffers." The clerk pushed a mail cart inside the office and began setting several more cards onto Tristan's desk as well as a few gifts on the floor. "That should be it for this run, but definitely expect more stuff in a bit. Later!"

Picking up the receiver again, Tristan let out a laugh, "You heard all that, right?"

"I did, and don't say I hadn't warned you about that..." she smiled. "What kind of stuff are they sending you anyway?"

"I definitely won't be running out of snacks anytime soon... and I got a bunch of stuff for- WHAT THE FUCK?!"

Laughing as the conversation was getting more amusing, Gwyn rested her head against her armchair and replied. "What did you get? I _might_ have an idea but I want _you_ to tell me."

"Uh... I don't think it's appropriate to say..." he answered while turning beet red as he examined one of the gift boxes.

"Mmmh... something related to your usual teasing, isn't it?"

"Uhhhh... noooooo... more like... you probably have a better chance of making use of it rather than me. I don't exactly have the ass or hips for it and purple is not really my color..."

Bursting out in a fit of laughter, Gwyn tried to calm down before replying. "Really? I'd love to know who sent you that... plus, I don't like purple either," she laughed out again.

Shifting the receiver to his other ear as he dropped the 'gift' back into the box, he fished out a card and flipped it over. "It's from Gina over at reception - the redhead..."

"Her?" she asked, stifling another laugh. "Should I start getting jealous?"

"Well, the fact that she left a rather risqué thank you note as well as some purple lace... panties in my gift box... completely up to you..." he said with an amused grin.

"Can I come up to your office and burn that? You got a lighter?"

"I don't smoke... but I do carry one around as a lucky charm of sorts. Just be forewarned, I've got a couple other gifts like that - some have pictures too."

The only thing Tristan managed to hear as a reply was Gwyn hanging up the phone in a violent fashion... and a knock at his door a couple of minutes later.

"Come in..."

"It's me."

"I said you could come in," chuckled Tristan as Gwyn entered the office, quickly shutting the door behind her.

"Ready for the bonfire?" she grinned, as she made sure she locked the door. "Seriously though... what the hell are these women thinking anyway..."

"Not quite there Sweetheart, and I haven't the faintest idea..."

"Mmmh... come to think of it, some of them... _tend,_ I heard, to do that when promotions are coming up..." she commented as she started looking through the cards.

"I guess... but I don't exactly have a lot of pull here..." Picking up a card at random, he started laughing. "I know I should be working, but... care to sort through all of this with me at the moment?"

"Yes because I want you to get rid of porn material right away," she chuckled back, taking one of the cards Tristan had mentioned in her hands. "Oh... God."

"What? If I'm being propositioned by _guys_ now... jeez..."

"No, card's still from another woman..."

"Then what's up?"

"Maybe you shouldn't see it," she promptly replied, tearing it up while grinning. "Much better. Just know she _appreciates_ the fact that you were so brave against Black."

"Oh? _Oh_... gotcha. I mean _really_? I know I get complimented on my looks and as far as everyone else in the office is concerned, I'm single but really?"

"And what's the other... compromising material you got... here... ugh," she halted, as he showed her the... purple _thing_ he had talked to her about on the phone lying in a little pink box. "And what the hell is that?"

"The fuck if _I_ know?! They just came with the rest of the stuff..." Running a hand through his hair, Tristan grabbed one of the boxes of chocolates and opened it up. "Hmmm... at least this person knows what candy to get me..."

Without replying, Gwyn merely grabbed a plastic bag that came with all the mail stuff, and started to sort the stuff to get rid off, cursing a few times when the more ridiculous stuff came to her hands. "And what the hell do you think _he_ can do with a pink lacy bra you... idiot... can't you just snap your fingers and burn this thing?" she snapped, pointing at bag, now full of ripped stuff and unwanted material.

"A what now?" Setting down the box of candy, he started looking through some of the other items. "Holy fucking shit! What the hell would I do with all of this. As far as snapping my fingers to set this stuff on fire - closest thing is using my lighter."

"Go ahead, I _really_ don't want to see anything else..." she replied, placing her hand on her temple.

Knowing that the door was locked and that his office didn't have any windows to it, Tristan wrapped his arms around Gwyn. "I know it's office hours, but... we set those ground rules for _your_ office, not mine."

"That's cheating, that's _your_ way of interpreting what I mean when I say office..."

"...And you're not exactly pushing me away here... Besides, you looked like you needed a hug." 

"That mail was torture," she pouted playfully, as she rested her head on his shoulder.

"And I'll probably be receiving more of it... I'll go through all of this later - minus the stuff here in the garbage bag... though I'll take some of the candy and share that with Cyn. Want me to walk you back to your office? I wanted to talk to Cyn for a bit."

"Mmm-hmm," Gwyn replied, not showing the slightest hint of will to move from that position.

"Gwyn... look at me."

"What?" she looked up. "I know I know, I should be leaving... you're the one chiding me this time."

Leaning forward, he kissed her gently.

"Probably I deserved it this time, after having to endure seeing all of _that_ ," she replied, pointing at the garbage bag. "Which reminds me, really, place that in a bin and burn it."

"I'll leave that for the janitor to handle. Since I don't have any means to ventilate the smoke. And I kissed you because I wanted to - though you did deserve it for braving my fanmail. But, come on, let's get you back as Cyn's probably worrying about you and I thought you have a meeting with the CEO later... or is it just me that has to meet with him later?"

"Yes I have. I'll call for you once I'm there. And maybe I should, considering that the last thing Cynthia saw was me rushing furiously out of my office after slamming the telephone... she might be a little bit worried by now..." she replied, still resting against him.

Lifting Gwyn to her feet, disregarding the pain in his hands, he kept a comfortable arm around her waist as he led her out of his office and back towards hers. 

"You can let go now, I'm fine," she whispered.

"Nope, not until we reach Cyn's desk. Besides, everyone knows you were on sick leave... so it works in my favour right now to hold you," he grinned.

"How are you going to explain that if anybody asks... Tristan..." she looked up, slightly worried.

"You're feeling faint from not getting enough nourishment while sick?"

"Maybe that could work... sort of... and... really, I should have gone to punch that receptionist's pretty face," she thought aloud.

"Ah-ah... no can do as you might come off as jealous - since the notes and gifts were mostly for 'my eyes only'," he smirked as Cynthia saw them coming.

"I am not. It's just... that's not something to send to a _manager_ , Tristan, for heaven's sake!"

"The thing is though, I suspect that most of the gifts were things like that because of a more shallow reason... namely me being a single, good-looking guy. Hey Cyn, AD's feeling a bit tired."

"Did the crazy boy do something to you Miss? I might consider kicking him silly if he did," she chuckled. "I know just the thing though... Tristan, take Miss Coulston inside, and I'll prepare a nice cinnamon tea... how does that sound?"

Giving her a playfully indignant look, "I did nothing of the sort... rather, she was helping me look through my _fanmail_... and could you get the door for me?"

"Oh yes sure," she promptly replied opening the door for them. "You want something Tris?"

"Chat with you actually... Hey, Gwyn... we're here," he whispered as he helped her to her chair. "Now you can get back to work like your old self."

"Right... thanks to both," she replied, as she walked back to her desk helped by Tristan. "And by the way, wanted to ask you why I have a football in my office..."

"Uhh... I usually use it to help me concentrate on work - so I end up juggling the ball while thinking..."

"I prefer you having this in your office than all of that shit," she replied, earning a stare from Cynthia while she grabbed the schedule and studied it intently. "And least today only the meeting with CEO is on."

"Yes, and his PA told me that he'll call when he'll be free from meetings round that time, is that OK for you?"

"Perfectly fine thank you."

"Good... and I'll bring you that cinnamon tea in a minute, come Tris."

"Well then, I'll leave you to your work and go bug your secretary for a bit. See ya," waved Tristan as he followed Cynthia out of the office. "Oh wait-" he told her as he ran over and grabbed the ball before leaving with Cynthia.

-

"So... what exactly did she mean that she preferred you having the football in your office than ' _all that shit_ '?" grinned Cynthia as she dragged Tristan along towards the kitchenette and started to make the tea.

Laughing, Tristan proceeded to grab a mug and make some hot chocolate for himself. "Y'know how I was talking about my ' _fanmail_ '?"

"Yeah, what about it?"

"I got a bit more than just thank you notes... Some were totally appreciated, like the food..."

"...And some were not, right?"

"Yep. Lingerie... and some pics..."

" _Oooohh_... bet that didn't go to well with AD, hmm?"

"Putting it mildly... she was ready to set fire to everything..."

" _Wow_... that's... _wow_."

"Uh-huh. Though granted, we only went through the ones from this morning and I was mostly being propositioned by women..."

"Oh God Tris... and I know that there are a couple of guys here that wouldn't mind jumping you..."

"Shut up..."

"I was telling the truth, but we both know that there's only one woman who's not only has your heart... but also has you by the balls..." she smirked at a blushing Tristan.

"Well, you've always had that, but I hope you don't mind sharing with Gwyn."

Smacking his shoulder lightly, Cynthia just laughed. "Brat... Just because I had you first, doesn't mean that I'm gonna be jealous. Besides, I know that you were trying out all the _varieties_ while we were in school, as well as when you traveled around."

Standing behind Cynthia, Tristan rested his head on her shoulder. "Remember our first time? God, we were so awkward..."

"Tris, you were _fourteen_ and I was _fifteen_... Of course we were going to be awkward... but, we learned. And I'm glad that I shared that with you, but we also learned that us as a couple wasn't really going to work - since we were always friends first."

"Yeah. I'm glad it was you too. But Gwyn... God, she just.."

"Hey, I know you, and you don't have to say anything else. Like I told you, I didn't expect you to fall for your boss - but it's pretty clear that you two are absolutely crazy about each other. With that said," Cynthia placed a kiss on Tristan's cheek and handed him the mug of tea, "Go say good-bye to AD properly. I'll catch up with you later, got it?"

"Definitely. Thanks for putting up with me all these years," Tristan said sincerely as he gathered his mug as well as Gwyn's.

"Ditto for me. We've known each other for forever, I'd hate to lose you as a friend."

"Same. And you won't lose me. Not now, not ever."

"Good now go on, Lover Boy. Your lady's waiting for you..." smiled Cynthia as she started pushing Tristan towards Gwyn's office.

"Hey - no pushing. But seriously, you gotta check out the stuff I got - it's fucking _amazing_..."

"I will and promise me you'll let Gwyn know just how much she means to you," Cynthia whispered. "If I didn't believe it before, yesterday was all I needed to see."

"I promise... though hopefully I'll be able to not only _tell_ her, but _show_ her as well."

"Better put those skills to good use there, Kiddo... I'd like to know that you've gotten better after all these years..."

"Obviously... I'm not in shape just for show, it's got its uses."

"I'll bet. Catch you later, Handsome."

"See you around, Beautiful." Knocking on Gwyn's door, Tristan carefully balanced both mugs (and the football) as he opened the door to the office.

-

"Here you go. It's really hot, but should help out. Need anything else?"

"Told her about the _lovely_ presents?" Gwyn chuckled, as Tristan placed the mug of cinnamon tea on her desk in front of her.

"Of course. Told her she needs to actually _see_ some of them. They'll be good for a laugh. Though if she's there while I get propositions from not only co-workers of the opposite sex but the same-sex as well - I'm gonna just burn everything in sight - save for the food and useful gifts," he grinned back at her.

"Wait for the next lot, the first should be in a waste dump as soon as possible. Just get rid of those, please."

"Oh I intend to..." Taking a sip out of his mug, Tristan began to juggle the football with his feet. "Any news on your meeting yet?"

"Not yet, and he's actually taking longer than usual to call. Probably got caught in some other meeting..."

"Huh, okay. So... should I hang out here or head back?"

"Head back... I'll call for you myself... and don't look at the fan _shi_ -mail. Work," she told him, having the first sip from her tea. "And thank Cynthia for this."

"Alright alright... and I will..." came the lazy reply as Tristan continued to juggle the ball as he walked out the door, the mug still firmly in his hand without spilling a drop.

"Ready?" Cynthia called as she saw Tristan heading out of the AD's office. "And don't you dare drop that mug! It was a present!"

"I'm not gonna drop it - there's still hot chocolate in it and I'm sure as hell ain't gonna let it go to waste. And I gotta work... AD's orders so no happy fun time for you." 

"Go get working then..."

"I'm going I'm going..." replied the young man as he continued juggling the ball down the hall.

\- 

"AD? Mr. Rhule's PA has just called - you may wish to go upstairs for the meeting, CEO is waiting for you."

"Thanks Cynthia, tell his PA that I'll be coming up in a couple of minutes," Gwyn replied, gathering a couple of folders in front of her desk. "You can call Faraday and tell him that I'll be calling him soon enough. See you," she finished as she got up from her desk and put on her suit's jacket. 

Strangely enough, as she made her way towards Fred's office, Gwyn started getting an awkward feeling of tension, coupled up with the hunger she was feeling after three days of not feeding and the soreness of her back was getting slightly worse again. After a wait of approximately two minutes out of Fred's office, she stood up as Lara, the CEO's PA opened the door and called for her to come in.

"Ms. Coulston? You can come in now if you like."

"Yes, thank you..." she replied, as she followed the PA inside, closing the door immediately.

"Well well, welcome back Gwyn... hope that you're happy that your little attack puppy did this to me..." sneered Black as he sat in one of the chairs, his face looking completely destroyed for the most part.

"Fred, I'll be waiting outside till you finish your discussion with Black," she commented, turned to head back outside once she'd seen the asshole's face right in front of Fred's desk.

"Nope, stay right where you are, please. This little meeting concerns the two of you at the moment..." came the stern reply. 

"I don't want to stay in the same room with _him_ , thank you."

"And I'm not too keen on with having your little _bitch_ here with us..."

Immediately, Fred stood up from his chair and slammed his hands on the desk. "BOTH OF YOU SHUT UP! I couldn't care less at the moment that you two are acting like children. Now, what I need to know is what exactly happened here?! I TOLD you never to lay a finger on Gwyn, that was our agreement for you to have your position within the Clan and the company - and yet, my loyal commander is in pain. And you Gwyn, what exactly possessed that Faraday boy to do this to Black, hmm? He's a little human - and yet it will actually take time for Black to heal, days really, rather than minutes..." Sighing, Fred sat back down and began tapping his pen on the documents in front of him. "As powerful as we are, our numbers are still rather small. It does us no good to squabble amongst ourselves. Now, explain yourselves."

"Faraday merely reacted to what he had been hearing from his subordinates and friends. Sole reaction to a provocation... I know that he might have gone overboard with that, and I take full responsibility of his actions, after all, I am his direct supervisor, but... he was also acting in personal defence," she finished, sitting down on a nearby chair, whilst looking back at Black with her eyes narrowed to slits. "As to what happened to me, maybe you should ask him... I don't recall doing anything to Mr. Black to earn such a beating."

"I shouldn't have to explain my actions regarding what I did to Ms. Coulston. All you need to know is that I merely complimented her and may have said a few words - but she completely rejected my advances, so thus, I gave her a talking to. Now - if you'll excuse me, _Father_ , I'll be getting to work leaving you and your _Assistant Director_ alone. Perhaps you should ask her about her _relationship_ with the Faraday whelp..."

"Will you keep Faraday out of all this, you goddamn asshole?! What the hell does _he_ have to do with all this? This is something between just you and me, you idiot! Just quit blabbering nonsense about people that work under my wing!"

Stopping just short of the door, Black turned around and gave Gwyn a smirk. "Oh true this may be between the two of us and our _past history_ , but... since it was the boy who intervened on your behalf, he's of my concern as well - as he is your direct subordinate. Though I _wonder_ ? If this were anyone else, would _you_ be this vocal about not involving them in these matters, hmm? You two have been awfully close... but I would assume that nothing _inappropriate_ is going on? After all, human-vampire interactions are not to be tolerated - you've been with us long enough to know that. But... tell me if the rumours are true. Is it true that you're keeping him as your _personal pet_ \- after all, he's quite a handsome boy, even by our standards. Have you _tasted_ him yet? Hmm, I can imagine that quite a fine specimen such as Faraday would taste exceptionally _sweet_ , considering how _young_ he is. If the boy means nothing to you, then you won't mind me taking a little... _sip_ ? Though you've never been one for sharing and I'm quite surprised that you've healed this quickly - as we all know you shouldn't even be on your feet at this time - so, did _he_ have anything to do with your recovery?"

Turning back around, Black opened the door and left with another salacious remark towards Gwyn. "Any truth, dear dear Gwyn to the rumour that the _young_ , oh so _young_ Faraday boy has you biting the pillows in ecstasy every night? It would probably explain your _good moods_ from time to time these days..."

"I'm telling you this in front of Frederick... if you even _think_ of touching him, I swear... I won't respond to my actions any longer," she growled back, ignoring the presence of the head of Clan a few paces away from her.

Sitting back in his chair, Fred ran a hand over his eyes and sighed. "Gwyn, close the door please." As Gwyn closed the door, Fred picked up his phone and dialed out to Lara, "Lara, should Mr. Black ever wish to speak to me - tell him I will be the one contacting him from now on. Thank you." Hanging up the phone, he gestured for Gwyn to sit down. "Now then, care to tell me just what this is all about - no formalities and you are able to speak freely as you see fit."

Looking straight into Fred's eyes, Gwyn merely sighed and continued talking to him. "Don't tell me I shouldn't be pissed off... really."

"I'm telling you nothing of the sort. So please, enlighten me."

"In what way? I think you heard everything... oh no wait," she stood up, first taking off her jacket and then, turned to give him her back and shift her shirt slightly up to show him the wounds on her back. "Does this convince you?"

"My... God... I am so sorry my dear, I never should have doubted you. I imagine that it looked much worse three days ago? Though I must admit, they've healed quite nicely... and quickly too for wounds that were dispensed by our kind."

"They wouldn't have if I didn't have vampire blood, Fred. I'd be dead by now if it were otherwise... and, I had Anne's help... and Faraday's. He was the one who found me here that night..."

"And again it comes down to the boy... He's been good for you, I can tell that much. And his work has been exceptional."

"Yes he did, he's being very helpful, and efficient too, just like I've been telling you lately. Don't be too hard on him now... he did what he did to defend himself from that asshole."

"Well, I can't exactly be too hard on him, especially since he's gone to great lengths to see that you heal up. Now, it's not my place to say who you can be friends with and who you can't, but... it does seem like the boy's been spending a great deal of time with you. I don't want you to be offended by this question, but are _you_ rather fond of him - as more than just your subordinate?"

"He's my subordinate and... _friend_... for once," she admitted.

"Good to know. I know you've often had _difficulties_ with making friends, so I'm quite relieved to see that the boy has been quite the positive influence on you. Another reason as to why it's beneficial to keep him around. Before I call him in, how is the severity of his wounds? After all, if Black showed up looking as if he picked a fight with several of our kind...I'd hate to see what the boy looks like..."

"He looks fine, actually. Except for really ugly wounds on both of his hands..." she replied, relieved that at least Fred was on her side.

" _Ugly wounds_? And you say that he looks fine? I do know that Black was missing a few of his teeth... can I attribute that to the boy as well or was that your doing?" grinned Fred as he saw Gwyn's posture relax slightly.

"Hey, what do you mean?"

"You mean to tell me that the boy only escaped from Black with wounds to his hands and no where else? And you also are telling me that it was _he_ who knocked out Black's teeth - which we both know that it's rather difficult to knock out the teeth of a vampire, either fully bared or not, hmm?"

"He's quite the athletic human, so I'm not that surprised actually," she grinned. "As much as I didn't want Faraday to cross paths with him, ever, I would have loved to witness the scene..."

Fred let out an amused chuckle. "To be honest, I would have loved to have seen it too. And it's quite surprising, the boy looks like such a pretty, delicate little thing... and yet he's proven that he can handle himself around our kind... very interesting."

Gwyn raised an eyebrow when she heard Fred pass comments on Tristan, and the fact that he was becoming so interested in him was actually making her squirm in her seat - so she decided to slightly change the subject. "Will you be calling for him before I have my treat? I've been thinking about it these couple of days..."

"Ahh, you do seem a bit peckish - though I can't blame you, after all you haven't been able to feed for the past few days. Your 'lunch and dinner' are waiting for you behind me and hopefully you'll be all healed up by the end of the day. Go in the back and I'll call the boy in - I'll tell him you had an errand to run for me - and have a little talk. Afterwards, I'll send the little one off, as it's nearly lunchtime for him as well. Sound good?"

"If you're calling him now, I can wait... promised him I'll be present when you'd be talking to him. Can't go back on my word, mmh?" she grinned back. "But... I do appreciate the fact that you've provided me with my meals... haven't had the time to go hunting myself... can you do that more often?," she winked back at him playfully, as she rearranged her shirt and put on her jacket.

"Keeping your promises to the Little One, hmm? I'm quite surprised, but you may stay if you wish. There's enough 'food' for you to last you a few days - then you should be able to hunt on your own." Picking up his phone again, he instructed Lara to call for Tristan.

"A promise is a promise after all..."

"Good. He should be here shortly. Now, tell me, did you like the flowers I sent?"

-

Despite feeling like his stomach was doing somersaults, Tristan calmly made his way up to Fred's office. Making sure that his tie was straight, the cuffs of his shirt were buttoned, and his jacket was firmly in place, he ran a hand through his hair - only to see that the blood from his injuries were beginning to peek through the bandages once again. While walking through the hall, he smiled at the others who were congratulating him and tactfully ignored some of the more heated looks in his direction. Upon seeing Lara's desk, Tristan straightened up.

"Mr. Rhule and Ms. Coulston are waiting for you, Mr. Faraday... you may enter."

"Um... Thank you." Knocking on the door to the office, Tristan waited until he heard Fred's voice before entering. "Good afternoon Sir, AD Coulston."

"Good afternoon Faraday," Gwyn smiled back at him, at the same time noticing Fred's grin from the corner of her eye.

"Ahh, if it isn't the Man of the Hour. Please sit down, dear boy," smiled Fred as he motioned for Tristan to sit.

Giving Gwyn a small smile, Tristan sat down in the proffered chair and stared back at Fred. "Sir, I wish to apologies for my actions towards Mr. Black-"

Holding up a hand, Fred continued to smile gently at the boy. "Now now, I heard the short story from your Assistant Director here, but I would like to hear your side of the story. Also, Mr. Black was here not too long ago and he seemed none too pleased about you - though had I looked like he did, I probably would feel the same way about you."

Taking a deep breath, Tristan stared straight ahead at the CEO and began to explain. "Well Sir, I had come across AD Coulston in her office the night that Black had attacked her, as I had forgotten some papers related to my reports so I decided to check her office... and that's when I found her. I had called for Anne to meet me downstairs and between the two of us, we managed to get AD Coulston home safely. Once I was sure she was safe, I went home to my apartment and rested. I had called Anne a few times to check on AD Coulston's progress over the course of the first two days and it was yesterday that Mr. Black confronted me. The first thing he did was boast about how he had beaten up AD, then he proceeded to threaten me. I tried to ignore him, but then he called AD, pardon my language, a 'two-faced bitch' to my face and that's when...I snapped I guess." 

Tapping his fountain pen against the notebook in front of him, Fred looked up first at Tristan, then at Gwyn, and gave them a small smile. "I think that was more then enough of an explanation..."

"...Sir? Will I be fired for this provocation?"

Studying his expression for a few seconds, Fred burst out in a fit of healthy laughter. "Of course not dear boy, why should I? You're one of the most competent officers we have in the company, plus, AD here is quite proud of you and your work. Why should I be shooting myself in the foot by firing one of my best men? Don't worry your place is as safe as ever..."

Blushing slightly, Tristan's smile grew a little bigger at the compliment. "Thank you Sir... for the kind words as well as letting me stay here with the company."

"Plus, I would have Gwyn here beating me to a bloody pulp if I did," he laughed again.

"That could be one of the possible scenarios if you had actually done that," she grinned back, before giving a comforting look to Tristan.

"I can imagine you kicking me with those high-heeled shoes of yours..." he chuckled yet again, teasing Gwyn at the same time.

"Somehow, I don't doubt that she'd be capable of such a feat, Sir." Tristan lifted up his hand to run it through his hair again when Fred stopped him.

"Will you stop that you two? I won't kill anyway," she grinned. "Oh yes, maybe there is someone in my mind... what is it Fred?"

"So this is what Gwyn was talking about... Faraday, may I see your hands for a second?"

"Um... sure, Sir." Leaning forward, Tristan placed his hands in Fred's as the older man studied them. "Is there a problem Sir?"

"Mmh... no, not really. Just make sure you take care of those, son. Gwyn?" he replied, turning his look towards the woman.

"Yes?"

"Do you remember that special healing balm I had given you some time ago... it could be quite of use to Faraday here..."

"Oh that... sure, no problem, I'll find it and bring it over tomorrow - I'll leave that on your desk..." she replied.

"However, I want my personal doctor to have a look at that, Faraday," Fred finished, earning a confused look from Gwyn. "Just as a precaution, as I want to make sure that your wounds are healing properly and that there's no permanent damage."

"Are you sure, Sir? They seem to be fine to me and I've been okay with-"

"Ah ah, no buts and I insist. We need to ensure that one of our best remains at his best, wouldn't you agree?"

"Yes Sir. But where would I-"

"CEO would request your presence here in his office I suppose, the doctor would be calling here anyway... mmmh, right Fred?" Gwyn chimed in.

"That's right - I'll have Lara call him up and stop by. Just sit tight for a bit Faraday." Fred quickly instructed Lara to have Dr. Tomes stop by while both Tristan and Gwyn looked on.

Sitting back in his chair, Tristan's expression was that of a near pout. Whining low enough for only Gwyn to hear. "Do I really need to have a doctor look at my hands? I'm fine..."

"Yes you have to, at least CEO managed to dissuade you, I didn't," she chuckled as she stood up. Unbeknownst to Tristan, yet fairly visible to Fred, Gwyn's quench for blood was becoming unbearable. Grabbing one of the files on Fred's desk, she held it close and told him: "So, you still need this to get delivered urgently? If it's not a problem for you and Faraday, I'll take my leave to get this ready."

"Of course. The files need to go up to Mercer. Thank you Ms. Coulston."

"You're most welcome, and... see you later Faraday, enjoy your lunch break," she replied, heading out from the back exit of the office. 

"Bye..."

Turning to face Tristan, who still had the pout on his face, Fred let out a chuckle. "Not too crazy about doctors, Son? I promise it won't take long."

Tristan's cheeks began to turn a bit redder at the CEO's question. "It's not that Sir... it's just..."

"Ahh, to be young again. You're not quite invincible, Son, so please humour this old man's request. I just want to make sure that you'll be all right, understood?"

"Yes Sir," came the resigned reply as Fred began to ask him some questions to pass the time.

-

Once Gwyn made sure that the door of the back office was securely locked, the woman switched on the lights to check out the 'presents' Fred had personally prepared for her. 

"My my my, aren't we thoughtful," she grinned, at the sight of six humans aligned in front of her, firmly held on a chair since, just as Fred had explained to her the last time she had been around, the victims had been sedated for experimental purposes. Moving towards the first who barely looked like he was in his first twenty years of age, Gwyn removed her jacket in almost a theatrical way, tossing it with a swish on the nearest couch. Then, as she rested lightly upon his lap, she scanned meticulously the area around his neck, precisely over the main artery lay, and dug her fangs inside the pale skin. The feeling was overflowing... it always was like that when she'd been thirsty for more than two days in a row. She'd be yearning for that very moment day and night - sensing the fresh blood entering her system, replenishing her life. The second one looked slightly older, probably in his thirties; third and fourth almost looked as if they came from Fred's human age bracket. The fifth was just like the first... and by then, Gwyn was feeling all of her _normality_ finally back to her. Especially her strength... she had missed that feeling while spending those days at home - even though being pampered by a certain human wasn't that bad either...

And as her mind hovered slightly upon thoughts related to Tristan, Gwyn was taken aback when she saw the last of the humans Fred had brought. Dark hair, similar complexion... probably they were also of similar age... the man actually looked like _him_...

"No way... I... can't..." she said to herself, as she almost started feeling tipsy from all of the blood she had just drunk. Gazing back at the man, however, another thought came to her mind... it was as if Fred was testing her... to check whether she was harbouring any feelings for the boy... if she'd leave him there, untouched, then that would have been a confirmation to the head of Clan that she did... acting the other way round would have been... safer, both for her... and especially for him.

"It's not Tristan after all," she whispered in a determined way, while placing herself on his lap and doing the same thing she did for the other five men in that room. "Dammit Fred... first you get me a group of only men... not that I mind that but... then... a Tristan look-alike?" she muttered with a satisfied grin, as she wiped off the small trickle of blood from her lips. "You're trying to toy with me, aren't you?" she asked, as she wrote a small note for Fred and placed it on one of the desks in that room. After checking that she didn't have any stains on her shirt, she slipped on her jacket, grabbed the files she had gotten from Fred's office, and headed outside, ready to continue working for the day...

-

Yawning, Tristan found himself lying on Gwyn's couch instead of going out to eat with the others. Like the CEO had told him, as well as Dr. Tomes' examination, it was just a precautionary measure. It was a relief to find out that there had been no serious damage and that the doctor prescribed a mild painkiller should he need it. After the exam, Fred had sent Tristan on his way, but all he wanted was to take a nap. So once he made sure that Cynthia had left for lunch (she normally ate out with her 'girlfriends' on Thursdays), Tristan slipped inside Gwyn's office and decided to take a nap.

After a short detour to hand over the file just like Fred had instructed, Gwyn headed straight towards her office - Tristan's fanmail and Fred's meeting had taken her entire morning, without barely having time to get any of her paperwork done in a decent sort of way. Noticing that it was still lunchtime as the corridors were practically empty, she grinned and raced her way towards her office, opened the door and entered grinning widely - the feeding had put her in a definite good mood for the rest of the day.

As she turned to walk towards her desk, however, she was greeted by a very familiar scent, which was immediately confirmed when she saw Tristan's sleeping form on her couch. Letting out a soft chuckle, she moved closer to sit on one of the arms, where his head was resting and started playing with the stray bangs of hair on his forehead.

"Mmm... Gwyn?"

"Someone's tired isn't he?"

Slowly, dark blue eyes met hazel-brown as Tristan gave her a sleepy smile. "Just a bit. You look better... actually you look _really good_..." Reaching up, he lightly brushed her cheek with his fingers. "I like that."

"Glad you do..." she whispered back, as she took hold of his hand and placed a soft kiss on his bandaged palm. "What did Fred's doctor say about this?"

"Hands are fine. Fred thought I might need stitches for the larger one on the back of my right hand, but the doctor said that I should be okay with that balm he was talking about earlier and just letting it 'breathe' for a few hours with out the bandages. Nighttime being the optimum time. Also gave me a prescription for a mild painkiller, should I need it."

"See? That turned out to be useful actually..."

"Still didn't see what the fuss was about though..." he whined again.

"Because you are stubborn enough not to follow my advice and get checked out by a doctor... at least CEO _forced_ you into it," she chuckled, as she continued caressing his hair gently.

"I can't exactly say no to _him_... seeing as how he's the CEO of this company..." Pursing his lips, "Do I have to go back now?"

"To your office? Lunchtime isn't finished yet... plus, you earned an extra ten minutes break today, for that meeting... only if you promise me that you'll concentrate on your work and get everything that you need to finish today ready."

"I can do that - most of it I did yesterday... heh heh. Like I said, I kinda threw myself into my work yesterday to forget..."

"Right..."

"Wake me up when you're gonna kick me out?"

Standing up, she moved by the side of the couch and leaned down closer to him. "You could also bring over the Advertising project material if you like and work here."

"I like that option more actually."

"Thought so..."

Sitting up slightly, he kissed her cheek before rolling onto his side. "Night night." 

Chuckling as she thought he'd react in a complete different way, Gwyn walked back towards her desk and sat down to continue working. _At least the situation till now, seemed to be a peaceful one..._ she said to herself as she looked back at Tristan resting quietly. "I wonder how much it'll last though..."

-

"Are you sure you want to sleep through all of your work day?" came a whisper from Tristan's side. After almost half an hour of working and watching Tristan asleep, Gwyn decided to get back on her feet and sit down on a sliver of couch still available by his side.

"I'd prefer it if you were sleeping with me, but I guess that _this_ might do for now..." smirked Tristan as he wrapped an arm around Gwyn's waist and pulled her on top of him, causing her to straddle his prone form. Sitting up enough so that she could sit on his lap, he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her passionately.

"You're making me break my own rules..." she chuckled, resting her head on his shoulder.

Hugging her close, he kissed the side of her neck. "When you want something bad enough, it's worth breaking the rules for. And needless to say, I want _you_..."

Blushing slightly, she shifted her head to look at him and smiled. "Someone needs to start working now though," she whispered, placing a quick kiss on his cheek.

"I have other _work_ in mind for us... but that should come later. And yes... I'll get to _work_ now..." he said playfully as he helped her off his lap.

"You behave now, you're still in my office after all..." she replied, as she stood up. "Go get your things from your office, and inform Cynthia that you'll be working on the usual project with me."

"Yes _ma'am_... Also it's a good thing that I'm here as I'm sure that my office is now overflowing with _fanmail,_ " chuckled Tristan as he left the office.

"Burn that stuff," she muttered. "It's significantly irritating."

"Aww, but it's funny... See you in a bit." As he walked out of the office, Cynthia was grinning back at him. "What's with you? You look like the cat that ate the canary..."

"Mmmh... you seem in a pretty _good_ mood, that's all. And what were you doing in AD's office, still? It's already an hour past lunchbreak... you know..."

"Well, let's see: I'm not fired, the CEO loves me, everyone in the office seems to love me, and... I had a nap. Life's awesome. Now, I'll be back in a bit - must get back to work on The Project... just grabbing my crap from my office. And why was I in AD's office - her couch was closer..."

"You haven't mentioned _her_ , Tristan..."

" _Her_ ? What _her_ ?" Laughing, he leaned in close enough to whisper, "Gwyn's the one who let me sleep... and we just made out just a couple of minutes ago - and _that's_ what's put me in a good mood."

Cynthia's jaw practically dropped when she heard that coming from Tristan's lips. "You... _what_?!"

Clamping a hand over her mouth, Tristan used his free hand to place a finger over his lips and whispered back, "Not so loud, you _promised_ you wouldn't let anyone know. And with Black and his lackeys on the prowl... we can't let _anyone else_ know about us. Right?" He then removed his hand and placed it on her shoulder. "And yes, you heard me right."

"Damn... you're disobeying her orders, aren't you? I'm pretty sure she must have asked you not to do _anything_ in her office..."

"More like, she mentioned something about me making her break her own rules. I'll tell you more later, gotta get my stuff so I can finish my work - which Gwyn wants me doing over here as we'll need each other's help on some of the finer details." He gave her one last grin before heading back to his office.

"Found any new fan- _stuff_?" Gwyn asked, slightly raising her look towards the door as Tristan entered once again, closing the door behind him.

"Pfffftt... Need you ask? At least the stuff I got this time was more tame. Here-" he placed a plate of cookies on Gwyn's desk, "-we can at least share this gift, right?" 

Smiling, Gwyn took one of the cookies and took a bite out of it. "That's much better, at least this is _shareable_... mind you, the cookies Anne bakes are even better than these."

Grabbing a cookie from the plate, he shoved into his mouth as he spread his materials out on Gwyn's floor before laying on his stomach to work. "Somehow, I don't doubt that. Maybe she'll teach me how to make them someday."

"She wouldn't mind that, believe me..." she replied. "Tristan, are you sure you're comfortable working like that?"

"...Yeah? Why wouldn't I be? The carpet's comfortable and you have more space in your office to do this than mine does."

"You reckon? Tristan, it's obvious, it's a Director's office... plus, it's _my_ office... so that might make a little difference," she smirked.

"Well, I'm very comfy like this but if you want to stifle my work habits and creativity, I can drag myself into the chair if you want me too."

"I don't want to do anything of the sort, just... work as you please, I don't mind you here like that... but thank Cynthia's presence for that. If I didn't have a secretary, you here like that would have been out of the question," she commented, signing off another report.

Reaching for another report after signing off on the one in front of him, "How so? And what do you mean about Cyn's presence? Just curious."

"Because employees don't just barge in asking me anything that comes to their mind... I know most people knock before entering and all, but there are people, who just rush inside one's office without the decency of asking beforehand. So, that's why having a secretary like Cynthia comes in handy - no one does that now, and I can choose whom to let inside the office and whom not. As for you here, this way you can stay here and work in whichever way you like as much as you want... got what I mean?"

"Ohh... gotcha."


	5. V

Yawning, Tristan stared out at the completed reports to his right while seeing nothing pending to his left. Rolling onto his back, he stared up at the ceiling, smiling to himself. Glancing over at Gwyn, who was still working away, his grin got a little bigger but still remained on his back to fully take in the splendor that was Gwyn's Victorian-style office. 

The office itself was a rather large corner one that offered a fantastic view of the city, from twenty storeys up, thanks in part to the large windows. There were two couches in the room, which were against the windows, but anyone sitting on them were covered by the height of the chair railing. There was a large wardrobe cabinet tucked away in a corner, which was where Gwyn often hung up her coats and umbrellas, as well as a few odds and ends. A long table leaned against a wall where there were two reading lamps on either end. The main part of the office, aside from the use of color and the paintings, was Gwyn's desk itself. Unlike Tristan, who favored a desk that was pretty much a very small drafting table, Gwyn's desk was made up of heavy dark wood and intricately decorated with carvings. Two larger leather chairs were placed directly in front of Gwyn's desk, which were quite comfortable to sit in, despite looking firmer than they really were. Finally, it was the burgundy-colored walls that seemed to tie the room together, giving it a warm, cozy feeling that still felt quite stately, but not stuffy.

Planting his feet on the floor, Tristan got up to his feet in one smooth motion and plopped himself in one of the chairs that faced Gwyn. "So... almost done yet?"

Gwyn raised her head to give him a quick glance, then focused on the review report that was in front of her once again. "I finish this, hand them over to Cynthia and we can leave... what time is it?"

Casually checking his watch, he simply grinned. "Technically, _I_ was supposed to be off half an hour ago... But I have more stuff for you to look over - though they're not that urgent. I'll go check to see if Cyn's still around," said Tristan as he took her finished reports and headed for the door.

"Sorry for keeping you late Tris..."

"What for? I like spending time with you - thought you realized that," he grinned as he let himself out with the reports.

Smiling as she stood back on her feet, Gwyn decided to gather those unfinished reports that she had to take with her home, including those related to the Advertising project, and leave those that required only her signature on her desk. Glancing at the clock on one of the tables, she sighed and thought of leaving the office once Tristan was back. Still feeling full to the brim, and not quite hungry, she knew that he'd be able to appreciate Anne's dinner much more than she actually did.

"Cyn... I come bearing gifts for you. From AD. Do your magic and make them disappear please."

"Man hasn't she worked today," she gasped, taking the pile in her arms. "Place them on my desk Tris please, I'll send them to the relevant offices and leave."

"Okie dokie." He placed the rest of the stack on Cynthia's desk before stretching his arms and yawning. "So, any crazy plans for the weekend or you just gonna relax and stuff?"

"You're taking tomorrow off or something? Tristan it's still Thursday today and haven't planned anything yet," she replied, sitting down and taking the first file from the stack. "Probably I'll stay in for a quiet weekend though... won't be too keen on going out of the house this weekend anyway. A good book and hot chocolate will be my companions," she chuckled. "You?"

"Tomorrow's Friday, which means once it hits quitting time - weekend starts. Me? No idea yet actually. I should probably go grocery shopping soon, at the very least." Glancing at his hands, there was still some parts that were bleeding, but not as badly as before. "I'm hoping to just kick back and do nothing - though I haven't painted anything in a while... might do that."

"You might consider drawing..." Cynthia grinned back at him, as she made an indirect reference to Gwyn that Tristan understood immediately.

Letting out a chuckle, Tristan shook his head. "Or just plain working... Drawing might be good, take my mind off things... granted though... my brain's pretty much split into three parts: work, work, and... food."

"Ok ok, I don't want to know the third one. Men's brains, sheesh..."

"No seriously. It's work, which is the work here, work again for the stuff I end up taking home to work on, and food... I have no food in my house at this moment - hence the need to buy groceries. I swear you always underestimate me. As far as the other _work_ you were thinking... shouldn't you be looking for some of that to do, hmm?"

"Shut up, it's not your business anyway," she pouted, slamming another file in front of her. "Plus, I'm not as obsessed as you men are about _that_... I'm fine as I am."

Frowning slightly, he stood behind Cynthia and gave her a hug and kiss on the cheek. "I know you are, just teasing. And anyways, I'm not too worried about you in that department - you do fine on your own. We good? And feel free to take some of the chocolates from my office... I'll have Anne help me with your brownies."

"Sorry, didn't mean to get angry at you... really. And thanks for the thought."

"Hey, since when do I consider that you getting angry at me? That would be a disagreement, and a mild one at that." Giving her one last hug and grin, he stepped away and made his way over to Gwyn's door. "Love you, even when you're dealing with this crap and being pissy at me."

Smiling once again, Cynthia looked up and replied: "Love you too, and go check AD now, probably she's finishing up for the day isn't she? Well, from here technically speaking... I know she'll head back home and continue working from there... she doesn't manage to say stop, ever."

"Going going, and really? As if I could ever stop her from doing so," he laughed as he opened the door to Gwyn's office, only to see her packing up.

"Cynthia's still here? And... what's with that face?" Gwyn asked, looking up.

Grinning, he kept the door open as he began to gather his things. "The face was for seeing you actually packing up and not working and for Cyn... I believe she's just sorting your stuff out for delivery." 

"Perfect... and as for me packing, for your info there's everything I need for this evening in my bag," she grinned back. "No, I'm not done with work, yet."

Shouldering his bag, he just winked at her. "Didn't mean that you were completely done working, but rather, alluded to that you were done working _here_. So anyways, I'm gonna go wade through my office for anything worthwhile and head over to the gym for a bit." Crossing the room, he talked quietly for only Gwyn to hear. "Need me to come over? I'll just pack up a bag and head by after I'm all cleaned up for you."

"I was going to ask you to come for dinner, Anne would be delighted... plus, I'll be working on our project once I get back home, so I wouldn't mind having you there. And... I have to look up that balm for you..." she replies, looking at his hands to see the bandages becoming slightly red again.

Looking at the bandages again, Tristan frowned as he started walking out of the office. "Ah crap... looks like I won't be going to the gym. Dinner sounds great actually..." Making sure that it was just the three of them as they stood around Cynthia's desk, he spoke quietly again. "Need a ride Cyn? It's starting to get a bit dark out..." 

"I'd prefer that... leave those for tomorrow Cynthia, I'd prefer having you safe at home," Gwyn replied earning the smiles of the two of them.

"Yep. I'll meet you downstairs or do you want to witness the carnival of horrors that makes up my office right now?"

"I might want to have a look actually - to see if there's anything worth for inceneration in there," Gwyn bluntly replied, with Cynthia chuckling by her side as she took her handbag in her hands.

"Thought you might. Time's a wastin' ladies," Tristan said with a flourish as he lead them towards his office.

As Tristan opened the door, Gwyn couldn't help not noticing the two small heaps of letters he had set on his desk. Placing a hand on her temple, Gwyn moved over behind the desk and sat lightly on it, taking a couple of the letters in her hands. "Really though, when will these stop coming in? I know they're grateful but... aren't they pushing it a bit now?"

"Not my fault they love me..." he grinned as he removed one of his 'emergency shirts' (which was a white shirt, still in its packaging) and a garment bag from his wardrobe cabinet, which contained a clean, extra suit and tie for him). Placing the shirt in his bag, he chuckled as he watched the other two start sorting through the _fanmail_. "Having fun?"

"Mmmh... you might want to burn the stuff, AD's found some pretty _interesting_ mementos again..." Cynthia smirking, noticing that Gwyn was fuming once again.

"Seriously? Jeez..." Re-adjusting his bag and draping the garment bag over one of his spare chairs, he placed a hand on Gwyn's shoulder. "Now now, we can have a nice little bonfire later. Right now, it's time to go..."

"Idiots," Gwyn muttered under her breath, walking before them to head straight outside towards her car.

Laughing, Tristan handed Cynthia his garment bag as he wheeled his bicycle to Gwyn's car. "Hey, not my fault I'm so popular with everyone."

"That doesn't phase me, it's what they actually send that irritates me," she replied, opening the car's doors for the two of them.

In a teasing tone, "Correction, it's what the female staffers send me that irritates you."

"Pardon me, Sir, I suspect you wouldn't be irritated if it were the other way round," Gwyn replied, as Cynthia followed amused the exchange between the two, as all of them were settled in the car and Gwyn had started up the car's engine.

"True, I probably would. Besides, I would've burned it all already without even asking for your permission," grinned Tristan as he watched the scenery pass by.

"So that means I can do that, right?"

"Yes, _Dear_."

"Good, so, tomorrow morning bring over everything to my office and I'll have oh-so-much-fun burning that damn rubbish," she snapped back.

Patting her thigh, Tristan continued to grin. "Is that the first order of the day? Because you know, I could actually picture you wearing something like what they were sending me - in more tasteful colors of course."

"What?! You can't be serious..."

"Only somewhat... You're far more beautiful than the rest of the female staffers, excluding present company of course," he grinned over at Cynthia.

"Forget about that... but I accept the compliment, thank you."

Cynthia, from the back seat, had a good look at the two of them, then burst out laughing. "Oh God, you two... are really something. "

"I agree, and wouldn't have it any other way."

"True, you're bickering like a middle-aged married couple," she continued, stifling another laugh that came up.

Gwyn twitched an eyebrow at her last comment. "Middle-aged?"

"We're _way_ too far from middle-aged, Cyn. But the bickering I agree with."

"You're too sweet though, really," she said in a more serious tone. "Both of you... even you Miss Gwyn, never thought I'd see you so relaxed... especially with this crazy idiot of a man."

"I can deal with crazy, but must you call me an idiot? I mean I know do idiotic things but still..." pouted Tristan as he crossed his arms and sulked playfully.

"Mmmh... she might have a point actually," Gwyn chimed in, grinning back at him. "Cynthia, when we get close to your street, let me know please."

"Sure, we're not too far, thank you."

In response, he blew a raspberry in their direction before staring out the window.

"Really, thank you so much," Cynthia told them once as they had finally arrived in front of her house, as she stood to bid them farewell for the night. "Don't quarrel too much this evening, and Miss Gwyn, you shouldn't work too much either... try and relax a little bit."

"You know it's difficult for me to do that... and it's been a pleasure, don't worry."

"Bye Cyn. Best that you take it easy and enjoy the rest of your night. See you tomorrow," waved Tristan.

"See you... and goodnight to both..." she replied, walking up to her door and slipping inside. Once seeing that Cynthia was safely home, Gwyn looked at Tristan and grinned. " _Idiot._ "

"I'm your idiot. Granted, I've always been her idiot too, but I'm exclusively _your_ idiot now," he grinned back as he took her hand in his.

"I think I like the sound of that," she chuckled as she gently caressed his hand with her thumb, making sure she didn't touch his wound.

"Good." Lifting her hand, he kissed the back of it before setting it back down. "We go home now?" 

"Yes, especially since I heard your stomach growl intermittently quite a few times while I was driving," she replied, starting up the car again.

"It's always something... but you love me anyways." 

"Yes... no doubt... be sure to bring more than one lighter with you tomorrow."

-

"Anne, we're here," Gwyn called as she opened the door to her apartment.

"Hey Jasper," Tristan grinned as the puppy ran up to him before picking him up. 

"Welcome home... both of you, I'm glad to see you here again Tristan," Anne came up, probably from the kitchen since she was wearing her cooking apron. "How are you feeling Miss Gwyn? Work day went well?"

"Yes dear, quite all right," she replied, placing a hand on Jasper to pat him gently. "You?"

"Quite all right - Tristan, you might check out the fridge later on. I remembered that you mentioned your were out of groceries and bought you some essentials when I went out to buy... is that all right Miss?"

"Oh sure, definitely not a problem from my end," Gwyn grinned, taking Jasper in her arms. "Has this little guy been a good boy? Mmh?" she whispered to the puppy as she started making her way towards her office. 

"You bought groceries for me? Wow-thanks!" Tristan called from Gwyn's room as he set down the garment bag and his own bag before heading back out to the main area. "I totally appreciate it Anne."

"You're most welcome... and dinner is almost done if you want to let Miss Gwyn know about that, I'll be in the kitchen..." the maid replied, as she hurried off to continue cooking.

"I'll do that, thanks," smiled Tristan as he headed back into Gwyn's room to remove his jacket, tie, and shoes before removing his files from his bag and headed into Gwyn's office.

After letting Jasper down to scurry off around the office, Gwyn set her bag on her desk and took out all of the files she needed to work on that evening. "Mmmh... those should be it I suppose..."

"Hey, Anne told me to tell you that dinner's almost ready. Also, these are the docs that need signing," he replied while handing her some sheets of paper. Coming to stand behind her chair, Tristan wrapped his arms around her shoulders. "Forgot to ask, feeling better?"

"Much better now, thank you..." she smiled.

"Good." Deftly, he unbuttoned the top two buttons of her shirt and slid his hands underneath to rest on her shoulders. "Pretty tense there, wonder woman. Did the gifts really piss you off that much?" He quipped as he began kneading her shoulders.

"A little bit... I can't stand the fact that they're so blatantly open about those things... like... whatever."

"What's this, Gwyn Coulston not being so eloquent all of a sudden...?" teased Tristan as he continued with the massage.

"I've always been eloquent on anything other than that... especially when it's related to you," she admitted. She really was starting to get quite possessive towards him... _protective_ more than anything.

Kissing her cheek, he gave her shoulders one last squeeze before letting go. "Coming to dinner? Or you gonna stay here for a bit?"

"Go ahead... I'll come in a couple of minutes, I'm not really hungry to tell you the truth..." she replied, looking up at him.

"To be honest, I'd probably prefer something else for dinner," he grinned before kissing her.

"Go eat... heard your stomach again," she whispered as she placed one last kiss on his cheek. "I'll be with you in a minute."

"Right. Come on Jasper, let Mommy work in peace. We're gonna go eat now..."

Obediently, yet enthusiastically, Jasper followed Tristan out of the office while Gwyn just smiled as they left before getting back to work.

Once he got settled in his seat at the dining table, Anne was quite busy placing dinner on the table.

"Miss Gwyn told you she isn't feeling hungry, hasn't she?" Anne asked Tristan, as she placed the starter right in front of him - chicken and potato soup. "She'll be here in a few minutes, don't worry..."

"I don't doubt that. She kept complaining that my stomach has been growling for quite a while now."

"I can imagine... after a full day of work and all," she smiled as she watched Tristan starting to eat. "Do you mind if I sit down?" 

"Go ahead. I was actually about to ask you to sit. It's weird though, today. The CEO called in his personal doctor to check out my wounds..."

"Mmm... really? Well that must mean that Fred has taken personal interest in you... probably since you're close to Miss Gwyn..." she replied, checking every now and then Gwyn's office door.

"I guess so... but it's kinda, I dunno, weird? I mean, my hands were healing up alright. Plus, Fred kept asking me about how I like working under Gwyn..."

"Normal I suppose... Fred is pretty protective of Miss Gwyn... you may have noticed that by now," she replied as they were both finishing the soup

"Yeah. Though when the questions start heading towards, 'do you think she's pretty' or 'have you ever thought about her as someone you could potentially marry'? I mean, sure I've thought those things, but..." 

"Talking about me?" a familiar voice came right behind Tristan, startling him slightly.

"Uhh... more like Fred giving me the third degree over what I _personally_ think of you... And how the doctor was literally giving me a physical in Fred's office... That was the other reason why I felt tired..." 

"You shouldn't forget what I told you about Fred - he's just like a father to me, hence... why he can be that... _persistent_ in his ways," Gwyn replied, as she sat down by Tristan's side, and placed a kiss on his cheek. "Sorry for arriving late Anne. Don't bother with too much dinner for me anyway, still not hungry..." 

"Yeah, you're right. Never really was questioned over my intentions before - not even Cynthia's dad questioned me, though then again, we grew up together."

"Maybe you should get used to it..." she whispered back, as she turned to smile back at him.

"Probably," he grinned back at her as Anne placed a bowl of a hearty stew in front of Tristan. "Wow... this looks fantastic..."

"Thanks Anne," Gwyn followed suit, as the young maid placed a much smaller bowl in front of her mistress. 

Digging his spoon into the bowl, Tristan began eating the stew with relish. "This is amazing... I could die right now and I'd be in heaven..."

"So pleased you like it," Anne replied, grinning widely as she noticed Gwyn chuckling lightly.

Instead of saying anything, he just kept grinning as he continued to eat.

"I really wouldn't want that though," Gwyn whispered as she finished up her portion of food. 

"Not gonna happen anytime soon. Promise," Tristan smiled back after swallowing his food.

"Good, you already scared the living hell out of me lately. I don't need anything like that any time soon," she replied, as Anne took the bowl from in front of her.

"I did?"

"Mmh, maybe someone got involved in a fight with Ryan Black, remember?"

"Heh heh... oh yeah... _that_..." he grinned sheepishly. "I thought you might overlook that..."

"I won't overlook that. The outcome could have been much worse..." she sighed, resting her head against his shoulder.

Setting his spoon in his bowl, Tristan reached over and wrapped his arms around Gwyn. "I'm sorry."

"It's all right..." she smiled. "As long as he stays away from you, it's all right."

"And so long he stays away from you, we'll be alright then." He slowly ran his hand up and down Gwyn's back. "Your back okay now?" 

"Much better... thank you," she replied. "And you've got dessert now..." she told him as Anne placed two small plates with a slice of lemon cheesecake in front of the two of them.

"I know, I'm looking right at it," he grinned as he looked down at her.

"I wasn't referring to that," Gwyn chuckled as she placed a quick kiss on his lips.

"Hope you like that..." Anne told them, as she sat down at the table once again.

"Well, I did..." Giving Gwyn another hug, Tristan let go and dug into his slice of cheesecake. "And again, you are totally awesome Anne."

"You don't need to thank me each and every time, it's just part of my work after all," came the maid's prompt reply.

"Sorry, can't break this particular habit. I think you are an amazing cook and that your food's completely awesome as well. Best get used to it," beamed Tristan.

Blushing lightly, Anne stood up and hurried back into the kitchen without saying anything to Tristan in return. 

"She's being all shy again," she smiled, after having eaten half of her cheesecake slice.

"Totally, but it's very... cute. She just needs to get out of her shell a little more."

"Not that easy... Anne... went through a lot of stuff when she was still young... and that I suppose played an important role in her present character... I think I've already told you about it... maybe one day she'll do so herself..." 

"Hope so..." he said wistfully as he finished the last of his cheesecake. Staring at Gwyn's plate, he clicked his tongue. "Eat the rest and I'll get to work. No buts." 

"Good, you're taking the initiative... _actually_..." she replied, standing up and taking the plate with the rest of the dessert in her hands. "I'm taking this in my office..."

"Hey... wait a second!" cried Tristan as he chased after Gwyn, who was headed for her office. "You tricked me..."

"Tricked? Really now... you consider _this_ as tricking?" she chuckled, as she placed the plate on the desk by her side and sat down.

"Fine. I'm watching. Better finish it or I'm not picking up a single report." 

"What's this about?" she asked him, giving him a strange look. "Is it just my impression or you want me to eat?"

"You don't eat enough. I'm just worried about you, after all, you were injured really badly. Just want you to get back to full strength." 

"Tris, I'm fine, believe me... weren't you the one who said that I looked really well this afternoon?"

"True, but still. Just... eat it and I'll feel better. Please?" 

"Oh all right..." she chuckled. "If that makes you happy..." she commented as she took a bite out of the dessert and took a file in her hand. 

"Uh-uh. Finish and then I'll start working," he smirked. 

Noticing how much he was becoming apprehensive towards her too, she smiled and finished up the dessert in a few minutes, earning Tristan's grin and nod of approval. 

"Hand me that report, please."

"Mmh? Why? It's not part of your workload... just work on what you brought in from the office and let these be." 

"Yeah but... it _is_ the report that I brought up - look at it."

"Ah..." she stared back at him, opening the first page of the report, and flipping through the first couple of pages. "Oh right... so you wanted to brief me about it?" 

"Yeah so about this particular comment..."

Over the next few hours, the pair worked on the various reports until it was getting close to midnight. By this point, both had migrated to sitting on the couch together, as it was easier to work on reviewing and discussing their work.

"Y'know... this has been some strange week... Are you sure you wanna burn everything I got from my fanbase? Besides, where are we gonna burn it all?"

At the mention of the fanmail, Gwyn glared back at Tristan and exhaled a deep sigh. "God, not _that_ again... in my office and as soon as possible." 

"Aww, c'mon, don't you find it the slightest bit funny?"

"No... not at all... What the heck's funny with women sending lingerie to men as a thank-you gift? Plus, these people barely know you!" she pouted. 

Seeing her glare at him, he started teasing her - just to get a reaction from her. "You're _totally_ being jealous over the porn pics and the lingerie..." 

"I'm not _jealous_... it's just that I can't stand that easy attitude from them... and... ugh, you reminded me of the pictures," she replied, rolling her eyes right in front of him. "Will you forget about that stuff and continue working?"

Grinning, Tristan pushed all of the reports off his lap and pulled Gwyn on him instead. "No, you just don't want to admit that you're totally jealous of them doing that - over me no less. C'mon, tell me how you really feel about this."

"Are you sure you want to know?" 

"I do." 

"Does wanting to rip them all apart one by one, limb by limb, answer your query?" she replied bluntly.

"Mmm... that tells me how you feel about them... but, how do you feel about _me_?" came the innocent question, while his hands skimmed the fabric of Gwyn's skirt.

"I think you already know how I feel about you..."

"Show me." 

"What?!"

Pulling her down slightly, Tristan undid two more buttons on Gwyn's shirt before attacking the spot on her neck he'd been favoring over the past day or so. "You heard me... Are you able to do so?" 

"Wait... wait..." she muttered, looking straight into his eyes. _Am I willing to take this risk?_

"Hmm?" 

"I..." _Am I ready to place him in this danger?_

"Heh, not only are you hesitating, but you're trembling too. I thought I made it abundantly clear in your office? I. Want. You. And only you. No one else. Not now not ever. Just you," he replied in a determined tone as he stared her in the eye. 

Realising how sincere the look in his eyes was; how determined his expression was... Gwyn gave him a heartfelt smile and wrapped her arms as close to him as possible. "I know... I know... just, promise me that I won't lose you... ever. I'm too afraid of that..."

"Don't be afraid. You won't ever lose me. I'll be yours forever if you want me to."

"Is that a promise?" she whispered, looking straight into his eyes once more. "Whatever happens to us... you'll still be?" _What if you knew... who I really am?_

"It's a promise. And I'll seal it with a kiss too..." he whispered back before tilting his head up to kiss her.

"You have my word on that too... and I'll protect you with all of my being..." she whispered back, returning the kiss. _Maybe I am... ready..._

After several minutes, the kisses between the pair began to grow more and more heated. Eventually, Tristan smoothly stood up and carried Gwyn, bridal-style, out of her office and towards her room without breaking their kiss. Shutting and locking the door behind him, he gently placed Gwyn on top of her bed before following suit and straddling her waist. As he continued to kiss her, Tristan pulled Gwyn's shirt from her skirt and proceeded to unbutton the rest of the shirt and opened it, skirting the fingers of his left hand over her exposed skin while his right hand busied itself with her skirt. Any thoughts he had at that moment, both coherent and rational, completely went out the window as everything focused on Gwyn.

Feeling Gwyn's hands running over his bare chest after she unbuttoned his shirt, he moaned slightly as he began kissing her neck before stopping at his favorite spot and biting it gently.

Chuckling lightly at his touch as she felt the warmth of that man enveloping her, Gwyn placed her arms round his neck, at the same time moving him closer to her and running a hand through his hair. Still focusing on his touch, Gwyn moved one hand to remove the rest of his shirt, while at the same time nuzzling her head closer to his neck, placing random kisses all over his skin.

Undoing the fastener of her skirt, he unzipped it quickly and slid it down her body. Once it was off, he broke the kiss as he began kissing down her chest while slowly crawling off her to pull off her stockings. Murmuring against her stomach, "Are you sure you want this? Once we do this, there's no going back for us... I need to make sure that _I'm_ the one you want."

"Tris, look at me... please."

Moving back up, he looked her in the eye.

"We wouldn't be like this if you weren't the one," she whispered, smiling back at him. "You're the _only_ one..." 

"Thank you... You're my one and only." Leaning down, he kissed her again before pulling off the rest of her stockings. Crawling back up, he helped her sit up before removing her shirt, leaving her in just her bra and panties. "Mmm...much better than those _other_ pics in my office... Much much better..."

"Not those _again_ ," she laughed, as she gave him a slight push to make him rest on his back, while she shifted to rest on top of him. "That should make me feel better mmh?" she whispered, kissing him again as she placed her hand on his cheek and caressed it slightly. 

"You _definitely_ look better than they do... Plus, I like it when a woman takes charge," he smirked. "Though at the moment...I feel a bit _over-dressed_ , care to help me with that?"

Giving him a mischievous grin, Gwyn ran her hands across his chest, reaching down to his waist, unfastening the clasp of his belt and slid it off. "And that's... one..." she chuckled once more, placing a kiss on his lips. 

Kissing her back, Tristan hugged her tightly. Breaking the kiss, he rested his head on her shoulder. "Just one?"

"You impatient one," she grinned, as she sat up, still resting slightly on his legs and unfastened the zip of his pants, sliding them off gently. "That's two..." she whispered, leaning down to rest on his chest, giving him a number of quick kisses on chest, neck, up to his lips.

Without breaking their kiss, he rolled over and pinned Gwyn to the bed while reaching for his discarded pants. Finding his wallet, he managed to find and remove a familiar package before dropping the wallet onto the floor. "So... get under the blankets now... or later?" 

Raising an eyebrow playfully at him, she smiled back and chuckled. "And you think I can wait now?"

Grinning, he placed the package in Gwyn's outstretched palm. "I wanted to give you an option..." 

"No other option..." she whispered, as she slipped out of his grasp and slid under the blankets, laughing. "Slowpoke," she teased, ducking under the covers.

Laughing, he pulled back the covers and slid under them before pulling Gwyn back on top of him. "You're quite the sneaky one." Using his right hand, he unsnapped her bra and tossed it aside while his left hand played with the waistband of her panties. 

Nuzzling her head against his neck, Gwyn wrapped her arms around his waist, turning her head to look up towards him. "Have you ever imagined... that this would have turned out... this way?"

"Oh I've imagined this plenty of times...though my imagination seemed to make our encounters just a bit more...graphic... But us as a couple? No. Us falling in love? No. Us getting closer over a stupid project, a douchebag asshole, and some unwanted gifts? Not in a million years."

"Right... just... don't call your work stupid, I might get offended," she laughed, resting her forehead against his.

"You're the boss... I promise I won't call the work stupid to your face," he grinned.

"Good..." she replied, sliding her hands down once again towards his waist, playing at the waistband of his boxers. "And what was that about the graphic imagination... Tris?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. 

"As much as I would love to entertain those fantasies tonight... perhaps we should save them for a later encounter, as I just want to prove to you how much I love you."

"Depends on how crazy they are..." she chuckled. "And... you don't need much more proof, you've already shown me that."

"I may not need more proof, but... I would like to make love to you."

Smiling, she placed a sweet kiss on his lips and replied. "No need for permission..." 

"Good. But we're still wearing far too many clothes and you're holding what I need... unless you like the prospect of risking the chance of you having a kid nine months from now..." he teased.

"No, that's totally out of the question!" she snapped back, almost startling him as she stared back wide-eyed.

"Whoa there... calm down, Gwyn. Like I said, you're currently holding in your hand what I need to prevent that from happening - the getting pregnant part. I'm asking you to trust me - you already love me, just trust me now. But like I said, I won't do this if I'm not the one for you."

"I... I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap back... really," she whispered, placing what she had been inadvertently holding all that time back in his hands. 

"And I've already told you, you're the only one for me. Hell... I've practically marked you..."

"So..." 

"I guess selfishly, I want to claim _all_ of you. That mark on your neck now...it reminds me that I've sort of laid claim on you. Childish, as well as archaic in thinking, but how many more times to I need to tell you that I want you and only you? I want all of you, but I'll take what I can get though that probably won't stop me from wanting more." Clutching the package in his hand, he was ready to place it back on the nightstand when he felt her hand brush against his wrist.

"What are you doing?"

"What do you want me to do?"

"Go ahead..." she smiled back, placing a kiss on his cheek.

"You're sure? I mean absolutely sure?" Placing it back in her hands, he rested his hands on her hips. "Don't accept this request because of me asking, but rather... I'm giving you all of me, because I want to."

"And I'm doing the same..."

Giving her a mischievous smile, "Then shall you have the honors, or do you want me to do it?"

"That's why I said go ahead earlier," she grinned back.

"So... does that mean we'll undress each other or..." 

Stopping him with a passionate kiss, Gwyn merely slid down her hands towards his hips, took hold of the shorts and slid them down in one quick movement. "Mmmh?" giving him a mischievous look as she felt his hands on her sides. 

"Like I said, sneaky..." Slowly, he tugged her underwear down her legs before tearing the foil package quietly. "Soundproof walls right?" he grinned at her. 

"Yes," she laughed. "With a guarantee."

"Good to know for future reference..." he whispered back as he smiled back at her. "I love you, Gwyn."

"I love you too... Tris... so much," she smiled back, as he made her rest on her back.

A few hours later, Tristan held a quietly dozing Gwyn in his arms, running his hand through her slightly damp blonde hair. Though he teased her about the walls, he himself wasn't quite ready to really test them out - at least at that current moment. Brushing away a stray lock of hair, he gently kissed Gwyn's lips before falling asleep himself.

Noticing that it still seemed to be dark outside, Gwyn exhaled a deep contented sigh and placed a kiss on Tristan's chest while they were still in each other's arms. She'd never felt so peaceful, so wanted... so _needed_... That sense of need she usually felt was almost always related to work, to Fred or to the Clan. Or to some sick idiot like Black. In a way, Tristan had managed to make her open her heart wide open, as none other had managed to. Not that she didn't have feelings of love towards other people - she loved Fred like a father, she loved Anne as a little sister, almost like a daughter... people like Cynthia too... so close. But none of them had managed to do what Tristan had accomplished - expose her true feelings completely.

Nuzzling closer to him, Gwyn placed a kiss on Tristan's cheek, feeling his deep, slow breathing on her skin. She would have waited like that till he woke up... she didn't feel like anything else, considering she was feeling in the safest place in the world. 

-

Once the first rays of sunlight entered the room through the window, immediately, Tristan held Gwyn closer to him as he buried his head into her neck. Slowly, he realized that his fingers were touching the bare skin of her back and hips, rather than a pajama top like the previous morning. Smiling, he felt her shift slightly in his embrace. "Good morning," he whispered quietly, his voice slightly rougher from their 'activities' from the previous night.

"'Morning..." she whispered back, moving her head to face him and placing a kiss on his nose. "Slept well?"

Leaning forward, he gave her a proper kiss before smiling back at her. "Very well. You?"

"Does - _I want to wake up like this every morning_ \- answer your question?"

"Yes it does and yes I want to wake up like this every morning too. Any regrets?" 

"Not. One. Bit," she replied, accompanying each word with a kiss. "I would be mad if I did."

"Nice to know and good, I don't regret last night at all either. So, where does that leave us now though? Obviously we love each other... but as far as work is concerned...?"

At the mention of work, Gwyn looked back at him and gasped. "And I thought you were the one not thinking about that," she chuckled. "What are you worrying about? Things should be left status quo... mmh?"

"It'll be a bit hard you see..." replied Tristan as he began planting kisses along her neck and down her chest. "Not too sure I can look at you now without wanting to take you on the rug of your office... during business hours. You are truly addicting."

Laughing, she gazed back at him. "You don't want me to lock my office door, do you?"

"The problem being, the moment you lock the door, do you really think we can get work done?" he snickered as he lazily kissed her stomach.

"Oh wait wait wait, Mister," she snickered playfully. "I meant... locking _you_ out of the office. But joking apart, you must keep a clear distinction between work and off-work..."

"I can always call you and leave dirty messages... because y'know, you always want progress reports from me. And yes, I'm completely aware of that, joking aside." Making his way back up, he hovered over her while giving her another grin. "Think we have enough time for another go... or would the shower be a bit more appropriate?"

Chuckling, she moved up to kiss him as a reply. "I'd agree with option one... then shower sounds nice... And you're still keeping me curious on what you have in mind for the rest of the day."

"Wow, you really are relaxed aren't you? It's Friday morning, Sweetheart - we have work to do... unless you want to call in sick today?"

"It's... Fri... what?!" she freaked out, sitting up in bed.

"Yesterday was Thursday, making today Friday - unless Friday somehow magically turned into Thursday the previous night. And also... it's still early, we have at least two more hours before we need to start getting ready," he soothed while taking her hand in his.

"I thought it was Saturday morning already for a second..." she replied, as she ran a hand through his hair, while giving a quick look at the clock on the nearby table. "And you're right about the time too..."

"So... here in bed or the shower?" he grinned mischievously. "Or do you feel like... both?"

"Both? My, my... seems you have rested quite well then, how ambitious," she chuckled. "How about bed first, then relaxing in the shower? I want my manager to be crisp and fresh for work you know, not dead tired from early morn already."

"I've got the stamina for it... dunno about you. As for me being dead tired... considering how I spent it, might not be too bad as it's pretty obvious I had quite the _good night_ last night," he replied teasingly as he kissed her shoulder while pulling back on top of him. "And you Assistant Director, you're positively glowing right now... and feeling quite good."

"Indeed," she smiled back. "So, agree with my deal?"

"Agreed. But I meant what I said, you're obviously in a good mood... but... I can actually _feel_ your mood... You're relaxed, content, and... quite aroused at this very second."

Giving him a weird but content look, Gwyn smiled and rested her forehead against his. "What do you mean? Mmh... I can actually notice that you're ecstatic, brimming with energy and happiness, probably you're positively rubbing it on me. And... I do feel good anyway... just like you."

"Yes but... don't you _feel_ it? It's like I can feel what you're feeling right now - on top of my own emotions..."

"Not... quite. I know you're happy just as I am, but I guess it's just an obvious consequential thought after all that happened..."

"Maybe... but enough talk. I've got some _work_ to do... and can't exactly leave you disappointed, now can I?" he smirked as he rolled her onto her back before kissing her.

"No you can't," she whispered, kissing him back while wrapping her arms around him, making him move closer to her as much as possible.

Sometime afterwards, Tristan kissed Gwyn's forehead before crawling off of her and sat on the edge of the bed. "Shower's yours. I'm gonna get some water from the kitchen and be back in a bit. Good?"

Taking him by surprise, Gwyn crawled up next to him and grabbed his right arm. "And where do you think you're going?"

"Are you ordering me to stay in bed?" he smirked as she began skirting her fingers over his wrist.

Shifting to wrap both her legs around him, and her arms around his waist, she merely chuckled and placed a kiss on his back. "I said I'd feel like having a relaxing shower... I didn't say I'd want to go alone though..."

"You know we're not going to get out of there for awhile, right?"

"I _think_ , you might actually be right..." she laughed, resting her head on his shoulder. "Shower... breakfast and leaving for work... plan?"

"I'll go with that..." Turning in her embrace slightly, he kissed her as he got up from the bed and carried her off to the shower. Nearly half an hour later, both were standing next to each other by the sink, with their towels wrapped around themselves, and staring at their reflections: Tristan grinning as he brushed his teeth while Gwyn was examining the 'mark' Tristan left on her neck.

"Dammit Tris," she laughed out, eyeing her neck more carefully. "I'll have to wear a high neck top today."

Stopping to spit out the toothpaste, "Not like you were complaining... Also, you have rather sharp nails..."

"We're draw at that," Gwyn grinned back, as she continued brushing her hair, while giving the occasional look at her neck. "At least I've got the right suit to go with that kind of top..." she muttered, walking out of the bathroom to fetch the hairdryer.

Rinsing out the toothpaste, Tristan washed his face and examined his face - realizing that he didn't need to shave for at least several more days. Sticking his tongue out at his reflection, he followed Gwyn into the bedroom before walking over to the main door. "Need a drink... be right back..." He unlocked it quickly and slipped out into the kitchen.

Once he got into the kitchen, he heard a gasp as he was pouring water into a glass. Turning, he saw Anne standing there with her hand covering her mouth in shock. Blushing slightly, he grinned as he took a drink. "Morning Anne. Sleep well?" 

"Good... morning... I... yes," she managed to reply, her shock turning into a slight grin. "You?"

"Extremely well, thanks. You're right about Gwyn... she can be rather _demanding_ at times... as well as quite the taskmistress..." he winked at her mischievously while finishing the rest of his water as Jasper came bounding up to him. "Hey Puppy, sleep good?" he grinned as he scratched the pup behind his ears. "Okay you be good for Auntie Anne - Daddy has to get dressed for work... We'll have breakfast in a bit." 

"Well, yes she can be quite deman... hey wait a minute... Tristan! You and... the Miss..." she gasped, lowering her head and moving into the kitchen.

"We may have... can't exactly share too many details. We'll talk later though, see you in a bit," he told her gently as he left her to do her duties before heading back into the bedroom. "Ran into Anne..."

"You teased her again, haven't you?" she asked him, as she was pulling up her stockings while seated at the edge of the bed. Just as she had mentioned earlier, she was wearing a black high-necked top, that was both comfy and served the purpose of covering her neck as necessary.

"Just a bit, I'll talk to her later though..." he replied as he unzipped his garment bag, which he had shoved a package of clean boxers inside aside from the charcoal grey suit. Removing both items, he tore into the package for his boxers and removed one pair before sliding them on and removing his towel. "Suit look familiar?" he asked Gwyn as he pulled out his 'emergency shirt' from his work bag and opened it

"You've worn that one recently, haven't you?" she replied, sliding up her knee-length pencil skirt.

"It was recently cleaned yes, but... take a look at the suit... you'll remember it." He smiled as removed some travel toiletries from his work bag and cleaned up a bit before getting dressed.

"The one you had during the fight with Black?"

"Nope, it's the one you bought me," he grinned as he took the pants off the bed and proceeded to pull them on.

"Can I go hide beneath the bedsheets? How on Earth could I have forgotten about that?!"

"No hiding beneath the bedsheets unless you're naked... unless you want to be late for work. If it's the latter, I can help you with getting to know this suit all over again," he laughed.

"Right, that wasn't the best thing to say in your presence I suppose," she chuckled, as she slipped on her usual high-heeled shoes and walked towards the large mirror in her room.

"Nope it sure wasn't." Standing next to her, he finished threading his belt through the loops in his pants and closed it before straightening his shirt collar. "Now, I know you have a thing for these, so, if you would be so kind," he grinned as he handed her a skinny black necktie.

"You do it on purpose, don't you," she chuckled, make-up still half-done, as she turned to face him. Taking the tie in her hands, she proceeded into sliding it under Tristan's shirt collar, then started having her go at the tie, finishing the knot up perfectly. "See? It's just how a men's tie should be."

"I know. I just like having you do it - since you're so particular about it..." he kissed her quickly before running a hand through his hair. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," she replied, as she went back to her reflection in the mirror and finished up her make-up. "That's something I'm pretty meticulous about when it comes to your looks."

"The tie or my hair?"

"Tie. Your hair looks nice enough which ever way you decide to comb it. On the other hand, get the tie completely wrong and you end up looking scruffy rather than smart."

"You'd love me anyways," he smiled as he pulled on a clean pair of socks and then put on his watch before sliding his shoes on. Picking up his jacket, he slipped it on and stood by the mirror again. "You look fantastic as always."

"Well thank you," she replied, as she put on a pair of plain stud earrings - which from a closer look seemed to be diamonds according to Tristan - , a long necklace to dress up the black top and her wrist watch. "And you look fine too Tris."

"Just 'fine'? Darn... I was shooting for handsome, but... fine will do," he teased.

"Is it just me or I'm messing up all of your expectations this morning?" she laughed, walking up to him to wrap her arms around his waist.

"Nah, I always lowball my expectations - that way, I'm always surprised when things go well for me. Also, you can always make it up to me _tonight_..." he replied as he returned her hug. 

"You're not considering the remote possibility that a certain AD might be in a bad mood after work..."

"Nope. I told you I can feel your emotions. The moment you feel bad, I'll be there to make you feel better. That's a promise."

Getting a bit curious, she pressed him a little bit on the subject. "How about now?"

"You're... unsure about what I'm talking about - confused is probably a better way to describe it. But, you're also curious about what I'm thinking... oh-and... you're still happy right now."

"Mmh-huh... and now you'd better be off for breakfast as your stomach hasn't stopped grumbling since we got out of the shower," she teased with a wink.

"Hey, I used up my energy making sure that I left you in a good mood... as well as _satisfied_ ," he smirked back as he grabbed his bag and walked out the door.

Smiling as she watched him head outside, Gwyn had a quick look around her room, picking up the random pieces of clothing they had scattered by the edge of the bed, and chuckled when she came up to picking both of their underwear. Once done at placing them in the laundry basket, she smiled and headed outside, hearing Anne and Tristan talking in the kitchen. 

-

"...So yeah, guess we made our relationship as official as it gets - without getting married. You didn't hear anything last nig-hey Gwyn, glad you could join us."

"Anne, gathered all the dirty laundry for you in the bathroom... and good morning by the way," she smiled back at her as she sat down by Tristan's side. "What were you talking about?"

Giving her a worried look, Anne jumped up from her seat and replied: "Really, Miss, you can't go public though yet, it's too dangerous, I mean I'm happy for the two of you and all but..."

"No no no... nothing public for us. Really don't want this going around. Probably the only other people that know are Cynthia and Valerie - but neither don't know how far it goes. I'd like to keep us private for as long as possible - especially with that Black asshole around..." Tristan replied calmly as he grabbed Gwyn's hand the moment he sensed worry and anger coming from her.

"I know what you're thinking about Anne, but trust me, I won't take that risk... That's the last thing I'd ever want," she muttered, almost in a whisper.

Giving the two a confused look, Tristan resumed eating his breakfast while Jasper ate out of his own bowl of food.

At Gwyn's reply, Anne merely gave a small bow in return and moved into the kitchen to bring just her tea to the table. "I apologize for that Miss... I didn't mean..."

"Anne, no need for that, you're just being realistic," she smiled back at her. "But I know what I'm going for, trust me."

Looking down at Jasper, who had finished his food, Tristan finished up his breakfast and picked up the puppy for a bit.

As Anne headed back to the kitchen once again, Gwyn placed her head on Tristan's shoulder and gazed at Jasper for a short while. "Sorry about that."

"Am I worth the risk? And don't try to lie - I know what you're feeling." 

"I wouldn't have taken it if you weren't," she smiled back.

"Okay. I'm glad you think so, but if it's worth anything - I'm glad I took all those chances with you, despite some of the arguments and meltdowns."

"I know... and... I hope to talk to you about some things related to myself that I still cannot freely converse with you about... maybe I will soon... but not for now..." she whispered back. "And I know you were worth the risk... ever since you saved me from Black... I knew even before that, but that day was the final confirmation."

Turning to plant a kiss on her crown, he leaned his head against hers as he continued to pet Jasper. "I'll wait until you're ready - I won't push the matter unless you want to. And the moment I knew I loved you, when you came back to the office after our first big fight - though accidental it was." Smiling, "But the moment you saw me after I woke you up from Black's attack - I wanted to be yours forever."

"When you're like this, you always make me wonder whether I deserve such a sweet man like you..."

"Well, I hope I deserve you... You're the first person I've wanted in this manner - I never thought that I'd find someone I was willing to build a life with together."

Smiling, she placed a kiss on his cheek while putting a hand on Jasper, giving him a quick caress. "Can you read what I'm feeling right now?"

"Love."

"Mmm-hmm... and..."

"Warmth and protection. You're going to keep on fighting to protect those you care about, whom you love dearly and feel safe and secure with - that's the warmth part."

"You got them all right... especially the one about protecting you all. I'll do that till my last breath..."

"If you'll let me, I'll do the same for you. Count on that." 

"Just keep in mind that you are irreplaceable to me, Tris..."

"As you are to me. I don't ever want to lose you."

"Now someone need to get going for work..." she whispered, placing a kiss on his neck as she got back on her feet.

Setting down Jasper, Tristan leaned down and kissed Gwyn sweetly before quietly leaving the apartment. 

-

It wasn't very usual for AD to arrive at nine o'clock... she usually was at the office at the punctual hour of 07:30, maximum 08:00, depending on the amount of traffic she used to encounter on the way. By that time, Cynthia had already checked out all of her incoming mail, arranged it according to their various priorities, lined out all of her meetings, verified her attendance and placed the schedule on her desk... and had a quick snack. 

Seeing her storm inside the office with a smile on her face wasn't too usual either.

"'Morning Cynthia..." she greeted as she walked steadily to open her office door. 

"Good morning Ms. Coulston, prepared your schedule, and your mail sorted as usual - both are on your desktop," she promptly replied, taking advantage of Gwyn's good mood that morning. 

"Any meeting with CEO today?" she asked, as she opened the door and Cynthia followed her steps.

"No ma'am. He might call to talk with you, but no, no meetings are scheduled for today. Your next meeting with Mr. Rhule on the Advertising Department is for next Monday late afternoon... and Mr. Faraday is invited too."

"Thanks, that was quite helpful. As for the phone calls today, pass them through - as long as they're not assholes or any of the sort."

"Yes ma'am... and... would you like some tea?"

"Do you, by any chance, still have that cinnamon tea from last time? Tasted quite good, I must admit..." Gwyn replied, smiling back at her secretary.

"Oh... that... of course! I'll bring over a cup and some of the new files in a couple of minutes," she informed her, as she walked out of the office, grinning.

"So... let's see what we have for today then..." muttered Gwyn, as she took the first file in her hand to get started...

-

Whistling to himself, Tristan sorted through the fanmail once again. On the floor of his office, there were three separate piles - not including one for edible gifts: keep, donate, and toss/destroy. So far the toss/destroy pile was growing steadily while the other two were on the small side. Once he was finished, he bagged up the toss/destroy items and put a sticky note on the bag while placing the donate items into a box to drop off them off during lunch. The keep pile were mostly cards from the women who were forced to work under Black, and in those cards, they explained everything that went on. Writing a quick note on a memo pad, Tristan took all of the notes and placed them in a large envelope before making a phone call over to Cynthia's desk.

"Hey Cyn, it's your idiot best friend. May I please be put through to AD please?"

"AD's office, good mor... Tristan," she grinned, recognizing the voice across the phone immediately. "And yes I'm doing fine thank you very much, I'm putting you through," she commented, placing him on hold as she talked to Gwyn before passing him to her.

"Yes, not a problem and... yes Faraday?"

"Care to have a little bonfire tonight... say meet at my place? From there we can head over to the beach for a proper light show."

"You're kidding..." she smiled, liking the idea. "It's fine for me."

"Nope. Everything's all sorted out and bagged. From the stuff you helped me sort yesterday, there are about two-and-a-half bags worth of crap. Also, I have a box of stuff that I'll be dropping off in town - donating them as a lot of them are small items that can be used by others. Finally... I have a large envelope full of notes for you - and I think you'll find them useful..."

"What are those about?"

"Thank you notes and written statements from Black's 'little harem'."

"One-sided 'little harem' - except for the couple of die-hard brainwashed women of his, from whom by the way I sometimes get exquisite _I hate you_ notes... never told you about those... it's been a running event for ages now. Anyway all the rest of them hated him so, I can imagine. But thank you for those, might be handy to keep for future reference."

"I'll keep that in mind and they'll be safe with me. Also, do you have my edited reports ready? I finished my stack of new stuff, but need the ones from last night. Also, how interesting about the notes... all I've ever gotten from the staff were _I love you_ notes. Would it be possible for me to stop by and drop off my stack of new stuff?"

"You can come and pick them up whenever you like, they're in my out-tray," she replied, then with a snicker. "You know, the undersigned is quite hated around here... never noticed that? Particularly from the female population of employees."

"I tend not to notice these things... I tend to worry about meeting all of my deadlines on time... So I'll stop by in say... five minutes from now?"

"Whenever you want."

"Great. See you..." Once he hung up the phone, he grabbed his stack of reports, as well as the envelope, and made his way up to Gwyn's office. Once he arrived, a grinning Cynthia greeted him.

"Hey wait, what's all that stuff?!" she asked, offering him a box of lemon shortcake cookies, while munching on one of them herself.

"Stuff..." Grabbing some of the cookies, Tristan munched on them quickly and grinned. "Great cookies there, where'd you get them from? Also, feeling better?"

"Maybe I bought them from that small bakery close to my place, darling," she grinned back at him in response. "Mmm... sort of yes. You?"

"I'm feeling fantastic." Taking a few more, Tristan leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "These are absolutely delicious and glad you're feeling better. Best report in... see you."

"Good luck..." she greeted back, right before looking at the box and noticing that he had munched down literally half of the box. "Tristan!"

After knocking on the door, he entered the office and shut the door behind him. "Hello again. How are you this lovely morning?"

Upon hearing Cynthia calling Tristan's name, Gwyn merely chuckled and looked up at him, grinning. "What did you do to her?"

"I _may_ have eaten and stolen over half of her cookies... operative word here being _may,_ " he grinned back as he offered her the pilfered lemon cookies, "Want one?"

"Half? No wonder she's pissed at you. And you have eaten quite the breakfast this morning," she replied, taking the cookie and having a bite. "I bet... these are delicious... I think they actually should be her favourites... with the coconut Viennese cookies covered with milk chocolate. An overdose of calories," she chuckled.

"I'll make it up to her. I'll buy some from the bakery tomorrow and drop them off at her place. Anyways, glad you like the cookies and these are for you," he replied while gobbling up the remainder of the cookies and dropping the small stack on Gwyn's desk. "I've always liked the lemon ones more - not a big coconut fan. I'll get her both cookies though, heavy on the chocolate because she loves me so much. Also, that breakfast was enough to get me through the morning."

"And this cookie was enough for me, talk about contrasts... oh by the way, that's your stack of reviewed reports. All of them are approved, subject to minor corrections I carried out myself. Check them out again before sending them off."

"Will do. You're feeling quite content right now - that cookie must've worked wonders. So... bonfire tonight?"

"Probably not just the cookie," she smiled, nodding back. "Bonfire it is," she replied with a wicked grin.

"Well, I can't really comment on what exactly it is that's making you content right about now... without _experiencing_ it." Shooting her a wicked grin and a wink, he took the stack and headed towards the door. "And don't worry too much about tonight, I think I have a way of _heating things up_..." He left her office quickly before Gwyn could reply back.

"I am just happy that you're here, you one-track minded boy," she laughed up, gesturing back playfully at him to head outside as the office door closed.

Passing by Cynthia's desk, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her alongside him. "Come on you, I have temporary goodies for you to imbibe. I'll get you some cookies tomorrow morning and drop them off."

"You're still a handsome lemon cookie thief anyways," she grumbled. "Hey wait... there's no need to buy more of them..."

"Sure I do, I ate over half of them - only fitting. Besides, I'll be getting your other favourite cookies... for now though, you'll have to make do with the chocolates in my office, you gorgeous coconut Viennese milk chocolate cookie fiend you..."

-

"Wow, you really did clean up all of that crap..." Cynthia said in awe as she munched on some of the chocolates in Tristan's office.

"Yep, spent a better part of my morning doing it - but I got it done. I'm rather proud of myself, actually..." he grinned while taking a bite out of an apple. "The bonfire shall be awesome..."

"Speaking of which - is bonfire going to be a codeword between you and AD, hmm?"

"I don't know-"

Shutting the door, Cynthia lounged on Tristan's couch while he leaned against his wardrobe cabinet. She merely stared at him until he took another bite of his apple and grinned.

"Bonfire has two meanings... but, we probably could start using it as a codeword. How'd you figure-"

"Aside from her positively happy mood... she's glowing Tris... Guess you haven't lost your touch," smirked Cynthia.

"And am I super-obvious too?"

"You have a slight swagger in your step, but you've always had that. It was how you strolled into AD's office that made it clear that you were in a pretty good mood. Take care of each other, alright?"

"Definitely and thanks Cyn," replied Tristan as he gave her a hug and kissed her cheek.

"No problem Brat. You're good for each other... just take it day by day and trust one another," smiled Cynthia as she returned the hug and kiss. "Now, you're letting me keep the chocolates, right?"

"Of course. Let's go Super Assistant, AD's waiting..." Leading her out of his office, the two friends talked amongst themselves while heading back towards Cynthia and Gwyn's office. Once they arrived, Tristan slipped back into Gwyn's office. "So, how's the rest of your day looking?"

"Have a look at this bullshit," Gwyn growled, handing him a badly written report in his hands. "And this came from a senior officer... what the hell!"

Taking the report, Tristan skimmed it before proceeding to rip out the pages from the report cover and crumple up the torn pages. " _That's_ supposed to pass for quality? Total bullshit that was."

"Really... I am not going to waste my time reading that rubbish," she snapped out, scribbling a quick note and placing it in a small envelope, while writing the name of the recipient on the cover.

"Want me to leave so that you can vent, or do you want to spend the rest of this morning making fun of shitty reports?" 

"No stay, or I'll end up destroying something in the process. Judging from the authors, I'm presuming there will more of this crap," she sighed, scribbling another couple of notes again. "And you?"

"I'm just here for moral support. If you want me to help you filter out the shit, I can do that."

"If you don't mind... and don't have anything particularly pressing to do..."

"I don't mind at all. Plus, you feel like you're ready to commit justifiable homicide, so it's best that I stick around. Any particular place you want me to sit? Also, I locked the office door just in case you wanted to throw crap around..."

"Make yourself comfortable on the couch... if I'll throw something, I'll do so in the opposite direction... damn idiots."

Grinning, Tristan took some of the reports and did as he was told. For the next several minutes, all was quiet until the pair ended up tossing the report they were reading across the room before picking up another one to read. The cycle continued until it was nearly lunchtime, at which Tristan finished reading the last report and threw it onto the ground.

"That last report was absolute horseshit..."

"Okay, that last one was totally horrible," Gwyn groaned, resting her head against her desktop, after shoving the file right across the room. "Another one of those and I swear I'll make a huge bonfire out of them."

Getting up from his spot on the couch, he made his way over to where Gwyn sat. "You and fire seem to go hand and hand."

"Seems like it, mmh?" she mumbled back with her head still resting on the desk.

Laughing, Tristan leaned down and kissed Gwyn.

"Believe me, it's not that it's you... but you're really on a completely different level when it comes to competency."

"Amongst other things too, hmm?"

"Amongst other things, yes," she smiled back at him.

"Heh, good.... Doing anything for lunch?" 

"Not really," she looked up. "Apart form the option of staying in and cursing another couple of people in here."

Instead of answering back, Tristan planted kisses on the exposed skin of Gwyn's neck and jaw before kissing her again.

"I know you're thinking about something... but not here," she whispered back, kissing him back.

"I told you earlier, it's hard not to think about this when I'm with you...plus, you're _almost_ considering it - a part of you is actually aroused by the thrill of getting caught..." he whispered in between their kisses.

Smiling, she placed a kiss on his cheek and gave him a quick caress. "It would be too dangerous..." 

"True, but... you like the thrill of it..." he smirked. "I. Can. Feel. It."

"Maybe I do..." Gwyn whispered back giving him a quick kiss. "But we can't," she gazed back giving him a determined look. "Trust me."

Giving her a quick kiss back, Tristan let his hands slide down her shoulders as he let her go. "Alright, I'll wait until tonight. Going for a run since it's lunchtime and the halls should be deserted. Afterwards, just call me if you need me as I'll be working on the rest of the corrected reports. Until then..." Waving slightly, he headed for the door to let himself out of the office. 

-

"Hey Boy Wonder! You going for a run?"

Whipping around as he was tying his laces, Tristan grinned as Cynthia, James, and Cole made their way over, all dressed to go play a bit of football outside.

"Was considering it, but if you guys are going to play, then 2 on 2 sounds a bit more fun. Going to the park?"

"Yes but I'm warning you guys, I'm with Tristan, no buts," she grinned back, poking her tongue out at the rest of her friends.

Taking off his glasses, James wiped them on the edge of his t-shirt. "Yep. Couple of other guys have started playing there yesterday, so we thought that a little friendly competition would be fun. Besides, I think they play for the opposing team in the league."

Grinning, Tristan wrapped his arm around Cynthia's shoulders as they headed out the entrance of the building. "By all means then, let's gather some intel on these guys..."

"I swear Tris, one day you could probably rule this country - or at least become head of this company on your way towards global domination," joked Cole as he ruffled Tristan's hair.

"It's on my to-do list... the global domination part. I'll make sure to have cheeseburgers recognized as our country's national food of choice..."

"And where exactly are salads going to fall on this national menu?" teased Cynthia as she wrapped an arm around Tristan's waist, as well as around James' waist as well.

"They're on the food totem pole... but meat, cheese, and bacon come first. You salad munchers get low priority," smirked Tristan.

Letting go of his waist, Cynthia let out a laugh as she smacked Tristan's butt, who took off playfully as she chased him to the park while both James and Cole laughed at their antics.

"So now boys," Cynthia looked back at the three of them, while she caught up her breath again. "Your plan was?"

Giving her a look, Cole dragged Cynthia with him towards a group of people. "You're gonna do all the talking for us. Come on, let's go ask if we can play."

Both James and Tristan grinned as they surveyed the rest of the people playing. "Looks like it'll be a nice day, eh Jamie?"

"Sure looks like it Tristi... Should we go save Cyn?"

"Nah, Cole's on this... Besides, the main guy looks like Cyn's type..." 

"I am doing what? Cole you're kidding... just let me go and... hi good afternoon," she instantly stopped as they met up with one of the guys from the opposing team.

"Afternoon. So, what brings you 'round here, hmm?" 

"I'm so going to kill you Cole," she muttered under her breath, only for Cole to hear her. "Uhm... my friend Cole here asked me whether you'd be up for a game..."

"Sure, we're always looking for more people to play. Just you two?"

"And our other two friends over there," she replied, pointing at James and Tristan who were waving back like two idiots, obviously mocking her.

"Great. Should make the teams more even. Care to call them over? We can get started in a few minutes," the guy said with a smile towards her.

"Can you call for them, Cole?" she glared back, in the obvious attempt of refraining from killing Cole and the other two in an instant.

Grinning, he just nodded back at her. "Sure, Cyn. In the meantime, why don't you just wait here, hmm?" He took off for where both James and Tristan were still grinning like idiots for Cynthia's sake - only for all three of them to start cracking up as Cole joined them.

Meanwhile, the guy talking to Cynthia had taken an obvious interest in her. "So, you play often? That one kid - the one with the floppy mop - I think I've seen him around here before..."

"Oh really? You know, he's everywhere," she pouted, turning the other way to almost ignore him.

"Yeah? He a good friend of yours?"

"All three of them are - and by the way if you're trying to hit on me, Mister, forget it," she snapped back, still facing the other way.

Wincing, the guy just stepped back as the other three guys approached Cynthia, and made his way back to where his friends were watching - who immediately started laughing.

Tristan, who was watching the rejected guy go back to his friends, grinned. "Shot 'im down, eh? He looked to be your type..."

"Now you three, give me one valid reason as to why I shouldn't slap you," she growled as the three boys approached her, with Cole still giggling. "And shut up you... and you too Tris."

"Aww, come on Cyn. You're way too picky at times...we were just messing with you," smiled James.

"Yeah, we didn't mean anything by it," nodded Cole.

"And besides, c'mere. We're gonna make him jealous..." beckoned Tristan as he grabbed a hold of Cynthia's arm.

"What the... Tris what are you doing?" she glared back, staring straight in his eyes while feeling a faint blush coloring her cheeks.

Strategically placing his hands on her cheeks, Tristan bent down and kissed Cynthia's cheek - though he turned slightly to make it look like he was actually kissing her.

On the other side of the field, the rejected guy and his buddies saw the scene, which caused the other guys to start teasing their friend again.

"You are truly despicable, you know that," Cynthia grinned back. "Still, I'm pissed at your three anyways," she whispered, placing a kiss on Tristan's forehead.

"You still love us, especially me, for it anyways. Now, let's go show these guys up..." smirked Tristan as he took Cynthia's hand and kissed the back of it. "Besides, you like it when I'm devious like that..."

"Stop that or I'll go tell someone about this," she laughed out, winking back at him. 

Laughing, Tristan let go of her hand and made his way to the center of the field, where the rejected guy was standing. "Hey, ready to play?"

"Yes we are!" the rest of the group replied, still chuckling at the guy.

"Cool. Well my team's all ready to go. So any rules?"

"Just normal football rules."

Turning back at James, Cynthia pouted once again. "What the heck, I'm the only female."

"And you were expecting any different? You've been running with Tris, Cole, and me since we were kids - and even then you were the only girl too... So... what's the deal now? Might find someone you're actually interested in, hmm?"

"Shut up James, I'm not interested in anyone, just quit the _'fishing for a suitor for Cynthia'_ thing please? Thank you."

Nodding at Rejected Guy, Tristan and Cole just grinned as they both went after the ball as the whistle blew. Playing for half an hour, both teams were still tied at zero a piece, but the surrounding crowd had grown around them. Despite not playing at full strength - mostly due to the four of them focusing on other things - Tristan and his friends were easily slipping back into what made them such a formidable team since they were kids. As the whistle blew for a timeout for the other team, the four friends gathered up in their own huddle.

"So, dunno about you guys, but looks like the other team's getting tired. Plus Rejected Guy keeps going after me... I think we can score on the next possession..."

"Yeah, been studying them - and I know that their defenders are getting really tired, as both you and Cyn keep running circles around them," nodded Cole.

"I think if we can get to their right side - we can get a goal that way..."

"I think so too Jamie... Cyn? You got any ideas?"

"Mmmh... not really, but right side is their weak point. Especially since that guy spaces out when I'm running towards that side," she replied, rolling her eyes.

"Okay, so we're all going to attack from the right side? Awesome. Let's go." Breaking their huddle, Tristan shucked off his sodden shirt and tossed it to the ground before meeting Rejected Guy in the center. "How's your team holding up?"

"Quite good I must say, just wait till we kick your ass with a goal," he smirked back, obviously still pissed at Tristan for earlier.

"Heh... you're talking quite big and we'll be the first ones to score. Besides, my girl over there - drop dead gorgeous when she's naked. Total animal in bed too..." he smirked as the whistle blew and kicked the ball over to where Cynthia was coming up next to him.

"Pass over Tris!" Cynthia waved back, naturally oblivious of what the two, especially Tristan, had just said about her.

Passing Cynthia the ball, Tristan turned in time to see Rejected Guy try to slide tackle him from his left side. Jumping into the air to avoid the tackle, he ran past the other defenders as Cynthia continued to dribble the ball.

"Why you, asshole..." the other guy growled in return.

Running over to cover Cynthia, who passed him the ball, Tristan back-passed the ball to her. "Cyn! Shoot!"

"Ha ha! Right... take that you!" she shouted as she gave a kick with all of the force in her right leg.

Seeing that the ball was about to go a little wide, James leaped forward and headed the ball into the goal. As the whistle sounded, James landed safely on the ground, Cynthia was cheering, Cole stopped in the backfield, and Tristan... got knocked to the ground as the defenders lost their footing and slammed into him.

"Owww..." came the muffled groan as Tristan was sprawled out on the grass, a small cut forming right above his right eyebrow.

"Tristan!" Cynthia called out once she realised that he had gotten hurt. "What's wrong?" she asked, kneeling down by his side, noticing the blood coming out on one side of his face. "Oh shit... Gwyn will kill me for letting you get hurt..." she whispered, as she took out a tissue from her pocket and pressed it on the cut. 

"We win?"

"Yes, but you didn't need to get hurt in the process, you idiot..."

"Yeah, James headed the ball in. Game's over buddy, time to get you back to the office..."

"Cole, we can't just yet... hold on, I see someone with a first-aid kit..." James got up from Tristan's side as one of the opposing players came running towards them with a first-aid kit. "Thanks so much."

"Not a problem. You guys played a great game, especially the girl and the kid on the ground. Awesome goal there, man."

"Thanks," grinned James as he and the other guy came running over to Cynthia's side.

"Hand me that damn kit now!" Cynthia ordered the other two boys. "Can't have AD see Tristan like this."

James handed the kit over to Cynthia as everyone crowded around Tristan and Cynthia.

"Cyn... relax, it's nothing. AD will not kill you for this..."

"That's what you think," she pouted, as she cleaned off the cut from the blood, applied some antiseptic cream over it and covered it up with a small plaster band.

"I know what she thinks... don't worry about it. Hey, maybe now I'll look a little older," he teased as to keep Cynthia relaxed.

"Wounds don't make you look older, they just make you look stupid," she pouted once more. "Let's go back now, lunch break's almost over and out."

"Aww... really? I was going for the more rugged look..." chuckled Tristan as both Cole and James helped him to his feet. Turning to face the rest of the opposing team, including Rejected Guy, he just grinned as he shook his hand. "Great game guys. We'll be seeing you again once the field league starts up again... but in the meantime, let's meet up here to play, cool?"

Whilst Cynthia gave Tristan yet another death glare, James and Cole looked back at their friend and grinned. 

"Sure, we'd love that!"

"Awesome, well, see you guys next week then," waved Tristan as he picked up his shirt from the ground and waited for the others to join him.

-

"I swear I'm going to take you directly to her office, just as you are right now," she mumbled as they were making their way towards the office building.

"Bye Jamie, Cole-wait what?! You're serious? C'mon Cyn... it's just a little scratch..." grumbled Tristan as he was being dragged along.

"Oh no you don't... consider that... _payback_ ," she whispered, as a wicked grin formed on her lips once they got inside and headed for the elevators.

"For what?! I didn't do anything... in the past ten minutes to incur your wrath..."

"You did in the past hour."

"That was an hour ago... I thought I dealt with it when we pissed off Rejected Guy..."

"Not enough," she chuckled. 

"You are a cruel cruel woman..." he frowned as they stopped at Gwyn's door.

"I know," she laughed, patting him playfully on his shoulder. "Now, knock and enter - only you have that permission," she grinned back.

Rolling his eyes, Tristan did as he was instructed before walking into the office. 

"Go on."

"Stop being so pushy..." Once he walked into the office, he let out a chuckle as he saw a familiar form resting on the couch. "Want me to wake her up or do you want to?"

Gasping, as it was the first time she had actually seen her rest at work, especially in her office, Cynthia smiled and rubbed Tristan's back. "I'll leave her to you... I'm off to change for now. See you later," she whispered, heading out of the office and making sure she had locked the door.

Reaching out, Tristan touched Gwyn's cheek before speaking quietly, "Hey... time to get up Sleeping Beauty."

"Mmm... what..." Gwyn muttered, as soon as she felt a hand brush against her cheek. At her slight movement however, a couple of files slid on the floor by her side, which startled her and made her snap out of her post-nap reverie immediately. She quickly leant down to grab them, then looked up, realising that there was Tristan right in front of her. 

"Sorry about that... and sorry for looking like a mess - played a bit of football with the others in the park," he grinned sheepishly as he continued to clutch the shirt in his right hand while rubbing his neck with his left hand.

"What's that?" Gwyn immediately noticed, pointing at the plaster strip right above his eyebrow.

"Got knocked down by two defenders after James scored the goal - they lost their footing on the grass and slammed into me. Be nice to Cyn... she thinks you gonna kill her for letting me get hurt," he smiled at her.

"Mmmh..." she replied sighing. "I'll just tell her that you've been the usual _idiot_."

"That's what I was trying to tell her... Have a good nap? And yeah... sorry too that I'm ruining the carpet."

"I think I'll have to get used to you ruining the carpet... as for the nap... rather than good, unexpected. I was getting pissed off again, so thought of getting more comfortable... and hence me sitting on the couch and falling asleep. This was the first time ever," she chuckled, as she placed a hand on his forehead. "Really though, can't you at least try and be more careful?"

"Had to protect Cyn and the ball - she had a clear shot of the goal... You feel warm... and... hmm... how interesting..." he smirked at her.

"What now?" she chuckled.

"...Someone's slightly turned on right now..." 

Laughing, Gwyn got back on her feet and walked behind her desk to sit down on her armchair. "Is it just me or someone's becoming slightly obsessed with the idea? Mmh?"

"I'm not... you're feeling embarrassed right now because I'm calling you out on it. You're also annoyed because I got hurt again as well as pissed because all of these shitty reports are hampering our progress." Wiping his face with his shirt, he just sighed as he started heading towards the door. "Anyways, any parting words before I leave you to your work?"

"Go get changed and come back here," she smiled back. "I'm not angry at you anyway."

"You're feeling disappointed... don't hide it from me." He quietly left the office, smiling at Cynthia, before leaving for his office.

"About what? Tristan!" she called out, as he walked away. "What's wrong with him now?" she whispered, resting her head on her desk once again. "Well, all this has started since..." she stood up, grabbing her jacket and storming out of her office, leaving Cynthia surprised. "I'm off to CEO's office, if anyone's looking for me. I'll be back in a while. If Tristan comes back, tell him to wait for me."

"I... ugh, yes sure ma'am," Cynthia stuttered, seeing Gwyn rushing away. 

"I'll accept sensing my feelings for now... not that problematic... but... what if he starts reading my thoughts? I mean... not that I think about whatever... but... he'd realise that... oh damn..." she hurried up as numerous thoughts came up to her head. "What if he realises that I don't eat 'normal' food for a reason? What if he suddenly gets to know about my real cravings... that would be the end of it all..." she said to herself as she arrived in front of Fred's PA in no time.

"Ms. Coulston, you didn't have a meet-"

"I know, I just want to have a quick chat with Fred... nothing major. I just need him for a query."

"Just have a seat, I'll call him straight away," Lara gestured to Gwyn, as she picked up the receiver and called the CEO immediately. "Yes Sir, she's right in front of me... yes, I will, thank you," she finished, looking up at Gwyn. "You may go inside."

"Thank you," she answered, rushing towards the door and slipping quickly inside. "Fred, I need to consult your library, now. No whys, buts, what have you... personal research."

"Is something the matter my dear? You seem quite troubled... But yes, consult away," gestured Fred as he looked up from his paperwork, a look of worry etched on his face.

"Love you," she smiled back, storming into the nearby room, Fred's personal library. She still remembered all those bookshelves since she was a little girl - albeit in a totally different context. The first time she'd ever seen them, feeling small by comparison, was in a grand library hall back in Fred's old mansion from 200 years back. To his disdain, Gwyn used to spend hours at end reading on her own there, particularly when she wasn't summoned by him for the Clan's meetings or for the Council's briefings. Fred had decided that she had to attend every single event with him - she would have been the one to inherit his legacy one day, should that day come. So, apart from the cosy feeling that library atmosphere gave her, it also provided her with numerous memories of the past... the very distant past.

"Now... where can I find that..." she muttered, scanning the spines of numerous books related to their nature. "Mmh... maybe this..." she decided, taking one of the books in her hand, flipping quickly through the pages. "Human - vampire relations... how about psychic links... or whatever... I need to know dammit."

"Gwyn... are you sure that there's nothing I can help you with?" asked Fred as he leaned against a row of shelves. "What exactly are you searching for, perhaps I can help you out? You know that I'm quite knowledgeable in our history..."

"Ever heard of a human sensing the feelings of a vampire?" she asked bluntly. "I've read something in one of my books during lunch break and it got me quite curious..." she lied.

"I don't know about a human being able to sense the feelings of a vampire, but I do know that the sensing of each other's emotions between vampires is a rare gift. Only those who are truly bonded - mind, body, soul, and heart - will have that gift. I have heard of the instance where they can read each other's thoughts - but that was an old legend of ours. In the legend though, it did mention if the bond between the two beloved is strong enough, they will be able to achieve that. I believe the book you are looking for is..." Fred began scanning the shelves until he pulled out a particular book, "this one. Why so interested in this all of a sudden? It's a rather rare ability - not even I have that that gift."

"Let's just say this book I got, ages ago, got pretty interesting at some point..." she replied, taking the book Fred held in her hands. "There's a problem though, you're mentioning vampire to vampire bonds... what if it were human to vampire. They'd still be able to read each other's thoughts?"

Thinking for a moment, Fred tapped his chin before speaking. "Theoretically, it might be possible, as our physiology is not too different than that of a human, only our strength, reflexes, and healing - aside from our immortality - set us apart. I do recall that this is how some of our kind search out for a potential mate for life - most of our kind would turn their beloved into one of us before truly bonding with their mate. Though I'm not one to truly accept such a manner, there are a few of the High Council that have found their mates in such a way though no 'psychic' bond existed between them. Anything else?"

"Wouldn't that kill off the human side of them though? That's what you always told me," Gwyn asked, already knowing the answer.

"In the usual case, yes, though... there may have been an instance where the human was able to maintain that particular side of them, but again, it is completely theoretical and the only instance of such a thing happening was in that book of legend. Though why one of our kind would be so willing to maintain their... _humanity_ , I'll never know..."

"Neither me nor you were ever human so that's why we never bothered. As for humans turning into vampires... apart from losing their humanity... there's still the risk of... _killing_ them in the process..." she muttered in almost a whisper. 

"Perhaps you are correct. Now, I'll leave you to your studies. Also, will you and the Faraday boy be in attendance at the meeting on Monday?"

"Yes definitely. Plus, I'd probably be popping around for a snack," she grinned. "I'm becoming lazy, I know, don't look at me that way. I'll go hunt again on my own soon, I promise. However, I don't think you mind seeing your little girl so often," she chuckled.

"Well, you are working quite hard. Plus I don't mind, as it reminds me of when you were younger and I used to hunt for you. And no, I quite enjoy spending time with you, though it has become less and less over time. Also, feel free to bring the Faraday boy around to visit - I quite like talking to him. He's rather... _interesting_..." 

"Hold on..." Gwyn commented, taking advantage of Fred's relaxed mood to try and fish more information with respect to his opinion of Tristan. "What exactly do you mean by interesting?"

"If he weren't human... he'd make an excellent match for you, don't you think?" smiled Fred. "He knows how to handle you quite well - I've never seen such a spirited boy so willing to go to the lengths he has to protect you."

"But he's a human, so, too bad..." she chuckled, trying to distract him from what he had just said. _If he weren't human... he'd make an excellent match for you, don't you think?_ Anything, but that... _that_ only meant one thing, and it was the one thing she'd been avoiding with all of her being. "He's just respectful of his superiors, and kind as a friend... nothing more to add to that."

"Yes... too bad indeed. Now, I shall take my leave. Good day Gwyn." Nodding, Fred headed back to his office to continue his work while Gwyn stood amongst the bookshelves.

Resting her head against one of the shelves, Gwyn just sighed, still holding close the book Fred had just given her. "Rather than solving it, it seems that situation's far more complicated than I thought..."

-

"Cyn... really? How much longer do I have to wait here?" whined Tristan as he began spinning around in one of the spare office chairs.

"Will you just stop acting like a kid? She'll be back soon," Cynthia chided him. "She ran off in urgency towards the CEO's office, probably needed to check something with him, just sit there and be patient for a short while."

"Short while? It's been nearly half an hour... and I've gone through my work four times each already... Soooo boring..."

"Someone's been waiting for me?" Gwyn smiled, as she arrived at Cynthia's office holding a brown envelope in her hands.

Pouting, Tristan stared at the wall past Gwyn. "Not by choice really..."

Grabbing one of his hands and slipping it into hers and making him get on his feet in the process, she winked back at Cynthia and told her: "I'll be in a meeting, not to be disturbed. I need to have a good talk with someone."

"Again with the dragging..." he whined just as Gwyn pulled him inside her office, reports long forgotten on Cynthia's desk.

Once she made sure that the door was securely locked, Gwyn pinned Tristan against the wooden frame and smiled back at him. "First you tell me why you were so distraught earlier before you left..."

"Because... you don't really believe me that I can feel your emotions. I'm not kidding about it. Nor was I kidding when I was in your office earlier. Something about me at that moment, I felt... something warm growing from you - and it wasn't because you were hot in the office, as it's quite cool in here," looking off to the side, he sighed. "Does that answer your question?"

"It does but I want you to look at me."

Reluctantly, he looked back at Gwyn. "Looking."

"Now, do you think I'm lying when I say that I believe you? You always get whatever I am feeling in the moment right... except for one thing... I'm not perennially turned on," she chuckled.

"Actually you are, you're just better at hiding it than I am. But I was being honest when I said that you are quite addicting," he smirked. "That instance earlier was you starting to lose your cool... plus when I kissed you earlier, you wanted to break the rules..."

"You know there's the slight possibility that it could be an emotion that you can't decipher. As for the rules, I told you - I might want, but I can't."

"And I'd say you're lying right now, Sweetheart...on all accounts..." he replied as he gave her a serious look.

"Tris, you're pretty stubborn about this, aren't you? And why the hell would I be lying to you anyway?"

"I'm reading _you_... just you. "

"I'm not lying."

"Prove it to me. I can feel all these different things from you, but some are more prominent than others... guilt is being one of them. Desire being another. Step back and look into yourself, then tell me again that you're not lying."

"Guilt? Where did guilt come from now?" she gasped, staring back at him. "God, this is becoming too complicated," she whispered, resting her head against his chest. "And anyway, since you're mentioning desire, my heart would be completely stupid not to feel that - but I think I can control that emotion quite well."

"I don't know... it's just what I'm getting from you. That's all. And right now, confusion is definitely on the rise..." Gently, he placed his hand against the lower portion of her abdomen, right below her stomach. "You can, but right _here_ is where it's really strong..."

"I... stop that, just... stop," she whispered, her voice slightly broken.

"Tell your emotions that..." he whispered back as he hugged her tightly. "It's okay to give into them sometimes. We can't all be strong all the time... emotions are what set us apart from every living and non-living thing in this world."

"Why just you though? This is what I cannot understand... I mean, I'm almost becoming an open book, and there are some things I don't want you to know about for your own sake."

"I don't know, but I do know that you're not completely in control of your emotions all the time - as it's definitely me that puts you off-balance and seems to make you want to lose control."

"But I can't Tristan, can't you understand that?! I've been drilling that into you ever since you hinted something at me for the first time. If something happens to you, I'd be guilty for _eternity_ , can't you put that in your mind? It's something you cannot understand, believe me," she almost pleaded. "I know... I know the fact of me being so cryptic irritates you but, will you trust me?"

"I do understand and I do trust you. What I'm saying though is that _you're_ not trusting _yourself_. That's all I've been saying all day today," he replied tiredly. "But... I don't know how else to say it... it's all _you_ right now. Listen to your emotions and try to understand what they're telling _you_. Rational and Emotions never mix well, but what makes us human is listening to both, despite them clashing all the time."

At his last phrase, Gwyn bit her lower lip, slid off his embrace, opened the door hastily and scurried outside. "I'll be back soon," she told both Tristan and Cynthia with half a smile.

Closing the door after she left, Tristan made his way over to the couch and lied down, a major headache forming. "If only you weren't constantly waging war with yourself right now..."

"You idiot, how on Earth can I make those emotions of yours clash? I'm not a _human_..." she whispered to the wind, as she had headed towards the edge of the roof area. Crouching down, resting her forehead against the cold bars of the railings, a stray tear ran down one of her cheeks, as both Tristan's and Frederick's words bustled in a cacophony through her head. "Will just both of you shut up..." Gwyn told herself as she stood back up on her feet, while resting her head against the railings, in an attempt to calm down...

-

"Tris, will you go look for her? Mmh?" Cynthia whispered from behind Gwyn's office door. "She's been away for way too long now."

Hearing Cynthia's voice, Tristan closed his eyes and suddenly opened them. Getting up from the couch, he quickly made his way to the door and opened it. "Yeah, I will..." He kissed her forehead quickly before setting off towards the entrance to the roof. 

Once he reached the door, he opened it to find Gwyn near the railings, staring out at the city. Quietly, he made his way over to her and stood next to her without saying a word.

Looking up at him as soon as Gwyn sensed his presence by her side, first she slightly leaned her head to rest against him, then, probably overtaken by the silence there was on the roof and since there was no one around, she turned to wrap her arms around him and bury her head in his chest, letting herself go into a fit of crying.

In realisation, Tristan brought his arms around her and held her tight, silently vowing to be the one to keep her up as everything around her came crashing down.

Feeling him holding her close, Gwyn shifted her hands from his waist and placed them on his chest, clutching tightly at his shirt as the crying was turning into more intense sobbing that was almost wrecking her body all over. 

Hugging her tighter, he kissed the top of her head, ignoring the rest of the world around them. "I'm sorry... but if it's anything, it'll get better with time. And I'll be right by your side no matter what. Just continue to trust in us, believe in us that we'll make it together."

In spite of Tristan's soothing words, the sobbing and crying couldn't stop - it was as if Gwyn couldn't pull the break and make it stop. It was practically useless.

Frowning slightly, Tristan leaned down and kissed her, if only to take her pain away for a little while. 

"I'm sorry," she managed to whisper as Tristan moved away following the kiss, still with tears in her eyes.

"Don't be. You are still the same woman I fell in love with. You are no weaker now than you were before. Remember that," he whispered back as he wiped her tears away as best he could.

"Cynthia told you I was up here mmh?"

"No, I found you on my own..." 

"Oh well... right... I should have known..."

"I know it's not home, but... would you like me to take you back to my place? Maybe a change of scenery, although relatively small, may do you some good. Plus, I'm kinda feeling a bit homesick," he said with a chuckle. 

"Might help a bit I suppose... it's fine for me, just, let me call Anne then before we leave..."

"Not a problem... plus, I believe she has groceries for me... So we can stop by your place for a bit if you want. And no working - that's my only rule," he teased.

"I promise, no working at all this weekend..." she smiled back.

"Good. Do you want to go home now, or stay up here a bit longer?"

"Depends on the time..." she replied, as she scanned his shirt to notice the creases and the tear stains she left on his shirt. "I made a mess out of your clothes."

"Then I'll just take them off when we get home... no problem there," he smiled as he checked his watch. "I have about fifteen till I'm off. Totally up to you now." 

"Do you mind if we leave now?"

"I was kinda hoping you'd say that. C'mon, let's go..." Taking her hand, he led her to the building entrance and back towards her office, only letting go when someone was approaching. 

"Sorry for making you worry Cynthia..." she whispered as she silently slipped inside her office followed by Tristan.

"Yeah... sorry Cyn." 

"Are you two all right though?" she stood up, moving towards the door.

"With time, we'll be okay. Look Cyn, AD and I are checking out early. Stay safe and I'll stop by tomorrow with your stuff. Cool?"

"Cool. Take care of her, Boy Wonder. I'll handle everything here."

"Thanks beautiful. See you Monday," he smiled as he watched Gwyn pack up her stuff - though she mostly left her reports behind - and call Anne.

Once she was finished, they both bade Cynthia farewell as they made their way to Tristan's office. Since it was Friday, most of the office was on the empty side as the pair entered Tristan's office. Quickly gathering his things, they quietly made their way to where their respective rides were - Gwyn's car and Tristan's bicycle - outside of the building. After placing his bicycle and his things in the car's trunk, Tristan drove back to Gwyn's place, where they gathered the rest of their stuff, said good-bye to Jasper and Anne for the weekend, and took off for Tristan's apartment.

-

"You're really sure I can stay over for the weekend..."

"Of course. It's the least I can do for you. You've opened up your home to me, so I should do the same for you. Besides, if we're going to make this work, then I'd like for you to be able to come here if you need to," he took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

Parking the car in his garage, Tristan began removing the bulky items (mainly his bicycle and the bags of 'gifts') from the trunk of the car and set them on the floor. After doing that, he began removing the rest of their stuff from the car.

"Sorry I don't have an elevator here, so we're just gonna have to go up some stairs - just a single flight - and you'll finally be able to see Casa de Faraday in all of it's glory," he grinned as he gathered his groceries and his bag. 

"Want me to take a bag?" she asked in reply, as Tristan started taking the bags in his hands.

"Just carry your stuff, it's fine. My hands are healing up nicely, so don't worry about me straining them - the wounds barely bleed now. Besides, you're a guest and I insist."

Nodding in approval, Gwyn started following Tristan up the stairs, and halted right in front of the first wooden framed door they encountered. Simple and modern, Gwyn smiled as she immediately realised that his apartment would be completely different from what she was used to in hers. 

"Yeah, things are a bit different here than they are at your place. Having a bit of variety, as well as a change of scenery can help sometimes," he smiled as he set the grocery bags on his kitchen counter. "Anyways, make yourself at home. It's not much, but I'm happy here." Opening his fridge (which had been emptied out last week), Tristan began placing the groceries in their respective places and as he did so, he realized that Anne provided enough groceries to fully stock him for at least a week.

"We can consider it your cosy bachelor's den," she chuckled, as she looked around the living room.

"Guess we can. Have a look around, and if you want to change into something more comfy, my room's the first door on your right down the hallway. Also, don't mind my weird taste in clothes - most of my stuff is split between stuff for home and stuff for work."

"I need to prepare myself psychologically for the shock?" she teased him.

"Nah, more like everyone's need to want to dress me. My nieces and nephews tend to pick stuff out for me too... I'm too nice to tell them thanks but no... so I just keep them around. But half the time, I use those clothes when I paint or do some repair work - boring stuff like that. So go on, explore. I'll be here making dinner if you need me."

"Right..." Accepting his invitation, Gwyn slipped out of the living room, and, following his directions, headed towards the first door on the right down the hallway. As soon as she got inside and switch on the lights, she chuckled as soon as she eyed the heap of clothes at the far end of the room, lying on a chair. "Really now... this place needs a woman's touch," she whispered as she moved next to the clothes, gathered the whole bundle in her hands and placed it on his bed. After opening the bedroom's window, and earning a pleasant surprise in the process - she could catch a glimpse of the ocean from there - she sat on the edge of the bed, and started folding up all of the loose tops and shirts she found laying on the chair, chuckling when she came across one or two t-shirts with some extravagant colours.

In the kitchen, Tristan smiled to himself as he was cooking the vegetables in the pot, as he could feel that Gwyn was feeling better - amused actually. Whistling, he began cutting up some chicken for his soup. As far as dinner was concerned, he wasn't exactly looking to make anything fancy, but rather, just something comforting.

Satisfied as she gazed back at the neatly folded up pile of clothes right in front of her, Gwyn took the first stack - the more casual shirts - and placed them on that same chair, followed by the smart work shirts he used to wear for work. Once she got that done, she rested her arms back on bed and realised how much he actually liked blue. The soft furnishings, the room itself with its greyish-blue hues, everything was in some form of shade of blue - and she really didn't mind that... it was quite relaxing actually. After a short while however, Gwyn got back on her feet and walked out of the room, and headed towards the living room again. Obviously the largest room in the apartment, the first thing that caught her eye was a small piano lying underneath a window, and the numerous paintings that were hanging inside that same room. Moving across the room, she had a seat right in front of the piano, opened the keyboard's lid, smiled and started playing a soft tune by heart.

Hearing the piano being played, Tristan turned around to see Gwyn sitting at his piano. After washing up and making sure that the soup was simmering nicely, he set down his kitchen towel and made his way over to Gwyn. Smiling, he stood behind her and gently rested his hands on her shoulders, listening to the song.

"Recognise that?" she smiled, her eyes closed, as she continued playing.

"I do. I remember it being the first piece I learned to play. I was... I think six when I could play this piece by myself, though I was too short to reach the pedals on our old piano. Wasn't perfect by any standards, but at least I tried."

"It's one of the greatest classics ever composed..." she whispered, as she continued playing.

"Agreed. And you play beautifully." Leaning down, he kissed the top of her head before returning to the kitchen. 

"I love to listen to any of Beethoven's works when I'm working anyway."

"Oh yeah? I end up playing a tune or two when I'm working here at home... out of habit I guess."

"Apart from other things..."

"And what other habits do I have that amuse you, hmm?"

"I meant other music other than Beethoven," she chuckled. "Well, as for you, I love the fact that you like painting..."

"If I told you that I fell in love with painting since I was two, I wouldn't be lying. I used to paint on the walls at home when I was a baby - I got into trouble all the time for doing that. One day, my mom bought a large spool of paper and several colours of paint - I was almost three - and after placing everything in our backyard, as well as stripping me down to my underwear, she let me paint all over the paper... and myself. When I was done, she took the artistic looking ones and hung them on the walls. From that point on, I actually started to learn how to paint properly with brushes - as I mostly just used my hands and fingers at that time." 

"You must have been pretty cute as a kid," she smiled, as she finished the last notes of Beethoven's Für Elise.

"If you want, there should be some photo albums under the coffee table for you to look through. I'm actually not too crazy about having my picture taken, but my family managed to take a fair amount of me at every single age," he smiled as he added the noodles into the chicken and vegetable broth.

"I don't have many pictures of myself when I was young, come to think of it," she replied, as she got back on her feet. "I do have a painting though..."

"Wow... that's cool. I could never sit long enough to have my portrait taken. Like both Val and Cyn have been saying, I've always been on the go since I was a baby... Maybe one day I could paint your portrait..." 

"If you like," she smiled back, walking into the kitchen to wrap her arms around him. "Mind you, back at the time, I was under strict orders of not moving, not smiling, not breathing," she laughed. "Fred wanted a perfect portrait."

"Shame, you probably had a great smile as a kid. Is it weird having the guy who's practically like a father to you be your boss? And for my portrait, you can be yourself - I hate formal pictures. Candid photos are always more fun."

"Not really - he just gives orders on both fronts," she chuckled, placing a kiss on his back. "And mind you, I had disobeyed him for that portrait as I smiled anyway which amused the artist he had engaged for the work to no end."

"That's my girl. And just so you know, I like it when you're relaxed and happy... so, just be yourself around me." Setting the spoon on a napkin, Tristan returned her hug. 

"Which means that's what you're feeling right now... mmh?"

"Yes, you're feeling quite content right now," he smiled as he rested his chin on the top of her head. "I love you when your like this, as it makes me happy too."

"Focusing on just you and me helps I suppose... I'm going to try and shut down any other thoughts for these couple of days... and that's a promise," she whispered back. "And by the way... you love me even in my pissed off boss mode anyway."

"Good, as that's what I wanted for us this weekend and I'll be holding you to that promise. Of course I love you when you're in ultra-bitchy, pissed-off boss mode - makes you quite sexy actually..." smirked Tristan.

"Oh stop that," she laughed, placing a kiss on his forehead. "Probably the rest of the world hates me for that," she chuckled.

"Like that day when you yelled at Evans in the elevator - so hot. Regarding the rest of the world - I'd probably say that it's due to the fact that you are a high-ranking, extremely professional woman in a male-dominated field. Most guys seem to take for granted their positions as they don't often realize how hard it is for others to get ahead." 

"I started as an officer in there, I had requested that to Fred personally. Then I worked my way towards the position I have today... thanks to my dedication and diligence... and only just a few people understand that you can only attain those goals through hard work, and not through office politics. Fred hates that stuff anyway. So, yes, I wouldn't have that respect towards me if I didn't act that way."

"Well, I'm proof of the hard-working part... since I haven't really been with the company too long. I get my fair share of hate-mail from a lot of guys in the office too... but I always ignore them. Most of those assholes seem to forget that I've worked my ass off to get to where I am. You don't make a Manager in six months without doing some form of work - especially when you join the company as a junior officer."

"Oh, you get hate-mail too? So we're square at that, probably mine exceeds yours but anyway... I don't really give a damn to tell you the truth," she stated, placing a kiss on his nose. "Plus, I monitored you personally ever since you started working with us since you had such an impressive CV, and you actually deserve even a higher position with the work you've done up till now, believe me."

"Me neither. My hate-mail is from the guys who hate that I don't play by _their_ rules... I end up treating them like wallpaper and just ignore 'em all. Promotion would be nice, but I can honestly say that I've learned a lot from working under you. Both in and out of the office..." he teased as he kissed her forehead. "And I was the one who requested to work as a junior officer - not theirs - as I wanted to work my way up properly."

"Which you did, quite brilliantly too. That's why recently Fred's being so interested in you... he's testing you, for promotion's sake..." she stopped, noticing that she was entering into a conversation she didn't really want to recall.

"Well, hope I'm passing but for now, no more talking about work. We're supposed to relax this weekend, and I intend to do that. So, just take a seat at the dining table and I'll dish up dinner for us, okay?" 

"Sounds fine," she replied, placing a quick kiss on his lips. "And don't bother with too much food for me."

"Half a bowl...?" 

"Should be all right."

"Good." Leaning down, he gave her a kiss on her cheek before letting go. "I've got some bread to go with the soup too if you want."

"Just one slice would be enough... see that you have for yourself first," she smiled, realising however, that she was still in her work clothes. "I forgot all about these..."

"Alright..." he turned off the stove and began setting the table, before noticing that he was in his work clothes as well. Turning to Gwyn, he grinned, "Guess we should probably change, right? I kinda got distracted when I was cooking to change beforehand."

"I think so," she replied. "My bag's in your spare bedroom right?"

"It's actually on the floor by my bed..." 

Raising an eyebrow back at him, Gwyn laughed lightly and walked towards the door leading to the hallway. "Can you believe I missed that when I went in your room?"

"Not really, but you were probably distracted by... you folded my laundry?" he chuckled as he followed her into his room. "You didn't have to, you know... but I really appreciate the gesture. Thank you." 

"It looked too much like a bachelor's room..." she chuckled. "I still can't believe I haven't seen this," she commented, while leaning down to reach for her bag. Once she placed it on Tristan's bed, she took out a blue v-necked long sleeved top and a pair of black cropped trousers.

"But I _am_ a bachelor..." he teased as he walked over to his closet and pulled out a red, short-sleeved collared shirt - which was made out of the same material as his t-shirts - and a pair of khaki shorts from his dresser before he started to undress himself.

"I know, but you must admit, it looks more organized this way... but, there's one thing I'm still thinking about..." she laughed as she slipped on her trousers and had just taken off her shirt. "Do you have a mess in the bathroom?"

Stopping as he was pulling on his shorts, he just grinned. "Go on, you'll be quite surprised. If anything, I've been trained well..."

Driven by sheer curiosity, Gwyn left the shirt waiting for her on bed, and walked up to open the bathroom's door - to find the place perfectly sparkling clean. "Well well... I'm positively impressed... especially since there's no underwear running about," she laughed. "And how about the spare bathroom?"

"Other than a book or two on the bed, should be fine in the spare bedroom. Spare bathroom should be good too. Only reason why my laundry was out was... I just forgot to fold it before I went to your place," he chuckled as he fastened the button and zipper to his shorts.

Smiling back to him, she walked back towards bed to get hold of her shirt - since she was still in her bra - when she felt Tristan grabbing gently one of her arms. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing..." he smiled back before pulling her into a hug.

"I like the colour of this shirt," she whispered, placing a kiss on his cheek.

"And I love seeing you smile. I love seeing you half-naked too, but seeing you smile is much better than seeing you cry."

"You managed to witness both," she replied, placing her arms round his waist while kissing him briefly on his chin.

"Your aim was off," he grinned before kissing her properly.

Once their kiss ended, Gwyn looked up at Tristan, chuckling softly. "Now, do I have your permission of putting on my top please?"

Letting go, he kissed her again. "You do, don't want you burning yourself from the soup." 

"Well thank you," she winked back, reaching out for the top lying on bed and slipping it on in no time. "So, time for dinner now? I'd really want to know whether you're a good cook or not... "

"Yep. Dinner now and that bonfire I promised you... unless you'd rather stay in?"

"Bonfire needs to be done... an epic one too - I need to see all of that useless crap burning to ash."

"And we shall make it so. So, let's get to dinner then..." he laughed as he took her hand and led her back to the kitchen/dining area.


	6. VI

Dinner between the pair was rather quiet as they chose to simply enjoy each other's company. Aside from the bowls of chicken noodle soup, some pieces of crusty bread and butter also accompanied the meal while water (for Gwyn) and milk (for Tristan) were the beverages of choice. Since Tristan lived in an area of the city that was close to where a younger crowd of people lived and had a good time, there were several restaurants that were opened quite late, some of which specialized in desserts, he had promised Gwyn to pick up something from one of them later. Once they had finished eating, dishes were left in the sink to be cleaned later while the pair gathered up some blankets and clothes to keep them warm (a light jacket for Gwyn and a hooded sweatshirt for Tristan) for their little trip. Switching out their shoes for sandals, the pair made their way back to the garage and loaded all of the necessary items (wood, newspaper, an accelerant, and lots of matches) into the car's trunk alongside the other items. After everything was securely loaded, Tristan drove them to the beach as the sun was beginning to set in front of them.

-

"So... think this is a good spot?" asked Tristan as he drove along the road that lead to several isolated patches of beach.

"As long as there's no one around it's fine... I'm not in the mood of seeing anyone other than you within a 50 metre radius." 

"Guess we'll just-okay, I'm stopping here," he grinned as he parked the car and started laughing.

Gwyn turned her head to look at him and smiled. "What's the matter?"

"This is where I stopped after our first fight..." Letting go of the wheel he pointed towards the beach. "I left my bike on the sand and started removing most of my clothes before I started venting while wading into the ocean. Only fitting that I would come back here and start anew." 

Chuckling, Gwyn rested a hand on Tristan's lap and leant closer to place a kiss on his cheek. "You scared me that day." 

"I actually scared myself that day. I never, ever experienced a meltdown like that. All I could feel was like a billion different emotions clashing with all of my rational thoughts after what happened in your office. I was falling for you, and yet all my brain was telling me was how wrong everything was. It's probably why I was going through major mood swings that day - my heart telling me that I could make you happy, only to have my rational side tell me that you'd never go for someone like me." Placing his hand over hers, he rested his head against her shoulder. "I'm actually glad I just went with my heart... as it gave me the courage to apologise to you."

"And I'm glad things went through that weird way... I mean, at least things didn't go the way I feared..."

"How so? By all accounts, you should've fired me or at least cited me for harassment... Not like I wanted to get fired, but... there was something about you that was telling me that I was meant for you, if that makes any sense."

"Tris... I had this fear at the back of mind... that you would have ended up doing something crazy..." she replied, looking away. "That's why I rushed to reach you, at least I hoped I did."

"I was definitely freaking out, but... all I really wanted to do was see you again. Again, all I could feel was something telling me that I was yours, whether you knew it or not. So when I saw you again... part of me thought that you were honestly going to kill me while the other part of me was just in shock. It's weird, ever since last night... the voice telling me that I belong to you has been getting stronger, but... I just wanted to let you know too that I'll be yours forever, whether you want me to or not."

"I can repeat that for you if you like," she turned to smile back, placing a kiss on his hair.

"Huh?"

"I need you by my side. You're the only person I'd ever want with me for the rest of my years..."

Lifting his head up, Tristan leaned over to kiss Gwyn sweetly. "Thank you."

"You know I'm not lying," she smiled back, still with a hand resting on his cheek.

"Definitely. All I'm getting from you is warmth, love, and sincerity... Hopefully someday you'll be able to feel what I'm feeling. Anyways, shall we get this little party started? It'll be sundown soon." 

"Yes," Gwyn nodded. "I need my dose of deviance for the day," she laughed out. "Love you."

"Love you too." Turning his head, he kissed her palm before pulling away to get out of the car. "Just grab the blankets and set them up, then you can help me with the barbeque."

"Will do," following him out of the car, Gwyn took out the bag containing the blankets and stood by his side. "Need more help?"

"If you would so kindly grab the newspaper, accelerant, and the lighter bag of crap, I can handle the rest," he grinned as he started dragging the heavier items along the sand.

Once she got hold of the items as instructed by Tristan, Gwyn walked towards one clear spot which as much as it seemed cosy, it had a perfect view of the ocean. Watching him as he started setting up the fire, she moved right behind him and circled her arms round his waist.

"Care to do the honors of setting this thing ablaze?" he grinned as he finished pouring the accelerant over the bags and grabbed the box of matches off of the sand.

"With much, much pleasure..." she grinned back in response, as she took the box from Tristan's hands and lit up the first match. "There it goes..." she whispered, tossing one match into the bundle. "And I sincerely hope I won't have to do that again..."

Laughing as the fire grew, Tristan pulled Gwyn with him towards where the blankets lay. After sitting down, he wrapped one of the blankets around them as they watched both the fire and the sun setting. "Now  _ this _ is an awesome light show..."

"Indeed, especially when I think what is being burnt down," she smirked. "Like the dirty photos for example..."

"Lingerie being another thing..." Hugging her closer, Tristan continued to grin as he watched the colors of the fire match that of the evening sky. "After everything that's happened this week, I'm glad this week's over."

"And  _ that  _ of course... those are the top 2 irritating items that I'm so looking forward to see as ash," she laughed, as she nuzzled closer to him. "Me too... hopefully we'll have a calmer week coming up."

"I hope so too..." he grinned as he turned to kiss her cheek, "my little pyromaniac."

"You're enjoying it as much as I am," she smiled, noticing the happy look in his eyes. 

Reaching into his pocket, he removed a small metal lighter. Holding it up for her to see, a little black salamander was etched onto the face of the lighter. "Well, I've always had an affinity for fire..."

"That's interesting to know..." she replied, taking the lighter in her hand. "Looks pretty exquisite... where did you get this?"

"My dad left it to me. He... he was in the military and was sent away to fight in a war before I was even born. My mom always told me that he wanted to give his lucky lighter to his son... and after I had graduated from school but before attending college, I was given the lighter to keep for good. But, it's always been with me and even though I never knew him, I'd like to think that he's always with me when I carry it."

"Sorry for asking you about it... I didn't know..."

"Nah, you've got nothing to be sorry for. You didn't know and there are very few people that know why I have the lighter and its significance to me. If anything, I'm glad I told you. It's not really a sore subject, as I didn't know him, but I know that he's watching over me, over us, at all times."

"I know how that feels..."

"Yeah... So, after all this, what should we do next?"

"You mean now?

"Yeah. It's barely Friday night... so what's next?"

"Just tell me what you have in mind," she laughed. "You're asking too many questions... which means, there  _ is _ something on your mind - go on, what's your plan?"

"Remember how I was telling you that there's lots of restaurants near my place? And I know it's risky, with Black being around, but do you wanna grab dessert at one of dessert restaurants?"

"How about take-away? Either one of us can go inside the shop while the other waits inside the car... could be safer that way - since there's the option of staying at your place."

"That could be another option. I was thinking since there'll be a lot of people out and about, it'd be pretty hard for him to zero in on us so we could go out for a bit. But takeaway sounds nice. Any desserts in particular you'd like? Cake? Pie? Cookies? Ice cream? I'm pretty much open to anything," he grinned as he took the lighter back and pulled Gwyn into his lap to hug her (and the blanket) tighter. "It's still early though and this fire's gonna be burning for a bit, so let's just stay here for the time being. What do you say?"

"Anything you feel like is fine for me," Gwyn replied. "And yes, I agree with your way forward," she chuckled, while gazing back at the fire.

"Okay." He kissed her shoulder and gazed back at the fire. 

"How about we manage to chop Black and place him in the fire, he'd make quite the sour barbecue meat though," she commented in a mock-serious tone of voice.

"Since he fits his surname so well, probably wouldn't taste too good as his soul would probably be bitter too... Hmm... though this'll sound weird, I wonder what I'd taste like? Not much meat on me that's for sure," he chuckled.

Smiling, Gwyn turned to look up at him. "You'd be sweet..."

"Heh, I'd imagine that you'd be... spicy and sweet - spicy as you're always got a fire in you and sweet... for obvious reasons."

"Mmh, I never thought of it that way... however if you can use chocolate as a comparison, you'd definitely be milk chocolate," she laughed. "Okay, this is sounding awkward now."

"Awkward can be fun," he grinned, "and you would be... a chocolate I had while I was traveling. It was a bittersweet chocolate that had hints of cinnamon." 

"You got to give credit to Cynthia for that, I'm really starting to like the taste of cinnamon..."

"More like she's been reiterating why I've always liked the taste of cinnamon," he whispered before kissing her.

A few minutes later, as the fire had slowly started to calm down, Gwyn was resting her head on Tristan's chest, as both of them had lied down on the blankets to look at the night sky. "Seems the lingerie has burned out well," she laughed, feeling Tristan gently rubbing her back. "Good riddance."

"Don't forget the porn pics too... those fed the flames so well," he grinned back. "At least it's a nice night... wonder if the moon will be full? One of my favorite things is to be at the beach while the moon is full - you can see  _ everything _ ..."

"Maybe, but I don't have a clue to tell you the truth... you won't turn into a werewolf right?" she laughed out, placing a kiss on his lips.

"Nope, not that I know of. I usually use it as an excuse to go nightswimming. Ever do that?"

"I barely ever go swimming in normal circumstances... nevermind at night..."

"It's fun though... I may get you to do it one day, you'll see." 

"Preferably in summer," she chuckled, while raising her head to check out the fire, which was just giving out a low crackling sound by then.

"Summer summer or does this include an Indian summer? I'm by the ocean, so it'll get really warm over by my place once fall comes around..." 

"Really? I thought it would get colder... I mean, it's already getting cold now... probably that's because I live in the city..."

"Yeah really. It's another reason why I chose my place. Not too crazy about the cold, but I put up with it."

"Seems I don't pay too much attention to the climate," Gwyn chuckled as she sat slightly up.

"Noooo... don't go yet," whined Tristan playfully as he pulled her back down. "Just until it's mostly dark... please?" 

"Mmmh..." she almost hummed back, shifting slightly to rest on top of him, while pulling up the blankets.

"I love you." 

"Me too," Gwyn replied, smiling back.

Looking up at the sky, Tristan gave Gwyn another squeeze before letting go. "Time to go. Kinda in the mood for some ice cream..."

"Yes please, especially if it is strawberry and dark chocolate..." she mused. "And..." she continued, earning Tristan's surprised stare. "Maybe we could check if there's one with cinnamon..."

"I know exactly where to go then... and you do realise that you're totally turning me on, right?" 

"No... What does ice-cream have to do with that?" she gasped, chuckling amused of what he had just said.

Smirking back at her, he slowly sat up. "Didn't you listen to me earlier, I like the taste of cinnamon. Especially since it reminds me of you."

"And that... oh right," she blushed slightly. "You know, you make me feel like a teen when you pass those sort of comments," she laughed. "I get embarrassed too much when you're around."

"And I love it when you're not your prim-and-proper self all the time, so I kinda like embarrassing you - as I get to see this side of you more. Of course, when we're at home, I see a  _ completely _ different side of you too..."

"Funny," she smirked, giving him a kiss on his forehead. "So... ice-cream first, then we get something to take back home? Or we just take the ice-cream back home..." notices the mischievous glint in his eyes. "Right... whoa... Tris, I just gave you ideas I shouldn't have, forget forget," she chuckled, waving one hand in front of his face.

"Whhaaattt...  _ fine _ . We'll do the ice cream date first and take some dessert back for later. Ready to go?"

"Yep," she replied, as she got back on her feet and started folding up one of the blankets.

Chuckling, Tristan walked over to the remnants of the bonfire, and began smothering the dying embers with the sand before helping Gwyn with the blankets. "All set?"

"Have you checked whether  _ everything _ has turned into ash?" Gwyn grinned back, while finishing to fold the last of the blankets. "Everything as in: every. single. thing."

"Yes, I did," he grinned back as he took the blankets momentarily so that Gwyn could pick up the discarded accelerant bottle and the box of matches.

"By the way, if you receive that sort of rubbish again... you need to do this again," she grinned.

"And you'll be right by my side when I do it too. Sounds like a plan. Just carry those back, the blankets aren't too bad."

After carrying back the blankets next to the car, Gwyn rested against the passenger's door while Tristan arrived just a few seconds later, actually lighter than they were before given that they had gotten rid of the fan-rubbish, as Gwyn liked to call it.

"You seem rather pleased with yourself. Is it because all of the fanmail is gone?"

"Yes. Quite pleased in fact... it was kind of irritating to know that you had that sort of stuff at hand."

"You have been quite possessive of me as of late... I'm impressed and I find it kinda cute as Cyn did the same thing when women seemed to want to throw themselves at me. The guys that hit on me however... it would depend on her mood at the time."

Giving him a small smile, Gwyn slipped inside the car and took her place in the passenger's seat, sighing slightly.

"Care to tell me what the smile's about or should I keep guessing?" joked Tristan as he slid behind the wheel and started the car.

"It suddenly dawned on me, or you made me remember that it's not the first time that you've fallen in love... made me get a weird feeling, that's all."

"You misunderstand - I love Cyn, but as like a sister. Sure when we were growing up... we ended up looking to each other as a potential significant other, but it never happened as we were much more sibling-like to ever be in a romantic relationship. Was she my first? Yes, but she never made me feel the way I feel about you. She'll always be in my life but that's because she's been there since the beginning and she's always been really protective of me. You, on the other hand, I truly have fallen in love with. You're the one I'd love to marry someday, have a family with, and grow old together with. So in short, my love for you is completely different than my love for Cyn."

At the mention of 'family' and 'growing old', Gwyn merely bit her lower lip, placed a hand on Tristan's lap and looked away.

Sensing a strange dip in her emotions, he placed his hand over hers. "If I said something stupid, just let me know, okay? But for what it's worth, I'll just be happy with what I have with you right now and take it one day at a time." 

"Nothing was stupid Tris... actually, it sounds so damn perfect."

"Really? Then why'd you look away?" he asked quietly as he continued to drive.

"Because I'm afraid it could never happen," she replied, bluntly.

"...Is it because you can't have kids or something? Or is it because you're sick with something...?"

"No no," she reassured him, turning to look back. "I'm perfectly healthy, sorry being so sudden about it..."

"Oh... okay. And don't worry about it, I guess we'll just wait until the time's right. For now, I'm looking forward to two things, you and ice cream... though combining the two might be fun - if a bit messy... but nothing a shower or bath wouldn't fix," he grinned mischievously.

"Too messy... anyway, just to finish off the other subject, it's just a bad feeling I have that's all there's about it... maybe it's a case of over-apprehension," she finished, obviously lying not to reveal what was really going on in her mind.

"Maybe, but I usually find it best to not work yourself up over the little things. Just take things as they come along and deal with them then. That way you can enjoy everything around you without too much hassle," he replied as he focused on finding parking while also avoiding the pedestrians on the road. "Anyways, the place is close to here, so we should be good."

"Let's make a deal... if you find cinnamon ice-cream, you can bring it over with you back home," she muttered in a whisper, leaving him surprised as both of them got out of the car. "And... you're free to choose what to do with that..." she smirked, obviously teasing him as she tried to get over those previous thoughts as quickly as possible.

Letting his jaw drop slightly, Tristan began to grin as he shook his head. "You never cease to amaze me..." Taking her hand, he led her through the streets to a dessert bar that was quite lively with families, groups of friends, and couples in attendance. "This is the place and trust me, you'll love it."

"It's got antique decor..." she smiled, as she looked up at a grinning Tristan, whilst noticing the furnishings "You've started to get used to my tastes, haven't you?"

"I have but it not the only reason why I brought you here. They make some of the best homemade ice cream I've ever had, which includes flavours that you just have to try."

"Seems you're used to coming over," she asked, whilst looking at the small tables, the detailed decor on the chairs, the particular wallpapers used to adorn the walls, the antique lamps. "I love this place..."

"Thought you might," he smiled as they sat down and waited for the waiter to come by.

"Well well, Tristan, nice to see you again," came a rather jovial voice. "Got a friend with you tonight, huh?"

"Hey Tom, great seeing you and yep, my friend's never been here so I thought I'd take her 'round. Busy night?"

"As usual, but it's been pretty smooth sailing so far. So what'll it be, your usual?"

"Yep, but give us a few minutes to let the lady decide."

"Sure, take your time. I'll be back in a few," smiled Tom as he patted Tristan's shoulder and went off to help a few more customers.

Taking the menu in her hands, Gwyn smiled back at Tristan and started skimming through all of the items, noticing that the place really had quite the variety just like he had mentioned on the way. Glad that vampires could still appreciate human food, in spite of their own needs, she started to decide on what to try - even though it was quite the tough choice to make... "Seems you've already decided, haven't you?"

Resting his chin on the palm of his hand, Tristan began grinning as he watched Gwyn's eyes scan through the items and her brow furrow in thought at her choices. "Long ago. As you could tell, I'm quite the regular here. Also, I'll be taking some of it to go as well..."

"Not fair," she chuckled, sticking her tongue out at him playfully. "Any suggestions, I'm totally lost..."

"What exactly are you in the mood for? Chocolate? Fresh fruits? Cake? Pie? Something sharable? Or maybe a personal item? As for their ice cream, I thought you wanted strawberries and dark chocolate? If you go that route - they have a molten chocolate and ice cream cake that's up your alley."

"You really want to kill me, mmh?" she chuckled. "But I like your suggestion... and," looks back at the menu. "That looks particularly... delicious."

"Kill you? Noooo, but want you to have a nice night out with me? Yes, very much so. Also, I've had it - was truly divine."

"That it is I suppose... now, what are  _ you _ having?"

"It'd ruin the surprise," he smirked as he motioned for Tom to come back.

"Decided yet then?"

"Yep, my friend's ready to order and you already got mine."

"Sure did, so Miss, what'll it be tonight?"

"Well, on his very suggestion, the chocolate and ice-cream cake please..." Gwyn told Tom, grinning back at Tristan afterwards.

"Ahh, great choice. It's one of our most popular dishes here - his usual though is quite the favorite here as well. I'll be back shortly with you order." Nodding, at the pair, Tom set off for the kitchen.

"You asked him not to tell me what you ordered eh?"

"Nope. He probably assumed that I told you, which I didn't on purpose. Now..." he smiled as he reached over the table to take hold of her hand, "I'm really glad you're here with me."

"Couldn't do otherwise," she chuckled smiling back.

"Despite the public setting, mind if I kiss you here?"

"As long as there isn't anyone who could be familiar with who I am, no... I don't mind," she whispered back. "Well, anyway, I don't think I'm quite recognizable in casual clothing..."

"Point taken," he smiled before leaning over to kiss her quickly. "Hmm, you'll probably taste even better after dessert." 

"There will be chocolate involved," she laughed. "So probably yes."

"You can have some of my mystery dessert too if you want."

"Once I get to know what it is, I might."

"You'll like it, trust me."

"If you say so," she echoed back, whilst gently caressing the top of his hand with her fingers.

As the pair waited for their order to arrive, Gwyn was describing the style and architecture of the place while Tristan listened enthusiastically. Soon enough though, Tom had arrived with dessert.

"For you Miss, your cake and for Tristan here, the usual. Enjoy!"

Once Tom had left the table, Gwyn finally saw what Tristan had ordered and laughed.

"And that explains why you got me here..." she chuckled. "You evil mastermind..."

"You love my deviousness. Care to try some? It's quite good," he smirked as he took a spoonful of the cinnamon and vanilla bean ice cream with the double-fudge brownie to eat. 

"That's just a heavenly overdose," she replied, taking a small spoonful from his dessert to eat. "Oh..." 

"Yeah... now you can see why it's my usual. Rather, you can  _ taste _ why it's my usual."

"And that means... that you won the bet," she laughed, now tasting her own choice.

"Well, more like, we'll both get our way tonight," he grinned as he took a bite of her dessert. "Mmm... still awesomely delicious." 

"Just as this cake..." Gwyn replied. "You really are an expert... or else, you've already tried them all... probably this one makes more sense knowing you."

"I've tried most of them and yes, my usual is the one that makes the most sense... especially now," he chuckled as he finished the last of his dessert. "So, think you'll be coming back here with me in the near future?"

"Yes and have the same dessert you chose..."

"Then it's a date. Anyways, take your time, I'll just go pay and order some takeaway for the ice cream. Brownies I can make at home. Good?"

"Perfect... I'll wait for you here then."

After wiping his mouth with the napkin, he kissed her cheek quickly as he grabbed the check and went up to the register. A few minutes later, Tristan slid back into his seat, with two containers of ice cream in a bag. "All set?"

"Mmm-hmm," Gwyn nodded, as she got back on her feet. "What about the second container?"

"One of their speciality chocolate flavored ice cream. Taste great with the cinnamon vanilla bean one. Now, I believe we have a bet to settle, but I think I'll just take you for now and save the ice cream for later," he whispered into her ear as they made their way out of the restaurant.

Arm locked with his, the two walked out of the restaurant, headed towards the car. On the way, Gwyn couldn't help but think of how  _ human _ she actually acted whenever she was by his side - almost making her forget who she really was.

The drive home was rather quick, as Tristan lived a few minutes from the restaurant, so once the car was parked and the garage was shut, they made their way up to the apartment.

"By the way, Tris... these places are so much better than those in the centre..."

"Oh yeah? That's nice to know," he replied as he locked the door and headed to the kitchen. Opening the freezer, he placed the ice cream containers inside before folding up the paper bag to reuse later.

"Never went to a bar after office hours? It's such a bore..."

"To be honest, never really bothered. Most of the time when me and the others go out, it's usually food and drinks - not solely drinks. Also, we hang around here as I'm usually the one to cook hangover food," he laughed as he wrapped his arms around her.

"Good, at least you don't have sleazy cheating drunken fiancés hitting on you while you're at a table on your own, and with only one night stands on their perverted minds."

"Nope, I just contend with random people wanting to buy me drinks if we're out and about - both sexes. No offers, as Cyn and the others usually chase them off for me. Quite nice when all you want to do is hang out with your friends."

"Only you can tell me about that, never really had them. But it sounds nice, from how you describe them..."

"They're the best. I can't remember a time when one of them weren't with me. Our parents all knew each other - they were friends at work - and we were neighbours. Sure we went to different schools and colleges, but we kept in touch, especially when I was traveling around to other countries. Learned that they somehow migrated to this city and since I needed to work, I applied at New Dawn. The rest is history, but I love them all."

Smiling as he held her close, Gwyn rested her head on his shoulder.

"Too early for bed?" he asked quietly while stroking her back.

"Mmmh... promise that you'll hold me close if I do something weird..."

"I'll hold you close even if you don't do something weird." 

Grinning, Gwyn rested her feet on the ground and with a small push, jumped up in Tristan's arms while wrapping her legs around him. "Told you it was a bit weird," she laughed, as she almost made the man lose his balance.

"Not weird in the slightest - more like totally hot," he laughed as he regained his balance and carried her towards the couch. "You always going to be this spontaneous around me?" he asked as he laid her atop the couch cushions.

"Hopefully... how's your back though?" she chuckled, placing a kiss on his neck.

"Strong as ever. How's your back? I mean, I think you could probably carry me..." he chuckled as he mirrored her actions.

"Yes, sure," she laughed. "Much better than earlier this week for sure..." she gazed back at him.

"Good, let's put it to the test then, shall we?" 

"I agree," Gwyn grins back, as she kisses him.

After the kiss, he gave Gwyn a piggy-back ride towards his room and gently set her on the bed before lying next to her and kissing her again.

Placing a hand on his cheek, Gwyn moved closer to Tristan as much as possible, smiling as she felt him caressing her hair gently. 

"Feeling good? I mean, I can tell you what I feel, but I'd like to hear it from you," he grinned.

"I feel wonderful," she whispered back, with a genuine smile gracing her lips. "I don't think I ever felt... so content... probably you can sense that too anyway."

"I can. I like hearing it from you though. Get ready for bed?"

"Yes Sir," she chuckled. "I think I got something with me you might like..."

"Oh so I'm in charge now?" he laughed as he held her close. "And what is it that you have for me, hmm?"

"Surprise," she grinned. "Go get changed since you're playing home," Gwyn chuckled. "I'll fetch my things from my bag..."

"Nope. Don't think so," he teased as he kept his hold on her.

Raising an eyebrow, Gwyn looked back at him with a grin. "What was that?"

"I think I'll just help you get  _ dressed _ ... and maybe you can do the same for me," he replied with a lazy grin as he quickly removed her jacket and slipped his hands under her shirt, massaging her lower back gently.

"Correction - undressed and dressed... and that feels good," she whispered.

"Another correction - just undressed..." he whispered back as he began massaging her back in an upwards direction. "Also, glad you like it."

" _ You  _ said dressed," she smirked.

"I did, but I never stated what state of  _ dress _ we would be in, now did I?" he smirked mischievously as he grasped the bottom of her shirt and began to pull upwards.

"So maybe I'll need to keep the surprise for some other time," she replied, as she circled her arms around his waist.

"We have all weekend, Sweetheart..." he murmured against the skin of her neck before planting kisses along her collar bone. "I promise I'll play your game with you later..."

"There's no real hurry," she chuckled, almost giggling softly as Tristan continued kissing her. "At. All."

Instead of answering, he moved to kiss her again while continuing to massage her back and shoulders.

"I think I'll be calling you in my office whenever I feel stressed out," she smiled back. "Would be quite helpful... with the office door locked of course."

"Well, you get stressed out pretty much every day... I might have to permanently move closer to your office. Also, I'll trade favors for payment," he teased as he nuzzled into her neck.

"Like what?" she smirked. 

"Lie on your stomach for me? I'll work on the rest of you, as stress isn't always in your shoulders and back. As for payment, we can negotiate."

"Yes sure," she told him in response, as she turned to give him her back. "That made me even more curious you know..."

"Of course. Now just relax... I'll take care of you," he whispered as kneeled against her side and slid his hands down to her feet before massaging the sole of her right foot.

Getting hold of one of the pillows lying on Tristan's bed, Gwyn rested her head and closed her eyes. "Tris, you really should thank your sister for this..."

"I often do... these massages have kept me in pretty good condition. Glad I can share them with you," he smiled as he moved up to work on her calf and hamstring. "Bit tense here, but that's probably due to the heels..."

"Think so? Mmh, anyway, you're in good condition because you're pretty much of a sports geek, aren't you?"

"There's that but trust me when I say that I've had my fair shares of strains and pulled muscles. I'd end up calling Val over if it was pretty bad, and one day she got tired of me whining that she decided to teach me. First were the massages and rubs that I could perform on myself and then she taught me how to perform full-body massages."

"Turned out to be pretty useful."

"Just a bit. Want me to teach you?"

"Maybe some time..."

"Sure. How's the right leg feeling now?"

"Definitely better..." she replied, almost dozing off.

"Uh-oh, can't have you doing that now," he joked as he planted kisses up her spine as he began work on her left leg.

"Your fault, this is blissfully relaxing," she whispered, sighing contentedly.

"Told you I'd take care of you..." replied Tristan as he moved down to massage her left foot.

"No doubt about that... "

Once he finished massaging her foot, he laid down on his stomach and turned his head to face Gwyn, smiling as he studied her face. "Hey there, still with me?"

"Mmm-mmh," she nodded back, giving him a sleepy look. "You're really pampering me today."

"You deserve it though. I'll pamper you every day if you want." Tristan gave her a grin as he pulled off his sweatshirt and belt before lying back down next to Gwyn again. 

"That would be nice..." she whispered back, placing a kiss on his lips.

"Good..." came the sincere reply as he wrapped his arms around Gwyn.

Turning to face him and lie on her side, she grinned back at him, wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close. "And now, Mister, I'm all relaxed you know..."

"I'm glad you are," he smiled as he returned her hug.

"And I know you're thinking about something," she told him, playfully placing a kiss on his nose.

"I  _ might _ be. Care to prove your hypothesis?"

"I still might not be able to read your emotions, but I could be close enough." With a soft nudge, Gwyn pushed Tristan to lie on his back, while she moved to rest on top of him, as she did on the beach.

"Getting warm..." he smiled at her. 

"Just a little bit... for now," she chuckled, nuzzling against his neck, as she placed soft kisses next to his ear.

"Hmm, well just being warm won't do at all..."

Chuckling, Gwyn continued kissing that very spot, lingering even more on some of the last kisses, and grinned when she felt Tristan shiver slightly.

"You're having fun with me, aren't you?" he moaned as he felt Gwyn's kisses along his neck while slipping her hands under his shirt and stroking the skin underneath.

"Quite..." she muttered, as she turned her last kiss into a small bite which made her quickly lick that very spot and continue kissing.

"Mmm... guess you know why I like that particular spot on you, hmm?"

"Exactly..." she stopped, turning her head up to look straight in his eyes.

"What is it?"

Without replying, Gwyn lowered her head closer and gave Tristan a long, passionate kiss as she slowly passed a hand through his hair, caressing it. Once finished - and having regained a bit of breath - she rested her forehead against his and chuckled. "Gotcha..."

" _ Tease _ , but... you've  _ always _ had me."

"Depends what you mean by always... might mean that you were destined to meet me since you were born... or always as in, since forever... or..." she stopped as she noticed him smiling back at her. "What's that smile for?"

"Never took you to be so sentimental... but, I think you know that both can apply in this situation. Maybe I was destined to meet you, but I can safely say that I'd love to spend forever with you." 

"You're to blame for that," she replied, sticking her tongue out at him. "I never really was."

"So it's  _ my _ fault now? I'll gladly take the blame then," he grinned.

"Yes it is," she smiled, moving to kiss him again. 

"Wouldn't have it any other way then..."

While she was kissing him passionately for the second time round, Gwyn felt Tristan reach for the clasp of her bra as he had wrapped his arms around her while she found herself unfastening the zip of his shorts. As much as she hated to admit it at first, now Gwyn was starting to realise that she  _ really _ needed this man, desperately, in every single way she could think of. And as much as she was proud of her true nature, he had been the only one to make her almost forget her  _ real _ needs - turning them into more  _ human  _ ones...

After he unfastened her bra, Tristan sat up to help her remove it before pulling off his shirt and tossing it to the ground. Immediately, he resumed kissing her, as he slid his hands down to the waistband of her pants and began to work on the zip of them.

"Just get them off now," she whispered, in almost a seductive way, making him stop kissing her and look straight in her eyes, almost surprised.

"Sit up a bit more, and I'll get them off..."

Chuckling, Gwyn sat up as instructed and gave Tristan a real sincere smile that made him realise, not that he needed confirmation anyway, of how relaxed and happy she actually was at that very moment. "Guess back is much better off now, isn't it?" she whispered, as she felt him move her hair on one side and kiss right behind her neck.

"Much better, it's like you couldn't really tell how bad it was earlier this week," he murmured as he eased off her pants and ran his hands over her body. "God... you are absolutely  _ gorgeous _ ..."

"Said the handsome prince," she whispered back smiling, glad that the few scars she had all over her body seemed to somehow be overlooked.

"Why thank you, my Queen," whispered Tristan as he gently bit the spot on her neck.

"I think I'll need to invest in more high collared tops," she chuckled, nuzzling closer to him.

"Such a small price to pay I'm sure..." he grinned against her skin before giving the spot a lazy lick.

"Oh definitely," she grinned back, sliding her hands to reach for his boxers. "Something should be removed here..." she laughed, tilting her head up to kiss him again.

"I could say the same for you - but I think I'll just go about removing it anyways..." he smirked as he proceeded to pull down her underwear while kissing her deeply.

"Now if you could help me with yours..." she grinned back, as Tristan continued kissing her.

Pausing momentarily, Tristan laid back down on the bed and lifted his hips so that Gwyn could easily slide off his boxers. "Better?" he asked as he arched an eyebrow mischievously towards her direction.

"Much better," she winked back mischievously as she removed his boxers in a swift movement and crawled immediately on top of him, chuckling. "Talk about prompt action."

"I've always taken a  _ pro-active _ stance on any job I take on, despite the whining," he grinned as he moved to kiss her again, reveling in being able to touch her without the hindrance of cloth.

Chuckling, as Tristan gave her a light push to make her lie on her back, Gwyn raised an eyebrow and laughed. " _ Definitely _ pro-active."

"And you like that..." he whispered as he kissed her cheek.

"Pretty much..." she smiled back.

Chuckling, he reached over to his nightstand and removed a condom package from the drawer. "Guess I'll have to remind you of how much of a  _ hard worker _ I am..." 

"No need for reminders either..." she laughed, placing both of her hands on his cheeks. "However..." she whispered with a grin. "Go ahead... I don't mind these sort of reminders..."

"Think of it as an expected, well-deserved surprise. Because, y'know it's nice to anticipate the arrival of things to get you through the day," he whispered while slipping on the prophylactic.

"Tris..." Gwyn muttered in a low whisper.

"Mmm?"

"Do I need to ask you?" she continued whispering, as she shifted slightly to brush her legs with his.

" _ Maybe _ ... not everyday I get to hear you ask me for things..." he whispered back as he nuzzled into her neck while nudging her legs apart.

Her voice barely audible, softer than a whisper, Gwyn moved as close as possible to Tristan's side and smiled. "Make love to me Tris... please..."

"Gladly, my Queen."

-

"Can't believe you just said you're tired," she whispered, as she lay in his arms while drawing random patterns on his chest with her fingers.

"Not that  _ tired _ , I meant that today was a tiring day. After all, it was work, football, injury, fight, talk, bonfire, dessert, and  _ this _ ..." he chuckled as he kissed her forehead.

"I think I quite approve of the conclusion," she chuckled, turning her head to place a kiss on his chin.

"I wouldn't trade it for anything though, maybe the injury and the fight could disappear, but all in all, it's been a rather productive day."

"I knew that anyway... I know you're feeling happy about all this... wanting for it to happen over and over again for the rest of your days... am I right?" she grinned back.

"The making love to you part? Yeah, I could probably do that every day with you..."

"Even the staying in bed together like this, not necessarily the 'making love' part... even though that is a significantly positive asset," she chuckled.

"You wanted to know some of my fantasies? Aside from your office... the carpet to be exact... Your chair's comfy enough... couch too. Oh and my office has no windows, but not soundproof... Also your desk looks big enough for both of us..." he smirked at her, earning a blush and a slap on the stomach from her.

"I would have been surprised if you hadn't mentioned the desk... as for carpet - no, chair - nah, couch... mmmh... still no however as we'd be at work. As for soundproof, I've got 100 percent guarantee that it's soundproof... Cynthia can tell too, I once shoved a large vase - extremely valuable - vase against the door and she barely heard anything. She stared at me for a good half an hour when I opened the door and saw the mess."

"Can I test that out for myself one day?"

"At home," she chuckled.

"Dunno... you said that you might be calling me in to give you a massage... next thing y'know..." he grinned, as he began working on the spot again.

"Thank your lucky..." she sighed as he was kissing the usual spot on her neck. "Your lucky star that Cynthia is my secretary... she might make me reconsider my original rules."

"I think at this point, she's probably speculating if we have had sex in your office, to be honest."

"Because probably, someone's pretty obvious..."

"More like, she knows how I think... though she thinks we look really good together, so it's okay."

Smiling, she looked up at him once again. "I know... especially the day I picked you up after the Black incident..."

"It was actually before that - when she saw us kiss in your bedroom after dinner. The Black incident was icing." 

"And I don't mind that because you trust her blindly..."

"Not too blindly - but she's always had good judgement in regards to me, so...yeah." Slowly, he slid his hands down her back. "All rested up yet?"

"No," she chuckled, kissing him in a teasing mode.

"Hmm... might have to do something about that..." he smirked as he began planting kisses down her body, starting from her lips.

"Since you're at it then..." Gwyn managed to mutter between kisses as she moved to rest on top of him. "My turn..."

"Oh really? Well then,  _ show _ me what you can do, hmm?" whispered Tristan as he teasingly kissed her. 

"Since I have your approval, then..." she whispered back, kissing him passionately. "I'm sure I didn't need that anyway..."

"Not. At. All."

"Love you," she whispered, starting to lose count of how many times she uttered that phrase to him, while she held him as close to her as much as possible...

"Love you too."

-

"So... this is going to be a more regular thing right? I mean, not so much as the dating out in the open and waking up next to each other... or even the sex part, but the being a couple thing, right?" smiled Tristan as reached over to check his clock, which read ’04:43' on it.

"Mmm-hmm," Gwyn hummed back in response. "I suppose we're a couple all right now... best thing I like out of all of this."

"I like us like this too..." he replied as he pulled the covers over them and snuggled against her. "See you in the morning, Love." 

"Goodnight Tris..." she replied, dozing off as soon as she finished talking to him.

-

Unlike Gwyn's room, Tristan's bed completely avoided being in the path of direct sunlight, which lead to the pair to sleep in longer than Gwyn was used to doing so. For Tristan, he simply cuddled against Gwyn while Gwyn slowly shifted in her sleep - which lead to rousing Tristan.

"Stop moving... sleepy still."

At hearing his voice, Gwyn merely opened one eye and turned facing the opposite side in an attempt to continue sleeping.

Once Gwyn settled down again, he rested his head against her shoulder, causing his lips to unintentionally press against her back as he slowly drifted off to sleep again.

Almost an hour or so later, Gwyn slowly opened her eyes again, bringing them into focus and realising that she had two arms encircling her waist and Tristan resting against her back, since she was feeling his warm breath against her skin. Turning in his embrace, she smiled as she watched his slow, deep breaths while still asleep. After placing a kiss on his forehead, she stood right by his side, observing him in complete silence...

Realizing that the warmth next to him was gone, Tristan slowly patted the spot where Gwyn was before rolling onto his stomach and slowly opened his eyes to see Gwyn standing over him. "Morn... ing?"

Sitting down, Gwyn just smiled back and placed a kiss on his lips, chuckling. "Morning sleepy prince..."

Wrapping his arms around her waist, he placed a kiss against her thigh. "What time is it?" 

"Midday," she laughed, while looking at the bedside clock, as she ran a hand through his hair.

"Awesome," he yawned as he let go of her and sat up - only to lean over and kiss her. "Since I promised Cyn her cookies, wanna grab some lunch around here? Then we can go to the bakery and drop off her cookies. Afterwards, we're free to do what we like."

"If you know of some quaint place... it's fine for me."

"Define 'quaint' please, since your definition and mine may differ," he replied while wrapping his arms around her in a hug.

"Few people, nice setting, good food... does that differ from your definition?"

"Sounds about right, though decor would be the big one..."

"It's the least essential of the three though..."

"Fine... choice of food?" 

"Meat. I'm all in for a steak right now," she uttered, earning a surprise look from Tristan.

"I know just the place then. C'mon, your Naked Highness, let's go get cleaned up and ready to go out for the day," he teased as he sat next to her on the edge of the bed, before standing up.

"Look who's talking," she replied, as she first placed a kiss on his cheek, then stood up, grabbing his right hand in the process.

"So is dragging me along going to be a thing as well?" he joked as he tugged the blanket off of her before they walked into the bathroom.

"Yes, get used to it," she laughed as she locked the bathroom door once the two of them were inside.

More than half an hour later, they both stood around Tristan's sink and laughed at their reflections.

"You're going to make me lose weight," Gwyn chuckled as she finished brushing her teeth. 

"You lose weight? What about me? There is no way in hell Cyn's not going to call me out on this. I swear, you couldn't get this grin off my face if you tried..."

Gwyn moved right behind him and placed both of her hands at the side of his face to playfully try and change his facial expression. "Don't think we'll manage," she laughed. "You're a hopeless case."

"Well, you look positively radiant and your smile is another dead giveaway too. So looks like you're equally hopeless." 

"That's because I'm not in my work flair," she commented, as she circled her arms around Tristan's neck.

Setting down his toothbrush, he placed his hands over hers. "And I intend to keep you out of it for the rest of today and tomorrow." Looking in the mirror again, he puckered his lips to examine his face. "Looks like I'll have to shave soon..." 

"Mmh, where?" she asked, looking at his reflection in the mirror with him.

"The super-faint whiskers along my jawline... One thing I love about my Dad... he wasn't a hairy guy... couple that with my mom... and I practically ended up hairless," he laughed. 

"I hadn't even noticed these..." she muttered amused, while looking closely. "Do you have a photograph of your father?"

"In the photo album, as there're several photos of him... and I'm there too, in spirit and when my mom was obviously pregnant with me," he grinned.

"Is it all right for you if I have a look at them this evening?" she smiled.

"Sure, I don't mind at all. You'll get to witness me through all of my awkwardness. Especially when I was seventeen... that's when I graduated from college."

"And why's that," she asked, as she got out of the bathroom into the bedroom to fetch a change of clothes.

"Remember how I told you how I hate formal pictures? Most of them are as such, so you can kinda see my mild annoyance on my face in them."

"Which reminds me... you do have a camera then... how about bringing it over with you, I might take a couple of pictures of you,” Gwyn chuckled as she took out a white wrap-over v-necked top and a knee-length black skirt. 

"Maybe..." he smiled as he retrieved a pair of slim fitting dark blue jeans and a olive-colored, short-sleeve button up shirt from his closet, as well as a pair of dark grey boxers. Once he had everything, he pulled on the boxers and draped the towel over his shoulders before walking into his bedroom to finish getting dressed.

Humming the first piece of music that came to her mind, which most probably was a waltz, Gwyn proceeded into putting on her underwear, then walked towards the nearest mirror - slipped on her skirt first, following by the top. Not quite in the mood of drying up her hair, plus, she didn't have her hairdryer there - she proceeded into gathering her hair in in a clip, something Tristan wasn't really accustomed to see.

"You always seem to do that, I've noticed," came the amused remark as Tristan watched Gwyn getting dressed whilst pulling on his jeans. "You hum when you get dressed. Anne was right, you do love waltzes. Also, I like your hair like that, looks great on you." 

"Mmhh?" she asked, turning to look at him. "When did Anne tell you about that? And thank you about that, barely ever put it that way to tell you the truth... I prefer letting my hair down."

"When I played the piano for you. She mentioned you love waltzes. You also threatened to get me to dress up if we did," he grinned as he buttoned his jeans. 

"That could still be a lovely idea if you want... maybe one day I could take you to a ball..." she said, grinning back at him.

" _ Me _ ? At a ball?  _ Seriously _ ?" he asked with a wry look on his face while pulling on his shirt.

"Yes very seriously... and it's no big deal... trust me."

"I guess..." he replied while buttoning the shirt. "Will you be dressing up for it too?"

"If we get to go someday... and if it'll be what I think it'll be, it has to be a grand classic ballroom gown... similar to those in old history books," she told him, while she leaned down to put on her shoes.

"Sounds interesting. Will my tux have tails?"

"I might fetch you an antique-looking uniform..."

Stopping momentarily as he was pulling on his socks, he looked up at her. "Like from the Victorian era?"

"Yes, something of the sort," she smiled back.

"Hmm... sounds even more  _ interesting _ . Maybe," he shrugged as he finished pulling on his socks. "Now... you almost done here? My shoes are by the door."

"Yes," she nodded, as she put on her wrist-watch. "And don't worry too much about that... I'll let you know beforehand should there be the occasion."

"I'll keep my schedule open then - I'd love to see you in a ballroom gown... corset and all," he grinned as he put on his watch.

"You grinned as soon as you mentioned the corset," she laughed as they walked out of the room to the hallway.

"Can you blame me? I mean, I think I proved last night how much I like your breasts... but  _ whatever _ ," he smirked as he grabbed his shoes.

"What?!" she gasped, looking back at him for a short while, to then burst into a fit of laughter. "You really are plain blunt sometimes, you know that?"

"So are you... sometimes... and you know  _ exactly _ what I'm referring to... don't deny it," he laughed as he pulled on his casual black dress shoes.

Gwyn blinked back at him, clueless, as Tristan opened his front door.

As Gwyn walked past him, he leaned over to whisper, "What exactly do you keep  _ touching _ when we're lying in bed together? Hmm?"

Blushing furiously, Gwyn looked back at him for a very short while, then continued walking in front of him. "Whatever..."

"Figure it out yet,  _ Dear _ ?" he teased as he opened the car door for her.

Muffling some sort of cryptic word, Gwyn slipped inside the car and sat on the passenger's seat. "You have the weird pleasure of seeing me embarrassed, don't you?" she asked, looking out from the window, with her hands resting on her lap. 

"Mmm-hmm. I do, but it's nice knowing that you do follow your baser instincts at times. Which is why Cyn and I compliment each other as shallowly as possible - makes everything less awkward," he laughed as he opened the garage door. 

"I see," she replied, still looking away.

"Ahh, c'mon. I'm just joking with you - what I say that's about what we do in private - it's that, private - so everything I just said is between me, you and the door. No one else."

"I know, I know, sorry about that."

Placing his hand over hers, he leaned over and kissed her cheek. "It's alright. Smile for me, please?"

"Smiling..." she chuckled, returning the kiss.

"Good. Besides, I love every  _ inch _ of you... inside and out. Though, I'll admit, there are some parts of you that I like admiring more than others," he grinned.

"Guess I  _ might _ have a clue about what those could actually be..." she chuckled, still smiling while Tristan started up the car. "Love you..."

"I love you too, Gwyn."

"So tell me," she told him, in a more relaxed tone of voice. "How's the place you had in mind?"

"So this place we're going is a little family-owned steakhouse. They've been in the exact same spot for more than fifty years - and the best part about the place is that they still make the exact same things now that they did back when they started. Open late for the pub-hopping crowd, inexpensive prices, and extremely generous servings...makes this place one of my favorite places to go to when I'm too exhausted to cook. I guarantee you will love this place," Tristan explained enthusiastically as he drove himself and Gwyn to the restaurant, which was just a few blocks away from the dessert restaurant they went to the previous night.

True to his word, though Gwyn had little doubt about his choices, Tristan parked the car near a warm and cozy-looking place that was surrounded by several small crowds - which illustrated just how popular the restaurant truly was. After parking the car, Tristan led them inside the restaurant, which seemed to exude its proud history. Once his name was placed on the waiting list, the pair waited outside for their table, calmly passing the time people-watching and sharing a few kisses as they warmed themselves under the midday sun. After twenty minutes or so, their table was ready and they were seated in a quieter area of the restaurant, which suited them just fine. As they waited for their server, Tristan reached over and placed his hand over Gwyn's - completely enjoying his 'date' with her.

"Remind me not to have any doubts, ever, when you choose restaurants," Gwyn whispered while they were waiting for their main course to arrive. Still with hands in each others and their fingers entertwined, Gwyn brought Tristan's hands to hers and gave them a soft kiss. "I think I'll leave the choice of a restaurant to you whenever we go out..."

"You don't have to. I'm good around here, but anywhere else? Nope. Anne's cooking can rival most other restaurants that I've been too though. It's nice though isn't it?"

"Looks like a family place and it's cozy which is definitely a plus... and... I'll be sure to tell that to Anne," she chuckled.

"Do that. And yes, you saw how packed it was - and that was just the front. This place is extremely popular with families too, which is another reason why I love this place. I don't really care for the places that strictly cater to the young and single, as a good number of them are fad restaurants. My rule of thumb is: if it has a crowd outside waiting, there are lots of families going to it as well and tons of people who are regulars, there's a good chance that the place is great," he beamed.

"Yes it is..." she replied as the waiter promptly came up with their food. "I mean, it's rare to find this sort of family-place back in the centre, not that I know of them anyway. I generally have dinner at home."

"Ahh, I see. Yeah, it's harder to find a good place that's around the office too..." he replied as he looked at his food, "Mmm... smells delicious. Well, hope you like it!" 

Gwyn eyed her steak carefully and grinned, probably related to the fact that she was starting to feel slightly hungry - in the other way round - early. 

As Gwyn was looking over her food, Tristan immediately dug into his potatoes and vegetables before cutting into his steak with a grin on his face.

"Yes, it's wonderful... and... it's rare just as I had requested it," she smiled as she started eating.

Nodding back at her, he continued to grin as he ate his lunch.

Pausing at times, Gwyn couldn't help not observing the people that were coming in and out of the restaurant - just like Tristan had mentioned, most of them were families with small children, young to old couples, well, practically anyone was in there. It was one little girl with long blonde hair clinging to her father's jacket that caught her attention and made her smile slightly.

"Judging by the smile on your face, you're quite content and we'll be going here a few more times too, right?"

"Mmm-mmh, have a look there though... see that girl? It almost looks like how I was when I rarely went out with Fred... I had that long hair too..."

"Cute. That must've been quite the sight."

"Especially since it was a rare one... Fred never really liked going out... he was more of a 'me, him and the library' person. And his wife of course."

"Despite having three kids, my mom loved going out. She stuck to the same routines that she and my Dad used to do - plus, lots of family and friends around to help out. A nice stipend from the military, couple that with both of my families being rather well-off, and my own mom running a successful flower shop, led to a lot of time spent out of the house together. That's what lead to me catching the traveling bug - I loved visiting new places, meeting the people, and just exploring on my own. Ended up being not only book-smart, but also street-smart as I learned a few things in rather unconventional ways," he laughed.

"Maybe things could have been different if my parents were still alive... who knows," she replied, while she continued eating. "Unconventional?"

"I can sleep anywhere - when traveling, you catch sleep when you can, and I've perfected the art of being comfortable sleeping anywhere. I can even sleep standing up. I learned how to blend in with crowds and locals better, despite my looks. Learned how to speak the local slang too. And of course... some of the techniques that I use exclusively for  _ you _ ..." he grinned as he leaned over to whisper, "when I'm making love to you..."

Blushing once again, Gwyn chuckled lightly, resting her forehead against his. "Good to know," she whispered back. 

Smirking, he stole some potatoes off her plate before taking a sip of his lemonade. "And I  _ know _ you quite enjoy them... if the previous two nights are any indication... which reminds me, trim the nails please? I'm lucky I didn't get called out on it while I was playing football with the others yesterday."

"What? They're not long," she interjected, holding her hands out towards him. "They're the length I always keep them... and wait... oh no, I  _ didn't _ ..."

"I felt you lick at them, if that's any indication..." he smirked. "But that's when you were 'drawing' on my back."

"At the nails?!" she gasped, keeping her voice low at the same time. "Stop it," she replied, the grin on her face showing that she was playing along.

Giving her an amused look, he took her hand and placed it on his back after he turned to give it to her. "Yep, this area's quite sore... Scratch marks take time to heal, y'know."

"Sorry about that," she pouted. "You didn't mind I suppose though... if it hurt, you could have told me," she smirked in return.

"Nope. Pleasure before pain. And I was feeling pretty good at the time..."

"Pretty sure you were," she smiled back, giving him a quick kiss on his lips.

"I could say the same for you," he replied in a sing-song voice before kissing her again. 

"Want to finish off my plate now?" she asked, pointing at the random vegetables and roast potatoes she still had in her plate. "Steak was enough for me."

"You can have half, I'll take the other half. Please?" he asked as he gave her his 'puppy dog' eyes - which reminded Gwyn of Jasper.

"Oh all right..." she laughed, as she looked back at him. "But I'm already full, believe me," as she started nibbling at her plate once again.

"Well, you're making me happy right now," smiled Tristan as he took exactly half of her vegetables.

"Because I'm eating? Well eating, sort of," she replied.

Nodding, Tristan went back to observing Gwyn as she ate the remainder of her food.

Pausing to look at him while she was finishing up her glass of water, Gwyn smiled. "What's wrong?"

"How come you don't eat a lot? I watch you eat, but you barely touch your food... except for dessert. The fact that you're not starving after last night... is surprising. After all, weren't you the one that said that I'd make you loose weight?"

"I don't eat much, always been like that..." she replied. "You shouldn't worry about that."

"Yeah, but I do worry about you... so..."

"Trust me, it's normal for me not to eat much, you could ask Anne if you like... as for dessert, rather than being hungry, I just enjoy eating them."

"Hmm... interesting. But, please eat a little more... for my sake? It'll make me feel better about you..."

"Just a little bit... plus, there's still that weight-watching fix of mine..."

"You're perfect already though..." he whined slightly as he grinned at her.

"Perfect needs to remain such though," Gwyn replied, in a slightly serious tone.

"Fiiinnee... Any tips for me then?"

"You're perfectly perfect to me. No tips required."

"Sure about that...? No need to go on a diet or watch my weight?"

"You're on a balanced diet, you exercise pretty frequently... mmmh, I guess not."

"So even my sweet consumption is within bounds for you? Awesome!"

"Maybe that..." she smirked back. "But you're active, so you burn all of those calories... so I might accept it."

"Damn right I burn all those calories... particularly around you..."

"I was indirectly implying that dear," she laughed.

"You could directly imply, I don't mind," he grinned back.

"No need, you got my point anyway," she whispered, placing a kiss on his lips. "You feel like anything else now?" she asked, looking around the restaurant once again.

"Can I have a bit more  _ persuasion _ tonight? Not sure you've totally gotten it into my head."

"We'll see to that later," she winked back.

"Look forward to it. Anyways, since we're all done here, let's go visit the bakery and then Cyn. After that, you can decide what to do."

"Sounds fine to me... and Tris, I'd really appreciate a nice lazy afternoon today," she whispered back.

"Back home in bed or around here?"

"Around... beach maybe?"

"Sounds good. The blankets are still in the car I believe..."

"How about we have a long walk along the waterline? I wouldn't mind to tell you the truth," she continued, earning Tristan's surprised look.

"You are being quite the romantic today, aren't you?" grinned Tristan as he paid the bill.

"Someone's fault," she chuckled, while placing her hand in his. "And you need to be ready to take off your shoes though... I intend to wade in the water just a little bit."

"Gotta roll up my jeans too... I hate the feel of wet denim..."

"Mine's easier, I just need to take off my shoes," she grinned, while giving him a quick kiss on his cheek. "Thanks to the skirt."

"I can make it even easier... I'll strip down to my boxers, but I don't think you'd appreciate it..."

"No, since it's in the public..." she smirked back, laughing as she walked out of the restaurant.

"But it's by the water, I can strip down to my boxers so that I can enjoy the beach, sand, sun, and water," he laughed as he leaned over and kissed her cheek.

"That's not a pair of swimming trunks you know, plus," Gwyn grinned, moving closer. "I'm the only one authorized to see you in boxers now," she chuckled.

"Aww, but wouldn't you like the ability to see me strip off my sodden boxers and then just wear absolutely nothing under my jeans?"

"What does that have to do with this?" she laughed.

"Me not wearing wet boxers under my jeans?" he grinned as he led them towards the direction of the bakery. "I mean, not the most comfortable for me, but I've done it a few times."

"No, really? No Tris, don't do that ever in my presence... really," she whispered stifling a laugh.

Blowing a raspberry at her as they walked, he just grinned. "Killjoy."

Chuckling as they were still walking hand in hand, Gwyn hadn't realised that the two had arrived in front of the bakery - their chat on beach walks, boxers and jeans had completely taken her off track in an amusing way. "So this is the place..." she whispered, as Tristan answered her with a nod as they walked inside, accompanied by the clinging sound of a small bell placed above the wooden doorframe. Gwyn turned to look at the small bell with a smile, noticing that apart from that, it also included a number of small star-shaped chimes that continued to adorn the entrance in an enchanting sort of way. Turning to look at the counter, Gwyn could notice Tristan grin widely by her side, as numerous amounts of pastries, cakes and all sorts of bakery items caught her eye.

"This really must be your favourite place around here," she commented, as he walked up towards the display.

"More like they have a lot of things that make up some of my favourite desserts around here..." he smiled as he walked over to the display that featured the lemon cookies and the coconut cookies. As he stepped up to the display, one of the employees began assisting him as Gwyn continued to look around.

Grinning as one particular item caught her attention, Gwyn called Tris and gestured for him to come closer to have a look. "I think we might as well get a couple of these to have by the sea..."

"Huh? Oh hey, that looks pretty good. I think we should too."

"Your fault I'm getting to like them..."

"How is everything  _ my _ fault now? I mean, you never did this stuff before on your own? See, this is why you need to work less... But, now that I'm around, I guess I'll just have to teach you these things," he smirked.

"I'm willing to learn," she replied, smiling while giving a slight squeeze to Tristan's hand.

"Good. So do cinnamon buns count as dessert or a snack?"

"Snack... then maybe we might have something at your place this evening, mmh?" she replied.

"Sure. Anything in particular you want for dinner tonight? Or are leftovers good enough for you?"

"Definitely not a large-ish portion but anything you have in mind sounds fine for me..."

"Salmon?" he asked as he paid for three boxes of cookies (two boxes for Cynthia - the lemon and coconut - and one for him - the lemon ones) and half a dozen of fresh cinnamon buns (two for the afternoon and some for breakfast tomorrow).

"Mmm-mmh..." she nodded as both of them thanked the store attendant and walked out of the shop.

"Fish for dinner it is. So, we'll go see Cyn right now and then, the beach!" Tristan grinned as he kept his hand entwined with Gwyn's as he led them back to the car. 

"Going straight there?" she asked, as both of them got inside. "I mean... you're not leaving the extra stuff at your place?"

"Actually, Cyn's place is towards the direction of my place - just probably ten more minutes away. So, I will be dropping off the extra stuff, plus I'll need to grab my ice chest - need it for the fish, as there's a fishmonger place I go to for my fish needs. Then we go to her place. Sound good?"

"Anything you say's fine."

"So is AD Coulston really out for the weekend and all that's left is Gwyn Coulston? I'm liking being in charge right now," he laughed as he started heading back to his apartment.

"AD's gone out on vacation leave for these couple of days... there are still some traits around anyway," she replied.

"Oh yeah? Like what, hmm?" came the teasing response as he stopped at the intersection before his apartment.

"Really, I'm not a completely different person from the Gwyn you see at the office..." she stopped, noticing Tristan's grin. "Well, first and foremost, I'm more relaxed these couple of days... hence what you're seeing..."

"More relaxed and not so completely different... hmm... So, if I were to suggest making out in the car just outside of Cyn's apartment, you'd be okay with that? Because, if you weren't AD right now, would you be more inclined to go with my suggestion or would you shoot me down?" he asked as he parked the car.

"Forget it. Told you my AD traits are still there after all," she said in a mock-serious tone of voice.

"Can I make out with you right here then, as we're in the comfort of my home?"

"Not. In. The. Car."

"In the kitchen then?" grinned Tristan as he started getting out of the car.

"Stop it," she laughed, as she got out of the passenger's seat.

"On the beach and that's my final offer," he laughed as he grabbed the baked goods. 

"It's public domain... no," she replied once again, giggling in a carefree mode that looked almost out of character for Gwyn. "And it also depends on your definition of making out anyway."

"Well, it's like..." he pinned her against the side of the car and kissed her hard.

"I might accept a light version of this... on the beach," she whispered back, smiling.

"Well then, what's your definition of light?" he asked while kissing her neck.

"This," she replied, as she placed her right hand under his chin to raise his head just a little bit and kissed him gently on his lips.

"Hmm... sounds a lot like mine... works for me," he whispered before kissing her again lightly as he smiled back at her. Tristan then climbed the stairs up to his front door and unlocked the door before slipping inside.

While Tristan headed inside the kitchen to place the stuff there, Gwyn headed inside the bedroom to get hold of her jacket - which might probably be useful for the walk on the beach later on that afternoon. Having grabbed that and after giving a quick brush to her hair, she walked back into the living room to find Tristan waiting for her.

"Hmm... jacket sounds like a good idea... be right back." Tristan disappeared into his room before emerging with the sweatshirt from last night. "We go?" 

"Yes Sir," she replied, while taking hold of the bag with the sweets herself.

Grabbing her free hand, Tristan led them out of apartment and into the car again before departing to Cynthia's place. As the drive over was brief, the pair enjoyed the comfortable silence before Tristan arrived at Cynthia's apartment. "Wanna go down? It'll only be a minute."

"I could come over for a quick hello if you like..." 

"Sure. That's fine... though, you still have that glow about you, and I'm sure I still have that huge grin on my face. Might as well admit we had a rather 'fun night in' last night... and this morning..." he chuckled as he got out of the car and grabbed Cynthia's cookies.

"No... it would be embarrassing," she whispered, blushing slightly.

"It's written all over your face, Sweetheart. Ain't no hiding that. But you can try, Cyn's really good at reading people's body language...moment you start shifting, she'll catch your lie."

"So probably better if I stay here then... I'll wait for you till you're back..." 

"Aww, and miss my grilling? Up to you, Beautiful."

"Not to worry, and take your time."

Smiling, Tristan took the bag of cookies and walked up the steps of the stoop that lead to the front door of Cynthia's apartment building. Pressing the doorbell for Cynthia's apartment, Tristan waited by the door until his best friend came down.

"Yes?" Cynthia's voice could be heard from behind the front door.

"Hello Miss. Would you like to buy some cookies to support my scout troop and I in attending a camping trip up near Lake Keyhole?" snickered Tristan as he tried to keep his voice as high as possible from behind the door.

Hearing audible giggling from behind the door, Tristan couldn't help but grin as soon as Cynthia opened the door. "You know, I don't take cookies from strangers... good afternoon handsome," she commented, hugging him. "How come you're here?"

"I come bearing cookies for you. Told you I'd get you back for eating over half of your other ones," he replied in a sing-song tone as he hugged her back.

"You didn't have to... I was just joking the other day about that... crazy boy," she smiled, placing a kiss on his cheek.

"But I wanted too..." he pouted playfully. "If you don't take my gifts, then I won't be able to go to the beach with my scoutmaster," came the teasing reply as he jerked his thumb towards the car.

"Of course I'll take them, if you insist," she grinned, taking the bag from his hands. "Who's in the car?" she then asked him, curious.

"Take a guess, since I don't own one, and neither do you or Cole or James..."

Cynthia looked first at him, then at the car, then back at Tristan and grinned. "It's AD isn't it?" she smiled.

"Nuuuu... it's my scoutmaster..." he chuckled before nodding. 

"Taking care of her for the weekend, mmh? Well she needed it after last week... really," she said, in a serious tone of voice.

"Yep. I'm doing my job to keep her mind off of all of it. What've you been up to today?"

"Nothing spectacular - just... ta daaaa," she chuckled opening the door, pointing out at the buckets with water, washing cloths, dusters and other cleaning paraphernalia.

"Wow... you're going all out today, aren't you? How much progress have you made today? Is it so clean that I can eat off the floor of the kitchen?" 

"Yes you can, since... I'm using anti-bacterial disinfectant," she laughed. "And yes, major overhaul today, the place really needed it."

"Ooohh... so we're on for spaghetti wars again on Tuesday night? I wanna put your cleaning skills to the test."

"Don't you even dare  _ think  _ about that, I swear I'd kill you if you come up with some sort of idea after all of this cleaning today." 

"Fiiinne... Are we still on for dinner on Tuesday then? Gino's is doing their spaghetti dinner show..."

"Did you tell Gwyn about that? The dinner not the spaghetti show... duh." 

"Not yet, as you just reminded me about it. If she isn't able to, do you wanna go?"

"If she doesn't mind... yes, plus, have you told James and Cole?"

"Noooooo... been busy with my scoutmaster... duh." 

"Idiot," she laughed. "Why don't you come in for a cup of tea... and ask Gwyn too. You got cookies after all," she grinned back.

"Yes  _ mother _ ... be right back..." he grinned as he headed down the stairs and towards the car. "Excuse me Miss, the lady of the house requests our presence for tea. Do you wish to join her?"

"I wouldn't mind that... actually, but... any comments on what we said earlier till now?"

"She suspects nothing, I've been distracting her with my deflection skills. Shall I respectfully decline?"

"No... I mean... she's your best friend after all, and my personal assistant at work... I think she's the one, together with Anne, that knows of us most... so, might as well," she finished, as she opened up the passenger's door.

"'Kay." Grinning, he locked the car door after Gwyn got out and led her to where Cynthia was waiting for them. "My scoutmaster said that tea would be most appropriate."

"Hey! Good afternoon AD... Gwyn, it's nice to see you," she smiled back, closing the door once the two of them were inside. "And excuse me for the mess, Saturday's the perfect day for cleaning up my den... and I've been postponing this for ages. Tris, can you lead her to the kitchen please?"

Gwyn merely had time to blink and say hello when she was dragged towards the kitchen by Tristan as instructed by Cynthia. On the way, she couldn't help not notice the cozy atmosphere the small apartment had, in spite of the various buckets and dusters scattered up and about in the various rooms.

Upon arriving at the kitchen, Tristan let go of Gwyn's hand and began busing himself around the space, as he reached into various cupboards for everything they needed: cups, spoons, saucers, sugar, milk, and the cinnamon tea itself. Whistling to himself, he went over to the sink and proceeded to fill up the kettle with water before placing it on the stove and turning on the heat. Reaching into a drawer, he pulled out a tea strainer and set it on the counter while grabbing a lemon cookie out of the box that Cynthia had placed on the breakfast bar, much to Gwyn's amusement. As she watched him work, she realized just how at home he was, not just in Cynthia's place, but rather in the kitchen itself as he was able to open and close doors and drawers with his hands - and feet if need be - without looking and grabbing the right items. Sliding onto one of the barstools, Gwyn continued to smile as she watched her little 'human' work without a care in the world.

"Whoa, King of the Kitchen's already at work..." Cynthia chuckled as she got back inside the kitchen. "He's just preparing the tea isn't he? He's so fast with these things that I sometimes can't tell," she laughed.

"Oh yes, that's for sure..." Gwyn smiled back as Cynthia sat down by her side.

"Not that fast... you're just slow compared to my skills, Queen of thy Domain," he grinned while stuffing another two cookies into his mouth.

"You seem relaxed... that's good," her secretary commented. "You really deserve some good rest at times, you  _ really _ work hard. More than anyone else employed in that company... 

"I just do what I need to do. That's an Assistant Director's work, it goes beyond that of a mere officer... plus, the CEO has absolute trust in what I do, let's say my dedication is payback for that trust..."

"You really are stubborn," Cynthia chuckled. "Just like someone I know and... Tristan, dammit don't eat those blessed cookies before we even take a bite!"

"I'm not stopping you, just grab them!" he laughed as he placed the tea strainer over one of the cups before opening the tea jar. Reaching over for another lemon cookie, he stuck it into his mouth while grinning at her.

"Grab what? You're keeping both of the boxes by your side! How am I supposed to take a cookie?" she pouted as Gwyn stared at the two, while stifling a fit of laughter that was coming up. 

"I hate the coconut ones - just get that one... duh," came the muffled reply as Tristan was munching on the cookie.

The bickering of the two friends had the ultimate toll on Gwyn - not managing to stifle the giggle any more, she burst out into a fit earnest laughter that made the two stare back at her in surprise, especially Cynthia.

"Wow... my scoutmaster's laughing. Nice going there Cyn!" laughed Tristan as he placed two cups of tea in front of them - as well as the cookies - before returning to the stove to grab his cup and the other items.

"Laughing and smiling really look good on you," Cynthia commented while she took the cup in her hands and looked back at Gwyn. "And yes Tristan I saw you smirk but I won't go about making those kind of comments... I think I know AD well too."

Sticking his tongue out at her, he reached into the lemon cookie box and grabbed a small handful of the powdered sugar (which were dusted all over the cookies) and promptly dumped it on top of her head.

"Tristan David Faraday..." she growled. "You're dead, come here!"

Shaking his head while grinning, he took off from the kitchen and ran. 

"Mmmh, Gwyn, sorry about this but... this cries revenge," Cynthia told her as she got back on her feet to shake the sugar off, then ran out of the kitchen to run after Tristan.

Meanwhile, Tristan had managed to wedge himself into a little corner of her closet in her bedroom that was nicely hidden by her dresser as well as several thick winter coats and a shoe rack. Staying absolutely still and deathly quiet, he listened as Cynthia's hurried footsteps could be heard against the hardwood floors.

"Just wait till I catch you... youuu..." his pissed-off best friend said, as she stood by her bedroom door, tapping her feet against the floor. "I know you're here."

"Mind if I join?" Gwyn's voice could be heard, joining Cynthia in the search. "I'm 100 per cent positive he's hiding here, trust me."

In shock, Tristan froze once he heard Gwyn's voice.  _ Shit... she knows my scent... _

"Ha ha! See, having AD here's an added bonus! Mmmh... so let's just find where he's hidden now..."

Like a cat, he deftly climbed on top of the highboy dresser and curled himself into a little ball, being wary of carved woodwork that would easily snag either the beltloops of his jeans or his shirt, while still hidden by items in the closet (since Cynthia could never reach the top of the dresser without standing on a small ladder).

"Mmmh..." Gwyn hummed, still watching Cynthia looking frantically around the room with absolutely no clue as to where Tristan had managed to hide. After a short while however, a slight movement caught her attention and made her grin widely. "Why don't you check up there, Cynthia?" Gwyn commented with an evil grin on her lips, while sitting down at the edge of Cynthia's bed.

"Huh? Up there where?" she asked, seeing to where Gwyn was pointing. "Oh no, you just got to be kidding..."

_ Ahhh... goddammit...  _ grumbled Tristan mentally as he could feel the smugness radiating from Gwyn.  _ Oh I'm so going to be cold today... no cuddling today, nope! _

"Do you have a stool? I think I might reach up to that high..." Gwyn asked Cynthia as she got back to her feet again. "I think I might enjoy checking where the little one's hid..." she grinned, obviously having fun.

Frowning slightly, Tristan began to wedge himself closer to the wall and peeked over the edge of the dresser, seeing that he had a clear spot to land on if he jumped off of the dresser before Gwyn could grab him.

"Oh no you don't," Gwyn grinned, surprising him, as she had managed to reach up for the edge of the dresser with a small jump, obviously leaving a surprised Cynthia staring back in the process.

"Oh yes I do," he replied as he dodged her attempt to grab at him and jumped off the dresser, smoothly rolling to his feet as he ran - but not before diving under Cynthia's legs and running out of the room and the apartment.

"WHAT?!" the two women gasped as they saw Tristan dash outside.

"I am so  _ not _ going to follow him, he might as well have a stroll if he likes, he'll be back for you after all," Cynthia laughed as she rearranged the furniture in her room. "Guess we should continue having our tea and those biscuits, what do you think?"

"Sounds fine," Gwyn smiled, knowing that Tristan would have been back soon and that he was just playing along. "He was always like this I suppose... mmh?"

"Even worse! You can't even imagine!" Cynthia chuckled, as she lead her back to the kitchen and both sat down for a chat.

"Very much like him..." she whispered back as she took one of the cookies and had a bite. "I wonder where he went to though..."

"He'll be back soon, don't worry," Cynthia laughed, as she had a sip from her tea. 

Nearly half an hour later, the phone rang inside Cynthia's apartment.

"Him," Cynthia grinned, as she got up from her seat and walked towards the telephone set. "Hello?"

"Hey Cyn, it's James. Managed to pick up a stray along the way. Noticed him sitting up in the big oak tree in the park by your place. Want him back?"

Raising an eyebrow, Cynthia merely shook her head and replied. "What the hell was he doing at the park? I mean, he's worse than a cat!"

"Like I said, he was sitting up in the tree. I only noticed as he's the only person I know that can actually climb the tree without any assistance. Managed to coax him down with a sandwich, but he's currently glaring at me from behind the glass of the phone booth. So as I said, want him back?"

"Just tell him this:  _ Cynthia told you that your Queen has left, got fed up of waiting _ , and see what his reaction will be... he'd be back here in no time," she laughed as she winked back at Gwyn.

Looking over at Tristan, who was still pouting, James repeated Cynthia's message. "Cynthia said that your Queen has left, got fed up of waiting."

Rolling his eyes, Tristan shot back, "Tell Cynthia:  _ Fine with me. Her Prince is headed to the beach without her. And he's not too happy about being found out. _ " He got to his feet and headed back to the tree before climbing up it again.

Holding his hand over the receiver, "Tris... jeez..." Uncovering the receiver again, "Hey Cyn, here's what the stray kitten said: "Tell Cynthia:  _ Fine with me. Her Prince is headed to the beach without her. And he's not too happy about being found out. _ " Got that? And he just climbed up the tree again..."

Cynthia blinked a couple of times before she could react. "He's throwing a childish tantrum again, for God's sake he's twenty-four, James! And what with going to the beach on his own, is he fuckin' serious?!"

"Yeah, and he's the baby out of all four of us... plus, you know how bull-headed he can be... ah crap, he's hanging upside-down from one of the branches. I swear I'm gonna kill this kid one day..." 

"Guess I need to go pick him up myself right?" Gwyn told Cynthia as she stood up and grabbed her jacket. "Well... I need to know where the park is first... actually."

"He's what?! If he weren't my best friend I'd seriously beat the living hell out of him," Cynthia muttered as she listened to James with one ear and Gwyn with the other. "Maybe we should... James, will you stay there with him for me please, we'll be there in a couple of minutes."

"Do I have backup coming to get the stray out of the tree? He seems pretty... irked right now... Oh great, you're coming - wait, who's with you?"

"Irked?!  _ He _ is irked? I'll tell him who's irked when I punch him straight in the face... what's with that reaction anyway, he's the one who started it! And you'll know who's with me when we're there... so, I'll be there soon, see you," she finished, slamming the handset back in its place. "Coming with me?"

"Oh, yes, sure," Gwyn stared back, after grabbing her stuff and following her while she stormed outside.

"I'll tell him... just wait till I see him."

"Guess so. See ya in a bit." After hanging up, James got out of the phone booth and walked over to the tree. "So, what exactly did you do this time?"

"Dumped powdered sugar on top of Cyn's head..."

Removing his glasses, James smacked his palm over his eyes. "I swear, I honestly think you're a five year old in a twenty-four year old's body... Also, she said, 'we'll be there in a couple of minutes' any idea about that?"

Instead of answering, Tristan righted himself up and climbed higher. "No comment."

As he heard the slamming of a car's door right not far from where they were, James was absolutely certain that Cynthia had arrived. In fact, after a couple of minutes, his friend arrived on the spot, noticeably furious as she glared back at James, making him gulp nervously. 

"Where the heck is that idiot?!"

Points up the tree. "He climbed up even higher."

Looking up, Cynthia just growled and took a deep breath in to shout out back at him. "Idiot! What the hell's wrong with you?! Come back down here this instant!"

"No!"

"What's your problem?! You started it!"

"I know that! And I have no problem!"

"So what the hell are you doing up there then?!"

"Enjoying the view."

"Ah shut up and come here. Stop being a damn baby!"

"Nope! And nope!"

As James watched the two bicker, he heard a car door close. Turning his head, he looked on in shock as an amused Gwyn came walking up to him. "AD Coulston?"

"Hello James," she smiled back, noticing the look of surprise on his face. "Tristan's up there isn't he?" she asked, turning to look at a furious Cynthia gazing up in the tree.

"Ye-Yes he is ma'am. If you don't mind me asking, what are you doing here?"

"Does someone's  _ Queen _ ring a bell to you, James?" she inadvertently snapped back at him. "I can't stand the fact that he's being a goddamn baby with AD present, damn!"

"Wait...  _ you're _ his  _ Queen _ ?!" exclaimed James as he looked over at Gwyn, who continued to grin back.

Simply nodding in response, Gwyn moved next to Cynthia and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Just say one last thing to him and step back... I'll take over from here... he  _ might _ listen to me... hopefully at least."

"You sure?" Cynthia whispered back, still growling.

"Mmm-mmh, go explain things to James now, he's still in total shock," she chuckled, as she moved right under the tree.

"Alright... you want me to wait for you till you get back down Tris?!" Cynthia shouted out, stepping back just like Gwyn had told her, and walking back up towards James. "Didn't expect that, eh?"

"Not so much, really. But then again, this is Tristan..."

"Tristan! Do I need to come up there to talk to you? Mmh?" Gwyn called out, with a much calmer tone of voice than that used by Cynthia. 

Peeking down from his perch, his brow furrowed as he saw Gwyn looking up towards his direction. "No...?"

"So will you come down here now please?"

"...No..."

"Right," she commented, as she sat down at the foot of the tree. "I'll wait."

"Convinced now?" Cynthia whispered to James, who was still staring back incredulously. "And don't ask me how it happened, I don't know... it just did."

"Totally convinced... and wasn't going to."

Swiftly climbing down a few branches, Tristan hung from the first branch of the tree - which was more than sturdy enough to bear his meager weight. "Okay."

"So, coming with me now?"

"Not too sure... you seem to be quite smug right now - rather, you were earlier in Cyn's apartment. I wouldn't have done anything... had you not tried to get me... but I don't blame you. Just the smugness reminded me of Black - he was like that too on the day I beat him up. Reminded me too much of him."

Sitting up without adding anything else, Gwyn simply dusted her black skirt with her hands and walked towards her car, getting back inside and slamming the door shut.

Watching her go, Tristan climbed up the tree again, knowing what he said struck a major chord with her.  _ You keep hiding something from me... what is it? And why can't you tell me? _

"Just what the hell's wrong now?!" Cynthia gasped, as she watched Gwyn walk away. "James, you just stay here with the idiot, I'll go see what's wrong," she told him, earning a nod from James, before heading towards the car parked a few metres away.

"Something's wrong? What did that bloody idiot tell you?" Cynthia sighed, as she peeked inside the car from the passenger's window.

"Nothing... want me to take you home? I'll drive off for now, Tristan knows his way home as much as I do. Since he doesn't want to be around me for a while..."

"What? I... no really... it's not too far anyway... you need to calm down a bit... half of all this is my fault anyway, I shouldn't have reacted so childishly..." she smiled back. "Drive safely."

"I will, and thank you once again..." Gwyn replied, giving her half a smile while starting the engine. "See you."

"Sure..." Cynthia waved back as she watched Gwyn leave, and turned to walk back towards the tree and towards James who had taken a seat at the foot of the tree. Sitting down by his side, and resting her head on his shoulder, Cynthia sighed and looked up once again. "Stubborn dork," was all she managed to whisper in half a growl. 

Climbing out of the tree after he felt her emotions change once again, Tristan sprinted over to the car and opened the passenger door before climbing in and leaning over and kissing Gwyn. "I'm so sorry... I never meant to say it like...that."

"Of course you meant it. I know you did, you were thinking that Tris, I felt it."

"You-you felt me?" he asked quietly as he shut the door behind him while Gwyn shut off the engine.

"Oh yes I did. You were angry, scared, distraught, and downright pissed off at the same time. And hope you felt what I did when you told me I seemed like Black," she spat, looking away.

"...I felt like  _ prey _ , do you know what that feels like? I honestly felt you were taking pleasure in  _ hunting _ me down... scared the living shit out of me. That's why I ran," he whispered back as he grabbed the door handle to let himself out.

"Oh you know, maybe a couple of days ago I was  _ really _ hunted down myself? And that definitely wasn't hunting you anyway! That was just a game of hide-and-seek... I was just glad I had managed to notice you up there!"

"...No, I felt you watching me... like you were  _ stalking _ me. You knew  _ exactly _ where I was... I'm gonna go cool off for a bit... and I couldn't know how you felt when Black attacked you - I couldn't feel you then..." Climbing out of the car, he headed for the direction of the coast.

"Fine! I'm going back home," she muttered, as she started off the engine once again and left.

"If they're gonna fight like this every time, I swear I'm never going to ask them to come in for tea ever again," Cynthia whispered as she looked up towards James. "I mean, they were pratically radiant when they came up at my door. What the hell's wrong with those two?"

"I get the feeling that they don't really have a normal connection to one another... more like, there's something more between them that we'll ever know... Hell, I don't think even they know it yet," he whispered back as he hugged Cynthia close to him, though he swore he felt a twinge in his heart as he did so.

"I don't know, really... but you might be right about that... think we should see where he's heading to?"

Stopping as he watched her drive away, Tristan shook his head and sadly waved to his friends before walking again.

"Not too sure to be honest Cyn. But if anything, he's like a dog... he'll always know how to get back home. For now, he should be okay... no weirdos from monster movies are gonna grab him in broad daylight. Still though... AD and Tris... they looked good together."

Snuggling against his worn sweater, Cynthia watched Tristan's lithe frame disappear from view as she smiled at James' remark. "That's exactly what I told him too."

-

As he walked, he could still feel a whole jumble of emotions coming from Gwyn, but the one thing that made Tristan downright feel a shiver run down his spine was that pure, predatory look Gwyn gave him. He honestly felt like she was about to swallow him whole - just before ripping him apart. Shuddering slightly, he walked through the streets of his section of the city and headed into a coffee shop, trying to get that image of Gwyn's look out of his head.

-

_ "Father, I... I... w-what have I done?" a little girl whimpered, while she was gazing, wide-eyed, shivering and terrified at the same time at the numerous amount of dead people lying at her feet. _

_ "You did just what your nature told you to do, little Gwyn, you finally felt your true hunger and hunted these humans all by yourself. I'm really, really proud of you," a younger Frederick whispered, as he crouched down to face her, as he wiped off a random tear that had run down her face and a trickle of blood that was still smudging her lips. "You're not a mere human being Gwyn, you're something better... something even more marvelous than you could ever imagined..." _

_ The little golden-haired girl looked back, with an empty look in her eyes, as her father continued to explain. _

_ "Ever noticed that you age pretty slowly when compared to other girls your age? Or that you don't each much in comparison to humans? Those are just a few of the examples I can provide you with, my dear. Just keep in mind this Gwendalynn, my precious daughter... you're a vampire. Your parents were such, I am such. Never forget that Gwyn, never." _

"How can I ever forget that Fred? It makes me feel like a goddamn maniac sometimes..." she whispered as she parked the car and headed up towards Tristan's apartment. Lucky enough to have a key at hand, since Tristan had given it to her himself - she had done the same with her apartment's key after all - she opened the door and slipped inside, without bothering to switch on the lights. Heading straight towards the bedroom, Gwyn just took off her jacket and lied down on bed, only to get hold of one of the pillows lying randomly around and huddling close to her, while she tried to rock herself to sleep. 

"I know what I am, no need for everyone to remind me," she whispered as a stray tear ran down her cheek, just like the first time Fred had revealed that truth.

-

Sipping his cup of tea, Tristan felt an overwhelming sense of sadness and cold hit him. As he stared at the cup, he felt a tear fall down his cheek - but wasn't sure as to why it happened. Wiping it away, he wished he could make Gwyn feel better.  _ She can feel me...? What exactly does this mean as I'm pretty sure this isn't normal, but...then again I was able to sense her emotions first. What's going on here...? But, all I can feel is - ah shit, I broke my own promise. I told myself I'd never make her cry - and I did exactly that... I need to make it up to her...she's at  _ my _ home?! The hell? _

Draining his cup, Tristan set it with the other dirty dishes in the dish bin before heading towards a flower shop, and purchasing a bouquet that consisted of: lilacs, red and white roses, and hyacinths before also purchasing a single yellow tulip. Next, he headed over to another popular restaurant and made reservations for two for a late dinner. Then, he headed to an art supply store and purchased a piece of cardstock paper and some oil crayons. Finally, he headed back to the coffee shop and proceeded to make Gwyn a card - to tell her that he was sorry.

\- 

Heading off towards the bathroom once she got back on her feet, Gwyn gathered her hair up in a pony-tail and washed her face, to end up staring back at her reflection in the mirror. After gazing at her same self for a long while - noticing the reddened eyes, the slightly darkish circles under them, her sullen expression - Gwyn just growled, gave her image one last look, while imagining a leering Black grinning back at her. 

"Fuck off..." was all she managed to mutter under her breath, while biting her lower lip at the same time, trying not to cry again.

Not feeling like lying down on bed again, she stumbled her way back towards the living room and sat down on the couch, pulling her legs up to bring them close to her to circle them with her arms, as she rested her chin on her knees. As she gazed around the room, trying to think about nothing whatsoever, Gwyn remembered Tristan mentioning something in relation to photo albums he used to keep at home. Recalling that he had said that he used to keep them under the coffee table, Gwyn had a quick look and found two black leather-bound albums right where he had indicated. After taking them in her arms, Gwyn stood up and made her way out on the small terrace right outside of the living room, facing the ocean. Crouching down to sit on the floor, Gwyn opened the first album on her lap, smiling as a young boy gazed back at her with a carefree look on his face and a huge mischievous grin.

"You must have been quite the rascal when you were young I suppose," she whispered, as she turned to the next page to see a picture of a still young Tristan, surrounded by his sisters. "Probably he used to be pretty spoilt by them when he was a kid." Those two pictures were followed by quite a number of pictures with Tristan and his sisters - evidently showing what a peaceful childhood the kids had spent with their mother. "I bet here Mrs. Faraday had quite some fun doing this," she chuckled, when she got to a picture showing the three girls and Tristan standing against a wall with their heights being compared. "He was actually pretty tall... almost as much as his third oldest sister actually..." What surprised her was the photograph in the following page - basically it was the same as the one she had just seen, however, there was the group of four friends standing right next to each other - sharing the same mischievous expression on their faces. Even if they tried to hide it as much as possible, the glint in their eyes was betraying them. "Tristan's mother must have had one hell of a time trying to keep the four of them standing still..."

The next lot of photos was mostly related to his group of friends - she managed to recognize all four of them as they were still quite recognizable after all those years. The three boys hugging Cynthia, a group photo with the four holding a trophy of some under-10 football tournament, a group photo of the boys with Tristan making V-signs with his hands over the heads of Cole and James, one with the four of them all dressed up in silly costumes for a school play, a birthday... summer holidays... growing up together... graduation... A particular one that caught her attention was a photo of him and Cynthia sharing a kiss with their graduation robes. Clutching tightly the album, she gazed at the picture and smiled, feeling her lower lip quibble but succeeding in managing to keep herself not to cry once again. 

Placing the finished album on one side, Gwyn took hold of the other and smiled as the first page she flipped had a picture of Tristan's parents when they were still a young couple, while in each other's arms. The uncanny resemblance of Tristan, particularly to his mother, made Gwyn smile, however, it was the true glow that the two emitted that really caught her attention. It was plain obvious, even from a simple photograph, that the two loved each other immensely. "Must have been so difficult for her..." she whispered, as she saw the next picture - which managed to make her chuckle - with the two doing a military salute towards the camera, as Tristan's father was in his military uniform. Those photos were followed by some of their wedding pictures, where his father was dressed in full dress uniform while his mother wore a flowing white gown that made the two plain dreamy like. "I remember these kind of weddings... Fred used to attend quite the few of them..." she commented, when she flipped yet another page and saw one of the nicest pictures in the album. Tristan's father standing straight behind his wife, pregnant with their son, while surrounded with all of their daughters. "He would have been so proud of raising a son I suppose... a soldier would feel that way anyway..." she smiled, as other photos of them two, of the little girls, and of his mother heavily pregnant with him followed suit. The rest of the photos however, only featured his mother with them, showing that his father had already left for war with the unexpected consequence. Sighing audibly, she continued seeing the rest of the photos which featured Tristan's visits to various places around the world, his first day at work... and another couple of present-day pictures with his group of friends. Holding the albums close to her, Gwyn looked out towards the ocean and smiled, knowing that she'd never have those sort of carefree memories. She was a  _ vampire _ , after all. 

-

Looking up from his card, Tristan carefully blotted some of the colors together to blend them together. Once he was satisfied with the card, he replaced the crayons in their packaging and placed the unfolded piece of artwork in a small artist's portfolio - making sure that the remainder of the piece wouldn't smudge. Gathering his things, he generously tipped the owner of the coffee shop and headed back home to his apartment.

As he got closer to his apartment, he felt contentment and happiness from Gwyn - though it was still marred by a bit of sadness. Letting himself in through the main gate, he silently made his way inside, using a side door for entry. Climbing the stairs, he quietly unlocked his door and slipped through - only to find the door that led out to his terrace slightly ajar. Setting down his things, he assembled the card and placed the tulip with it on the breakfast bar while picking up the bouquet of flowers after he finished. Making his way over to the terrace door, he immediately smiled gently as he saw Gwyn sleeping quietly while clutching the photo albums. Without making a sound, he bent down and brushed a stray lock of hair that had fallen under her eyes before gently tracing the dark circles under her eyes with his fingertip. He froze momentarily as she started to fidget, but relaxed as she settled back down before leaning in to kiss her chastely.

After pulling away, he continued to smile as he watched Gwyn before placing the bouquet of flowers on her lap.

Still asleep however, Gwyn merely shifted in her position and turned to face the opposite way Tristan was standing while still with the albums tightly in her arms and the flowers on her lap.

Once he was sure that she was okay, he silently re-entered the apartment and headed for his bedroom to get cleaned up, deciding that a long, hot shower was just what he needed.

-

After what seemed to be a good hour or so, Gwyn slowly re-opened her eyes and the first thing she noticed after placing the albums by her side was a large bouquet of flowers resting on her lap. Smiling when she saw the white and red roses, and furrowing her brow at the sight of the lilacs and hyacinths since she didn't have a clue of what they meant in the flower language, she rested her head against the wall and looked up with the flowers still resting on her lap, again trying to resist the urge of crying out. Eventually, feeling a cool breeze that made her shiver, Gwyn stood up, took the albums and the flowers in her arms and headed back inside, to walk next to the coffee table and place the albums back in their place. After setting down the flowers on the surface of the table itself, Gwyn turned her head to scan the books lying on the shelves by either side of the terrace's entrance - in the attempt of trying and find something related to flowers.

"Well, maybe an encyclopedia could do the trick..." she muttered to herself, eyeing one at a reachable height. Of the red and white flowers she was quite aware of their meaning, it was Fred himself who had talked to her about them... but... lilacs and hyacinths? Not the faintest clue. Flipping through the pages to find the first entry related to hyacinths, she couldn't help not smile when the meaning came up.  _ Sincerity _ ... she whispered. And she didn't have any doubt... sincere to the point that it hurt sometimes, just like it did today... "I'm just the complete opposite of that..." she said to herself, when she started searching for the next entry.  _ First... love... _ she repeated, as the picture with him and Cynthia came back to her mind. "I don't know what to think... I..." she sighed, as she sat back on the couch, resting her head back. 

Obviously not managing to fall asleep again, and feeling like a small walk towards the kitchen, Gwyn stood up and made her way there to get herself just a glass of water, as Tristan's words related to her resemblance to Black and to him feeling like her prey came back to her with a vengeance. She'd still be in time to get away from him... to let him live the carefree life he had, just like in the pictures... all she was making him go through was unneccesary danger and numerous fighting bouts that didn't do any good to either of them. What was the use? He had been so happy in those pictures with his friends, with his family... in his trips around the world... how would they look if they'd taken a picture together?

"Probably like a hunter and its victim," she snickered, as she washed down the glass of water at one go. “Such beauty..." she muttered ironically, as she walked back out of the kitchen towards the living room, heading straight towards the piano. After seating herself down, she opened the lid to reveal the keys, and started playing random tunes that came up in her mind, in an attempt to relax her mind a little bit...

-

Stepping out of the shower, Tristan stood in front of his mirror and examined himself. His eyes still had a tinge of red from crying and his expression was still somewhat sad, but overall, he looked normal - though slightly pale. With his dark hair still matted to his head, he grabbed another towel and dried it before wrapping the towel against his hips. Opening the door to the bathroom, he heard the piano being played. Hastening his steps, and not caring that the towel was slipping off his hips, Tristan entered the living room. Noticing that the card he left was untouched, he made his way over to Gwyn and wrapped his arms around her neck.

"I... What else to I have to say to prove to you that you are my only one?" he asked quietly.

Silently biting her lower lip once more, Gwyn continued to play without replying to his question. She still didn't feel like talking much... in spite of feeling slightly uplifted as she realised he was holding her close, and wasn't afraid of her.

"I'm not afraid of you, if that's what you're thinking. Today though, that look scared me more than anything, and I hope to God that I never see you look at me like that again... but I know you can't guarantee that. I'd probably prefer that look if we were in bed, and not you chasing after me in my best friend's house," he chuckled lightly. "I feel confusion from you... probably because of the lilacs. I've told you time and time again: you are my first and true love - not Cynthia. When I was little, I often dreamed of a girl that I'd never met. In fact, I painted her too-"

_ "How many times have I asked you to stay away from me... but you didn't? How many times did I tell you not to have anything to do with me... but you didn't want to listen... Now, you've seen a part of the real me and scared the living hell out of you. What would you do if you had to know the truth, run away from me? Leave me alone?"  _ she thought as she hit the piano's keys harder.  _ "Are you really ready to handle the burden?" _

Letting go of her briefly, he walked over to the breakfast bar and grabbed his hand-made card and the yellow tulip before walking back to her and handing her the items. "Do you know what the colour of this tulip means? It means 'hopelessly in love' and needless to say, I'm already hopelessly in love with you. I can't quit on us, not now, not never without at least trying to know all of you. You're still hiding from me, but why? I'm literally standing here naked and bare before you - my heart on my sleeve, and my emotions as my armour - I'm offering you everything of me and you still can't believe it. I'm offering everything to you that Cynthia never,  _ ever _ had... but you still don't want it. You can quit, I won't hold it against you, but I won't on us."

"I'm hiding because I have to," she whispered in a broken voice. "And I can't quit. I'm risking  _ everything _ on you. I'm risking my own  _ life _ for you. Trust me. I'm too deep into this now to let go so easily... that's why it hurts."

"And I've told you that I'll wait until forever for you to tell me when you're ready..." he fiercely whispered back as he held her close. "Then believe in us. I do trust you, but first, trust yourself. Any relationship is equal parts pleasure and pain - and all we can do is to learn from the pain to make sure we never repeat the same mistakes. I'm hurting from not only what happened today, but seeing you hurt. I'm not letting you go - I'll take our pain and hold onto it as a reminder until we're both ready to let it go." 

"Will you be able to bear a heavier burden?" she whispered, almost enigmatically.

"Anything for you."

"Don't lie. You weren't able to do so today."

“Fine, don't believe my words, but you just admitted you can feel my emotions. Read me - tell me I'm lying..." he challenged defiantly.

"You should have told me that I scared you, what was the point of running away from me?" she asked him, halting with the piano playing.

"After feeling  _ that _ ? I swore it felt like you were literally going to attack me... and I'll admit I was too afraid to tell you. Guess my fight-or-flight response chose to flee rather than fight..."

"Do I look like that person to you?" she asked, turning to look at him. "Tristan, I want the truth now! Just... if I do, seem like him, in your eyes... I swear on whatever's dear to me that I'll get the hell out of your existence this instant."

"And you think I want you to do that?! God, I  _ loved _ seeing that look on your face earlier - I only hoped you'd always look at me like that. But the moment I felt a shift in your demeanour, like you were to devour me -  _ that _ scared me like nothing else because it wasn't  _ you _ \- and I don't scare easily. Look into my eyes right now - do I  _ look _ like I want you to leave me?! I want you so badly right now it hurts... the blush on your cheeks, the fire in your eyes, the raw hunger that you're just staring at me with right now... I. Want. It. All. But only give what you're willing to. I've made my choice, and I only want,  _ you _ ."

Without a moment's hesitation, he captured her lips in a fiery, consuming kiss as he picked her up and laid her on his couch, determined to prove to her just how badly he needed her in his life.

As he kissed her, Gwyn could still feel warm tears running down the sides of her face. She couldn't stop... she just couldn't  _ make _ them stop from coming down. She knew he needed her, as much as she did need him... but how? In what way? Forever? Just for the fun of a hunt? No... she never felt that way when it came to hunting - all of the feelings she was going through were of a completely different nature, similar in a way, to way Tristan was feeling at the very same moment. A whole  _ multitude _ of emotions that were overwhelming her completely and unexpectedly - leaving her completely dependent of his touch. However, could she make him lose all of those splendid things he earned through his life, for a  _ vampire _ 's sake? His family, his closest friends, his life, his experiences... all for what? To spend them with a person like her, to share them with someone that never had anything of the sort, save for a father that wasn't even her blood-relative. What was the point of it all? A moment of bliss? A few scant memories of happiness? Did she actually  _ deserve _ them? Her role was clear, her nature defined for centuries - she would have been laughing at her reflection in the mirror if she didn't acknowledge the fact that wasn't human. Despite pathetic attempts of trying to be closer to them... like falling in love.

Breaking his kiss, he gently kissed her forehead. "Don't  _ think _ , just  _ do _ ," he whispered before kissing her again.

"Will you let me love you Tris... even though... I'm..." she whispered, in between muffled sobs and intense kisses.

"I'll let you love me any way you can, but only if you're willing to do so. I've given you my heart, just let me in." 

Holding him close, Gwyn merely gave him a kiss on his cheek, then nuzzled her face as close as possible to his neck... it was a little bit of comfort that she needed, and reassurance that she really wasn't like that monster.

"Whatever you need me to do, I'll do it. I don't want to fight with you anymore and I'm sorry for everything. Tell me what you need... please," he whispered quietly as he began kissing the spot on her neck.

"Just keep me close to you... I don't need anything else..." she replied, in a tone softer than a whisper.

Climbing off of her, Tristan switched their positions on the couch and clung tightly to Gwyn. "As you wish, my Queen..." he returned as he loosened her hair from its ponytail and started combing his fingers through it gently.

"Sorry for the way I reacted..." she whispered, as she rested her head against his chest and wrapped an arm around him to gently rub his side.

"And I'm sorry I said those things... I never meant to hurt you, but you really did scare me. I just want  _ my _ Gwyn, not the scary lady from today," he joked slightly as he let out a small giggle as Gwyn continued to rub his side. "Tickles..."

"Shouldn't be tickling," she replied, her lips turning into a smile.

Giggling more, he shook his head. "It does though... I've always been ticklish on my sides. My mom and sisters would usually grab me there to make me stop when I was little. No one other than you and them know that..."

Moving her arm to reach for his face, Gwyn smiled and placed a hand on his cheek to caress it gently.

"I had made reservations for us at a nearby restaurant for a late dinner... want them to just deliver instead so that we can stay in?"

"We might as well go out," she smiled. "I still owe you that walk by the beach." 

"You sure? I don't wanna push the issue if you don't... Plus, it means I get to have you all to myself sooner," he grinned.

"Mmm-mmh, I want you to have some different memories of me, other than staying in bed together..." she smiled.

"I do, but... I love it when you're relaxed and unguarded... and that's usually when you're asleep. Despite our frantic argument earlier, I was telling you how when I was little, I had painted a picture of a girl - rather I guess she was a young woman that I had dreamed of. For some reason, when I see you sleep, you remind me of that painting..."

"Can you show that to me later on? I wouldn't mind seeing it..."

"Sure. Want to get cleaned up? I still have to get dressed - and the place we're going is a little more...upscale. Plus, they have a live jazz band that plays on Fridays and Saturdays. Still interested?"

"Yes!" she promptly replied, looking up at him with a slightly happier glint in her eyes.

"Good, and I love it when you smile..." he leaned his head down and kissed her.

"Still in for that shower?" she asked, earning a surprised look from Tristan.

"Thought you'd never ask," he whispered as he got up from the couch, carrying her into his bathroom and stripping off his towel as he re-entered before shutting the door.

"That was quite the prompt action," she chuckled quietly, as she started taking off her top and skirt. 

Standing by the sink once again, he watched as Gwyn began undressing herself before stepping over to her and wrapping his arms around her, stopping her progress. "You've always loved my get-up and go... shouldn't be any different..." he whispered as he removed the rest of her clothing before pushing her gently into the shower and following her in after. Turning on the water, he pulled Gwyn into a loving kiss as he pinned her against the wall of the shower.

Smiling as she observed the water trickling from his hair to his face, Gwyn felt the need to wrapping her arms tightly to him and hold on to him as much as possible, at the same time swearing never to hurt him again, even with just a look. The guilt she'd feel afterwards was too much to handle everytime... that just had to be the  _ last _ . "I've always told you that you look cute with your hair slicked back and wet."

"And I loved your hair when it was up in that clip..." he whispered back in between kisses. Lightly nudging her legs apart, Tristan leaned in closer, "Dinner's not until ten. Think we have enough time?"

"Maybe we do," she smiled back as she pulled him close.

"Good..." he kissed her deeply before slowly making love to her under the hot water of the shower.

-

Some time later, Gwyn was sitting on Tristan's bed, wrapped up in one of his bathrobes. Just like he had mentioned to her earlier that afternoon, he had gone to look for that particular painting with the young girl to show it to her, while she was reading the card Tristan had written and which she had totally missed before. 

"So I see you like my card? I made it for you," he smiled gently as he sidled up to her and kissed her, keeping the painting off the edge of the bed so that he didn't damage it.

"I know... thank you... sorry I hadn't realised you had placed it there on purpose. And... how about the tulip?" she smiled, kissing him back.

"Do you want it? I placed it in water with the rest of the bouquet. But I have something for you..."

"Being?" she asked, giving him a curious look.

Adjusting his towel, Tristan sat up and presented Gwyn with the painting. "I was...ten or so when I painted this..."

Gasping back at the painting of a young girl in long blonde hair, with a dress that seemed all too familiar, Gwyn stared back at Tristan, then back at the picture. "I can't believe it..."

"Can't believe what?" he asked as he lay next to her to study the painting at her side.

"Tris, that's me."

"What?! Are you sure? But...how?"

"I... I don't know, but... I used to keep my hair that way when I was that age... and I had an identical dress to that one... plus," she almost stammered while looking closer. "It's the same eye colour too..."

Studying the painting, he saw that the girl in his painting - the one from his dreams - and the woman next to him were one in the same. Taking the painting and setting it down on the ground, Tristan wrapped his arms tightly around Gwyn. "Do you believe now that I was always meant to be yours?"

"I think I can't have a greater confirmation than this... I mean... you could have never known me at the time... it was just plain  _ impossible _ !" she told him, obviously not telling him that she'd been that age about a hundred-fifty years before he was ten himself.

"What I find far more interesting, is that we managed to find each other..." Using his fingertips, he gently traced every line and curve of Gwyn's face, as if he were committing her face to memory, before pulling Gwyn closer to him. "I love you."

"I love you too... and sorry for everything," she whispered, while leaning in to brush her lips to his.

"And I'm sorry for everything I did to you. Now, just believe in us - we'll be alright..." Easing Gwyn to lay on top of him, Tristan tilted his head up and kissed her deeply.

"I will... I promise you I will..." she smiled as she returned the kiss.

"I'm holding you to that," he grinned back. "Get ready for dinner? And we're also going back to the beach, right?" 

"Mmm-mmh, they won't wait for us all night. Plus, I really can't imagine myself going in a restaurant with a bathrobe," she chuckled, still smiling.

"We could always do takeaway and have a late-night picnic on the beach?"

"How about both... mmh... is it just me or you don't like the idea of having dinner at that place? I feel hesitation Tris..." she smiled, placing a kiss on his nose.

"I'm just being greedy - I want you all to myself right about now. But no, the main problem being is that I'd like to be able to dance with you and I doubt that I'd be able to stop with just one dance."

"Are you serious? Didn't you say that you hated..."

"I hate boring, stuffy dances, but I can dance just fine. Besides, it's a restaurant on one hand and then it's also a club after 10:30pm. And since tonight's going to feature one of the more popular acts - they rotate the lineup every weekend - it's going to be great." Smiling, he leaned his head up and began  working on 'his' spot.  "Of course, if you end up sore afterwards, I'll make sure that you're all better..." 

"Then like I said, we'd better have dinner there rather than taking takeaway on the beach... plus, there's also the option of dancing on the beach, if you like."

Briefly stopping from his work, "Dancing on the beach hmm? You are quite the romantic right now."

"I could easily hum a waltz and teach you."

"Told you I can waltz just fine, but... I could use a refresher."

Chuckling, Gwyn rested her forehead against his and smiled. "As for being romantic, it's cropping up pretty frequently, isn't it? I'm going to start worrying," she laughed softly.

"I know... not too sure if I can resist being able to not be romantic with you in the office. You're so much more fun like this than 'AD Coulston'," he teased as he kissed the tip of her nose.

"Work is work, Faraday," she replied in a mock serious tone. "It would be pretty bad if I acted cute at work... I still have to be the scary Assistant Director."

"I know. But... at least your office locks and you have soundproof walls... And I was totally serious about the desk, chair, couch, and rug..." he smirked suggestively.

"And I was equally totally serious when I mentioned that some of them are out of the question..." she smirked back, laughing.

"So... does that mean the walls are in play then? How about the windows? I can get creative if need be..." 

"Rarely... Tris, I'd be only a few metres from my father... and from Black in a way... I don't want any one of them to suspect anything."

"Well, what Daddy and the douchebag don't know won't hurt 'em. And I must say, Assistant Director, you can be quite naughty when you want to be," he laughed as he rolled them over and leaned down to kiss her before getting up off of her. "Coming Dear? Or will we be in attendance in just a towel and bathrobe respectively?"

Smiling, Gwyn moved towards the edge of the bed and sat up while looking up at him. "Better off in a dress."

"Me? I don't have any boobs to pull off a strapless dress, though I think my legs are okay. Need to work on my ass though..."

"I meant me," she said, before bursting out in a laugh. "I really  _ don't _ want to even imagine you in a dress, it would send shivers across all of my spine."

"Aww, I can picture you in what I was going to wear tonight: black casual slacks, short-sleeved button-up red shirt - it being the color of the red in your roses, and a black sportcoat. I was going to opt for some black boots - but since we'll be dancing and going to the beach, guess the shoes I wore today should suffice."

"Boots?" she asked, shaking her head. "Not too fitting with that outfit..." then she looked up and grinned. "Can I have a black tie with that?"

"Not the kind you're thinking - no way - but I do wear them to work every now and then,  _ you _ just can't tell because my pant legs cover them up. The fact that they're only ankle high makes it easy to cover up. And you really want a tie, hmm? I guess it could work..."

"You get changed... then we'll see if the tie fits everything at the end... and... are you  _ really _ sure about the red shirt?" she said as she got back on her feet.

"If you don't like it on me, you have my permission to take it off me and find something better. As for the tie... I can always wear it to bed for you," he chuckled as he headed into his closet and started grabbing his clothes and boxers.

"Oh stop that," she laughed as she walked up to her bag and looked for the black strapless cocktail dress she had brought with her just in case.

After pulling on his black boxers, he carried his stuff into the room and placed it on the bed before heading back into the bathroom to clean his face up a bit. A few minutes later, Tristan emerged from the bathroom and started getting dressed alongside Gwyn. Once he pulled on his slacks, he put on the shirt and buttoned it up halfway before turning to Gwyn. "So I personally like it, but it's up to you." 

"Mmh," Gwyn hummed, as she walked up right behind him - still in her underwear - while he was gazing at his reflection in the mirror. "Tie definitely needs to be black."

"So... you like?" he asked while buttoning the remainder of the shirt.

"Yes," she smiled back, as she quickly placed a kiss on his cheek and went back to continue getting dressed.

"As you command," he snickered as he went back to his closet and grabbed a skinny black tie to match the slimmer cut and fit of both his shirt and slacks before heading back out to Gwyn. "Wanna tie it? Or is it okay if I look kinda sloppy?"

"No I'll do it. But first, I need some help with the zip at the back of the dress... generally Anne always helps me out with it but... I'd do with some help right now," she smiled back.

"I can do that." Grinning, Tristan placed a hand on her hip to steady her as he used his right hand to zip up the dress, careful not to let it catch on the material. Once he was finished, he kissed the back of her neck before grazing his teeth over 'his' spot. "Good?"

"Perfect," she replied as she stood up, almost ready as she checked out her reflection in the mirror. "Thank goodness I always leave my hair down... you seem intent to leave that mark permanently on me of late... now all I need are my pair of high-heels and my purse... oh yes, and the pearls..." Then, looking back at him, she smiled and gestured him to move closer to get the tie done.

At that, Tristan stepped in closer and placed his hands on her hips as she fixed his tie, "I do. It's my way of saying that you're mine and no one else's. You seem to like the idea, as you've been marking me in the same spot too..." 

"In a way... yes..." she whispered back. "But I don't need to mark you to say that, we've always belonged to one another I suppose..." she finished, as she fixed the tie to the shirt collar exactly as it should be. "See if you like that..."

"Don't need to, as I trust you." Pulling her close, he leaned down and kissed the corner of her mouth.

"Tris," she smiled back. "Would you do me a favour before I finish up and we leave?"

"Sure Gwyn."

"Will you call Cynthia and Anne to tell them we're alright? Especially Cynthia - you worried her sick."

"Can do. See you soon." Giving her one last squeeze, he let go and headed for the spare bedroom to call both Anne and Cynthia - starting with Anne first.

"Thank you and love you," she called back as Tristan walked out of the room while she finished up getting prepared.

-

"Hello, Coulston residence here... how may I... Tristan!" Anne replied, as soon as she replied to the phone call.

"Hi Anne. How are you and Jasper doing?"

"Oh we're fine here..." she smiled. "Thank you. Little sweetheart over here becoming quite the rascal," she chuckled. "How is Miss Gwyn doing? And you?"

"Good to hear and looks like we'll be working on training the Little Guy soon. As for me and Gwyn, we're fine. Had another little... disagreement... but we're good."

Raising an eyebrow, Anne sighed and continued talking to Tristan. "What happened then?"

"Umm... she was kinda  _ hunting _ me - it started out in jest but..." sighs before continuing, "she had this momentary look in her eyes like I was her prey and that she was going to devour me... Spooked me real bad. I ran, she confronted me, I told her the truth, she got mad - I got mad, we apologized and now we're okay after crying and talking it out."

_ She must have gotten her vampire look for a split second _ ... she said to herself, while continuing the conversation with Tristan. "I'm glad you're both alright now..."

"Yeah, I am too. Well, just checking in and wanted to let you know that we're okay. Tomorrow, I have a nice day trip for us planned. We should be back sometime in the evening."

"Oh, that's good to know," she smiled. "You're going out this evening?"

"Yep. A late dinner, maybe some dancing and Gwyn wanted to take a walk along the beach afterwards."

"Sounds very romantic," Anne chuckled. "Especially considering we're talking about the Miss..."

"I know. The walk was totally her idea. I just made the reservations at a restaurant that becomes a night club after dinner hours. She's totally becoming a romantic when she's around with me."

"That's all your influence, she's never been like that. Anyway, guess I should leave you to your lovely evening then, just make sure to say hi to her for me."

He laughed before answering back. "I know, she's been blaming me for that these past few days. And I will. Take care you two. Good night and tell Jasper good night from Mommy and Daddy."

"I will. Just take care of one another... and good night," she replied, as she heard Tristan hang up the phone at the other end.  _ I just hope things remain as they are... _

After hanging up, Tristan took a deep breath and began to dial Cynthia's number.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The salamander on Tristan’s lighter is a shout-out to Roy Mustang in Fullmetal Alchemist and Gwyn gathering her hair in a clip is a shout-out to Riza Hawkeye also from Fullmetal Alchemist, in case you were wondering!


	7. VII

"Hey James, what took you so long to ca... oh, it's _you_." 

"James? Last I checked I was your idiot, but if you wanna start calling me by my best friend's name, that's fine. Or are you two going out somewhere?"

"Me, James and Cole were going out, if you want to know that."

"Oh cool. And... sorry for being a totally childish jackass this afternoon. I know I scared you, James, and Gwyn especially... but I have my reasons and Gwyn knows. We're okay now though..for now."

"For now?!" she shouted out, making Tristan move the receiver from his ear for a second. "What the hell do you mean 'for now'? You're such an idiot!"

"Hey hey, not so loud... I think I can still hear outta this ear... And I mean, we're good at this moment... but with any relationship... you've gotta work hard to keep it all together. I can't predict what'll happen next, but right now I'm happy. And yes I know I'm an idiot - you remind me of that fact constantly..." Sighing, he sat down on the floor while picking up the cradle and setting it next to him. "I don't wanna lose the best thing that's ever happened to me, but sometimes, I don't know if I can hold it together all on my own..."

"You'll do if you react like you did today. You reacted in an epically stupid childish manner for something so petty! I mean, you two were pratically glowing when you arrived at my house... it was so bloody evident that you two were blissfully happy, and you know what I mean Tristan when I say that. And then, what? You behave like an idiot!"

Looking up, he saw Gwyn standing over him. Extending a hand, he helped her sit down in front of him as he wrapped his arms around her while holding onto the phone. "I know I did and I've already apologised to Gwyn... now I'm asking you to forgive me too. I'll call James later to talk."

"Do whatever the hell you want," she pouted. 

"If you'll calm down, I'll tell you exactly why I ran, but by this point, I don't think you'll believe me."

"Tell that to James if you like, I'm not in the mood for stories."

Seeing the expression on Tristan's face, Gwyn extended her hand for him to give her the receiver and nodded. 

Sighing, he rested his chin on Gwyn's shoulder. "Hold on... Gwyn wants to talk to you..." Handing over the receiver, he buried his face against her back as he held her close while trying not to cry over the potential of losing his best friend.

"Cynthia... it's me... I know that you must be furious right now, and I don't blame you... took me a few hours to calm down myself... especially after we talked and cleared things out. And after Tristan explained to me the real reason to why he reacted so _childishly_ , as you're terming it. We both had a piece of blame, in a strange way, but we got over it, as many other things... Cynthia listen to me, please... you're one of the most important persons in Tristan's life, and I know he'd be devastated if he loses you to something that actually had to do with just me and him. You and James have nothing to do with this so... please... just talk it out while you have the chance. I don't want to be to blame for the end of your friendship. I'd feel terribly guilty for that... you've known each other for ages after all..." she smiled, as she placed a hand over Tristan's, rubbing it gently with her thumb.

"I... I don't want to lose him either Gwyn, it's just that his reactions piss me off on an extent that I don't want to talk to him for a while. I mean, why didn't he just sit down and talk if he had a problem? No, he has to act like a kid!"

"I know... but he explained everything to me and I've accepted it, Cynthia... really, just talk to him. I know it's not easy, but, do it for me at least. Mmh?"

"Pass him over again then, if you don't mind..." she sighed audibly, as Gwyn's lips turned into a small smile.

Taking the receiver back, Tristan still hid his face against Gwyn's back. "Do you hate me?"

"Of course I don't! You dork!" she shouted out, as she let a sob escape her lips. "I feel like a wreck because I care about you... what do you expect? Seeing you two like that and don't give a damn?!"

"I'm sorry," he whispered quietly. "I never wanted to hurt you in any way... but it looks like I have. If you want me to stay away for a while, I'll do that, but please don't leave me."

"Idiot. I don't want you to stay away... you're the last person I want to stay away from me," she whispered, as she started crying. "Just, don't scare me like that _ever_ again."

"I'll try not to, but you know I can't guarantee anything. I have never led a predictable life."

"As if I didn't know... apologies accepted Tris... but try and do that again and I swear I'll punch you in the face for real."

"Could you just punch me in the stomach instead? Can't exactly mess with perfection y'know. Plus, going by my appearance, it may border on child abuse," he chuckled quietly.

"Considering that I don't like kids too much... I wouldn't mind punching a kid," she grinned back.

"You're already a year older than me..."

"Especially a grown-up idiot brat who is my best friend."

Laughing, he began smiling a little more while squeezing Gwyn's hand. "Hey, I often get mistaken for being your seventeen year old little brother when we go out... I guess acting bratty is in my nature, since you were always hellbent on beating me up when I was little. You're also the one that pinned everything you ever did on me starting from when you were two and I was still one."

"Sorry for snapping back at you Tris..."

"It's okay, I deserved all the abuse, harsh words, blah blah blah."

"And yes you're an idiot," she laughed, while Gwyn smiled as she saw Tristan laughing again.

"And you've been calling me that since before we even knew what the word meant."

"Because it suits you."

"Well, I'm not exclusively your idiot anymore. You okay with sharing?"

"Sure... after all, you're exclusively hers now," she smiled. "Love you Tris."

"Love you too Cyn."

At hearing that, Gwyn turned to place a kiss on Tristan's forehead and smiled. "That's just what I wanted to hear from you two," she whispered. "Cynthia," she said, moving towards the receiver. "Thank you."

"You're welcome..."

"Bye Cyn. Tell Jamie I'll give him a call sometime later. Also... you two look good together."

"Bye Tris, have a good evening and... what?!"

Hanging up the phone, Tristan just snuggled closer to Gwyn. "Thank you. That was one of the hardest phone calls I've ever had to make."

"You're welcome... now... how about we finish up and go for our dinner? Mmh?" she whispered as she rubbed his back in a comforting way. "Cynthia really loves you Tris, she'd never do such a thing as forget about your friendship, it would be sheer madness. You've gone through too much together."

"I know, but sometimes you never know. We're okay though, and that makes me happy. Let's go... we still have to drive over there and right now there'll probably be a lot of traffic in the area, despite having nearly two more hours until dinner. Hoped you worked up an appetite, they have really huge portions there too." 

"I'm all up for meat or fish right now," she replied, as she slipped on her shoes and had a quick look at her reflection in the mirror again. "Traffic... mind if I drive then?"

"By all means, Superwoman. I'd have preferred to walk, but we need the car to go to the beach."

"No problem, I have my _own_ ways when it comes to dealing with traffic," she smirked as she walked into the bedroom to get her purse.

Watching her go, Tristan slipped on his sport-coat and stood in front of his shoes... trying to decide what to wear. "Gwyn? I need your assistance please."

"What is it? You're indecisive on the shoes? Really now," she smiled, coming next to him.

"Well, I like have you as my fashion consultant right now." 

"Mmmh," she hummed, taking her usual thinking stance by placing her hands on her hips. "I'd definitely go for a black pair... how about this one?" she pointed out, eyeing one of the smart casual pair Tristan had in his lot.

He kissed her cheek before slipping on his shoes. "Thank you." Once they were on, he patted his jacket down to make sure he had his wallet and keys. "Ready?" 

After putting on the black dress coat she had brought with her, Gwyn just fastened the first button and took the purse in one hand, while taking the key in the other. "Sure," she winked back at him.

Letting out a low whistle, he gave her a grin. "After you, Miss Gwyn."

The drive was quick and easy, just like Gwyn had mentioned to Tristan earlier. Leaving her driver's window slightly open did the trick as whenever the two got stuck in a traffic jam, all that Gwyn would do was lower the window, smile at whoever was blocking her way and the two would find themselves out of the traffic in no time. Amazed at how she managed to do it each time, Tristan merely grinned and placed a hand on her thigh, patting her gently from time to time, earning him a smile from Gwyn each time he did that.

"Despite not really driving a lot, I've gotta try that someday... Did I mention at any time today that you're amazing - other than when we were in the shower - because you totally are."

"Have you noticed that strangely enough I always encounter men on the way, hence, why we got here so fast," she chuckled as she switched off the engine after parking the car. "And thank you," she grinned back at Tristan moved to place a kiss on her lips.

"I have actually. So, if there's mostly women around, should I try that trick too?" 

"Maybe, but it could get trickier, if they'd have their partners with them... you'd need to do that only when I'm around," she smirked.

"Well, with you with me, I'll probably be making their partners jealous too." Looking out the window, he noticed that the foot traffic had increased ten-fold and smirked. "Let's go? I wanna make all the guys here jealous."

"Determined aren't we?" she chuckled as he helped her out of the car. "Mmmh... quite the frequented place, isn't it?"

"Yep and yep. I'm not one for public displays of affection, but for you... I like making an exception," he smiled as he kept his hand with hers, entwining their fingers together.

"And I actually like that... I must admit," she whispered back. 

"Me too." Leaning over, he kissed her cheek, which made several on-lookers either smile or fume as they walked by.

"Tell me why everyone's scanning us as we pass by..." she whispered as she noticed one particular man studying her as they got inside the restaurant.

"Because we look good, that's why," he winked before walking up to the front desk.

"Yes Sir, how may I help you?" the desk attendant asked, smiling back at the two.

"Hi, I had made a reservation for two earlier this afternoon. It's under Faraday," he smiled back as he waited.

"Yes I remember that surname," she replied, looking back at her log book. "Just wait at the entrance for a minute and one of the waiters will come to lead you to your table. And, it's next to a large window overlooking the ocean, just as you had requested Sir."

"Thank you so very much for all of your help."

"You're most welcome, I hope you and your wife have a pleasant evening," she replied, as the waiter had already arrived to take them to their table.

"Wife?" he asked as Gwyn pulled him along as the waiter led them to their table. 

"Oh yes thank you," Gwyn replied, as the waiter moved her chair to sit down and the waiter handed them the menus.

"I'll be back in a couple of minutes, take all your time to choose, and should you need any suggestions, call for me," he bowed slightly and headed off towards another table.

Putting the menu down as the waiter left, Gwyn looked back at Tristan and grinned back. "Good evening husband," she said, in a whisper.

"Uhh... good evening, Dear," he stuttered back as he sat down after the waiter pulled out his chair. Leaning over, he kissed her sweetly. "Maybe that's why everyone was staring - we look like a husband and wife."

"Correction - newlyweds," she chuckled, kissing him back.

"Minus the rings. May have to work on that in the future... but for now, you can be Mrs. Tristan Faraday for tonight, okay?"

"Mmm-mmh, definitely don't mind that..." she whispered. "Did I tell you that I overhead a rude comment while we were getting in, you missed it as you were talking to the desk attendant..."

"Hmm... what was it?"

"Keywords were gorgeous, together, bed... the rest I'll leave to you. I would have solemnly kicked him in the groin if I had been on my own."

"Well, unfortunately for him, you are particularly gorgeous in bed - but you'll be going home with me instead. Also you were quite gorgeous in the shower as well... perhaps we should try the tub later..."

Laughing, she stood up to move closer to him. "Maybe we should consider that for tomorrow..."

"In the morning or evening? I have something planned, but it'd ruin the surprise. So, shall we share dinner together or do you want to order separately?" 

"Wouldn't mind sharing... whatever you choose is fine for me by the way, everything looks nice on the menu..." she told him. "Evening... maybe... relaxing bath together considering we're off to work the following day... which reminds me that... oh damn."

"What?"

"I was going to start thinking about work..."

Laughing, Tristan reached across the table and took her hand. "We have one more day and I want it to be perfect. Once we go home to your place, we can dread going to work. Tonight, it's just you and me, _Mrs. Faraday_ ," he whispered.

"I know, and I'm sorry - let's say it was just a fleeting thought then. I want to focus on other things tonight..."

"Oh really? Well then, may I suggest the salmon then? We can do the shared dinner option so that we end up with a multi-course meal instead of just dinner, if you want."

"We've been mentioning salmon since yesterday so it's definitely fine for me... now... for the rest, I agree," she grinned.

"Okay."

After picking several items off of the shared dinner option, the waiter took the order and left the pair chatting quietly as the music from the live band could be heard coming from the next room over.

"So dancing here after dinner or dancing at the beach?"

"Both?"

"Sounds good." 

"Perfect," she replied, turning her head to gaze out of the window towards the ocean.

"Good spot, huh?"

"Yes..."

"Just 'yes'? Awww..." he grinned as their food and wine started to arrive.

Dinner was a quiet affair, save for a few stray looks in their direction, as they continued to listen to the band warming up before they were to start playing. After the last of their dinner was eaten, Tristan had moved his chair to sit next to Gwyn.

Placing a kiss on his cheek, Gwyn smiled and rested her head on his shoulder. "Thanks for all this..."

"No problem. I only wish I could do more, honestly, after all that happened today, but at least we're okay."

"I'm feeling fine now really, guess you should know..."

"I do, but... guess I'm just stubborn and want to hear the words. You should know that too..." he chuckled as their bill arrived, which he snatched up before Gwyn could even look at it.

"Stubborn... we might as well share that," she whispered.

"Nope. Next time we go out, you can treat me. But for tonight and for the day portion of tomorrow, I'm treating," grinning, he promptly tucked his payment card into the bill and watched the waiter pick it up immediately.

"Fine, you win... for now at least."

"Exactly. We'll have tons more opportunities to do this - and you're a guest in my house for the weekend, so it's only fitting I take care of you."

Shaking her head, Gwyn leaned over and kissed him briefly, smiling the entire time. "You can be overly-sweet sometimes, you know that?"

"I know."

"Probably it's because of all the chocolate," she chuckled as she sat back to her place.

"Don't forget the strawberries... and the cookies... Oh wait! Then there are the brownies, the cakes, pies, ice cream..."

To her amusement, Tristan began rattling off a laundry list of sweets that he seemed to consume on a daily basis. 

"Tris! Ok, that means you need to exercise more... and not _that_ kind of exercise, don't give me that look," she laughed, as the waiter came back with the card and the change. 

"And yet aren't you one of the people who accuse me of exercising _too_ much? And that would be regular exercise, thank you, not the one that you seem to be inferring," he teased as he proceeded to sign the check and take the remainder change. "What we need to do, is get you on a nice, light regimen...that way you can at least keep up with me..." 

"And that would mean what exactly?" she grinned, as she watched Tristan get up from his seat.

"I think a daily run would be nice. Perhaps you'd be interested in going climbing with me? As I demonstrated earlier, I'm pretty good at climbing things, both physically and figuratively. Also, there's an intramural league that Cyn, Cole, James, and myself play football for during the fall and I take part of it during the winter months as well - which would be water polo. Maybe you'd like to try that out?"

"Wow, hold it right there champion... mmm, let's just start with the run," she winked back. "Then we'll see for the rest... you play water polo? Really?"

"Fine. A five-mile daily run should suffice... unless you have any other ideas? And yes I do, why?" 

"Explains the shoulders," Gwyn grinned as Tristan helped her stand.

"Well, not like you complain about them. Y'know, all that important lifting I have to do day in and day out... plus, gotta carry the bike sometimes when I have to take the bus home. Luckily my legs are taken care of by the other sports..." he laughed as he led her to the club portion of the restaurant. 

"You really want to keep me overly fit, don't you?" she asked, chuckling as she placed a kiss on his cheek.

"Maybe just fit enough, as you're already gorgeous. Though the fact that your eyes keep raking over me when you think I'm not looking is any indication, perhaps I'm just trying to provide you with another form of distraction," he smirked while pulling her chair out from their table. 

"Can't keep anything from you, can I?" she laughed as she sat down, with Tristan following suit by her side.

"You are, but I know you'll tell me when you're ready - no need to rush for my sake. Besides, I actually like the fact that you've taken such a vested interest in my health and well-being." 

"Don't you do the same after all? And yes, the time maybe will come for that..."

"Of course, can't let Anne do it all by herself after all. Though, I believe we're starting to get a bit more... _possessive_ in our interest in one another, wouldn't you agree?"

"I think that's actually healthy... I mean, if we don't care for one another, what's the point in everything?" she asked him, giving a slight squeeze at his hands at the same time.

"Exactly." Leaning over, he gestured over to the dance floor, where a few couples were already dancing. "Shall we join them or do you want a drink first?"

"Might as well... drink can actually wait," she whispered as she took his hand in hers and led him to a relatively uncrowded spot. As she raised her arms to wrap them around his neck, Gwyn smiled as she felt him place his hands around her waist.

"Trust me to lead, or are you going to take charge, _Assistant Director_?" he whispered back while gently swaying to the music.

"I didn't know she was around," she replied, chuckling lightly.

"I think she just likes to make her presence known every now and then," came the teasing reply. 

"Maybe she does," she echoed back.

As the slow song finished playing, a more upbeat one proceeded to play, causing Tristan to relax more as he moved to the beat.

"Much more fun to dance to this," he laughed as he spun them around the dance floor. 

"Everyone's looking at us Tris..." she whispered, as she laughed out while resting against him. "I _think_ I prefer the other song though," she chuckled.

"Let 'em look, I don't care. You're all that's on my mind right now, and you're a wonderful dancer," smiled Tristan as he held her close. "Sure you prefer that song? If they play a particular song, I'll teach you a dance that I learned while traveling. The trick to that one is to maintain as much contact with your partner as possible."

"Mmm-mmh... and I'll do my best then," she whispered back. "I've got a little secret though... I attended dancing lessons ages ago. Under Fred's insistence."

"I'll let you in on one of mine - been dancing since as long as I could walk. When you have three older sisters, it obvious that you'd end up being the male lead. While traveling, I often hit up dance clubs and local celebrations to learn of the native dances. And Fred wanted you to learn, hmm? Ahh, the price of perfection - I quite like that, as it makes you more well-rounded."

"Trust me, you wouldn't want to attend those lessons. Terribly strict," she replied. "One bad step and you'd get slapped with a small ruler on your hands - which would feel sore for days."

"Sheesh, my sisters would just tickle me if I got out of step..."

"Lucky you," she smiled as the song seemed to have reached its final notes. 

As the current song ended, a new song began to play which made Tristan smirk mischievously. "Ready for that dance?"

"It really feels like you were expecting it..." she said, as Tristan clearly took the lead in this.

"Somewhat. The reason why I like this band is because they play a variety of music from different countries - most of which I've physically traveled to and listened to the locals play. Now, press your chest as close as you can to me, and follow my lead. Listen to the beat of the song, as that's what'll determine our steps. And yes, the stance we're in right now is referred to as the 'closed embrace' which is part of the dance." 

Following his instructions, Gwyn moved as close as possible to Tristan, whilst always keeping her look locked into his, smiling. "What's it called?" she asked as she started following the music too. "Rhythm's quite on the fast side..."

"It's called 'Tango Canyengue', with 'Canyengue' being the style from one country of origin and 'Tango' being the actual dance. I tend to dance this one with a partner I trust, otherwise I'll dance the other variants, which are not as intimate. Liking it so far, despite the beat?" 

"Yes," she replied, as Tristan made her swirve in an instant. "It keeps you... on the edge, keeping up to every move your partner does... and it's actually making me feel like kissing you."

"Really? Hence why I told you I only dance this version with a partner I trust. Cyn can do it because she knows me and my movements so well after all these years. With you... I think it's pretty clear why. And if you want to kiss me, then _do it_ ," whispered Tristan as he kept his gaze totally focused on her.

In an instant, Gwyn frantically placed both of her hands on his cheeks and surprised him with a fiery, passionate kiss that Tristan, in a way, never had expected her to give him there and then. Particularly since they weren't alone.

"Wow..."

"Couldn't resist..." 

"Care to do that again?"

"Might consider during another dance," she smiled, as she nuzzled her face against his neck.

"At the beach maybe?" he asked while holding her as close as possible against him once the song ended.

"Definitely." 

Continuing to dance with one another, Tristan leaned down and rested his forehead against Gwyn's shoulder. "Care for another dance, or do you want that drink now? Or the third option would be - do you want to leave now?"

"If it's a slow, yes... then drink and..." she stopped, looking straight into his eyes. 

"And if it's fast?" 

"Slow or fast, let's leave." 

"Whatever you say." Kissing her quickly, he led them off the dance floor and to their table, where they grabbed their stuff and left the restaurant. Walking towards the car, Tristan kept a protective, almost possessive hold on Gwyn.

"Sorry if that felt rushed..." 

"No, no, not at all. After that dance... yeah, I wanted to leave as soon as possible too... The question now is... beach or home?" he asked while unlocking the car door for her.

"Beach... home can wait for a while..."

Climbing in, he inserted the key into the ignition and began heading to the beach. "Blankets or not?"

"Yes please," she smiled, gazing out at the window.

Nodding, Tristan continued to drive until he reached the patch of beach where they had the bonfire the previous night. "So, how close do you want to be to the water? Also, looks like the moon is cooperating with us too." Grinning, he pointed out the nearly full moon - which seemed to give the beach an ethereal look to it.

"We could leave the blankets here in the car if you like... I'd like to wade in the water, like I told you..."

"Probably best to take them with us, as we can use them to dry off our legs and feet."

"Yes Sir," she chuckled.

Grinning, Tristan got out of the car and popped the trunk to remove the blankets while Gwyn waited patiently. Handing her one of the blankets, the pair walked towards the water, until they reached a point where Tristan was sure that they would be safe from the high tide. Spreading out the blankets, he started toeing off his shoes and pulling off his socks before rolling up his pant legs and removing his sportcoat. Following suit, Gwyn merely removed her shoes, and placed them right next to Tristan's stuff, and removed her coat to don a light overall scarf to cover up her shoulders. Satisfied, Gwyn grinned back at Tristan and winked back at him. "Ready to go?"

"Sure." Taking her hand, he led them down to the water and let the cool water run over their feet and legs in order to get used to the temperature. After several minutes, they kept repeating the process as they waded deeper and deeper into the cool ocean water. Finally, both were knee-deep in the water as they took in their surroundings, a light breeze slightly ruffling Tristan's hair blowing occasionally. Though the only sound that could be heard all around them was the crashing of the waves, Tristan heard a soft humming noise coming from the direction towards his right, where Gwyn was humming a song to herself while staring at the sky. Without saying a word, he moved in front of her and placed his hands on her waist as she hummed loud enough for them to waltz to.

"Ever thought we'd do this with water right up our knees?"

"No, but today's been a day full of firsts..." he smiled while pulling her flush against him as they danced.

"True... never danced a tango either..."

"Well, I'd like to say you have... only there were less clothes involved and we were lying down rather than standing up to 'dance'."

"That wasn't the first time though..." 

"Nope, that was Thursday. Although there could be a first... but, you'd probably hit me if I suggested it," he laughed.

"If it is what you're thinking coupled by doing it on the beach... no," she chuckled, leaning to kiss him.

"Told you," he snickered before kissing her back. "But, have you ever before?"

"Have you ever what?"

"On the beach." 

Blushing, Gwyn rested her head on his shoulder and smiled. "Maybe I'm not really understanding what you mean..." 

"Nah, you know what I mean, but granted after the tango... I really want to make love you right here and now... but, probably a nice comfy bed beats out having sex on a beach," he smirked while rubbing her shoulders. 

"As for the _'Have you ever'_ question... I think you've forgotten that my first _ever_ was _you_ and was last Thursday. Never mind... the beach thing."

"Well, I've never have done the beach thing either... so, in relations to _firsts_ , it would be a first for us both, wouldn't it? And of course I didn't forget, though you are a rather quick study I must admit..."

"Mmh? What do you mean?"

"For someone that's never been intimate before, you seem to know all the right moves in making me happy when we're making love. And that would be the honest truth from me."

"Maybe it's because it's _you_ and because I'm a quick learner," she laughed, placing a kiss on his shoulder. "Still can't understand why you asked me whether I did bef-hey, seriously, were you pulling my leg?"

"Yes and no. Yes I was joking when I asked you if you ever have on a beach and no, I meant it when I said that I wanted to make love to you on the beach right here and now."

"Tris. No. There's sand. And it's open air. And public. And," she finished haphazardly, halted by a deep kiss from Tristan. Smiling as it ended, Gwyn looked back at him and whispered back. "Want to go home now? I think we don't need those blankets here after all..."

"Up to you, as are you sure you're ready to leave?"

"I've had my waltz, under the moonlight, on the beach, while wading with my prince in his rolled-up trousers," she chuckled. "I think I'm more than satisfied."

"Good, as I'm sure you wouldn't mind having a few more 'private dances' between the sheets at home, would you?"

"That's why I asked you in the first place..." she smiled.

"Well if you already knew the answer, then you could've just started dragging me away like you always do."

"So, going?" she asked, as she placed one last kiss on his cheek.

"Yes," he grinned before kissing her temple and leading them back to shore.

Once they walked up towards their stuff, with sand sticking all over their wet legs which actually made Gwyn pout playfully, they folded up the blankets and gathered their bags - obviously dusting off all of the sand that had attached itself to the things.

"This is one of the reasons _that_ cannot be done on sand," she chuckled, as she saw Tristan smirk in response.

"Well, we could've done it in the ocean..." he laughed as he dodged a handful of wet sand that Gwyn threw at him.

"You really have _tons_ of ideas, haven't you?"

"Of course! Besides, since you can read me, you should know when I'm joking with you." Smirking suggestively, he took the blankets from Gwyn, "Though I'm sure you're feeling exactly what I'm feeling right now, aren't you."

"Yep!" she grinned, in such a carefree mode that made Tristan stare at her for a couple of seconds. "What is it?"

"I'm happy that you're happy which makes me even happier."

That made Gwyn look back at him and chuckle lightly, before giving him a big, radiant smile. "I'm glad you are."

"Yeah. Got everything?" he asked as started heading back towards the car.

"Think so," she replied, giving a quick look at the spot where they had been. "Seems like it anyway." 

"Alright, we're off." Tristan walked at a leisurely pace for him (which was deliberately slow) so that Gwyn could keep up with his stride as they journeyed back to the car. Once they got there, he placed all but one of the blankets in the trunk while Gwyn placed their items in the backseat. Taking the blanket with him, he opened the passenger door for Gwyn and motioned for her to sit down. 

"Thank you," she whispered as she made herself comfortable on the seat again. "Which means you're going to drive back..."

"Hope you don't mind," he whispered back as he started wiping the sand off of his legs with the blanket. Once he was satisfied that most of it was gone, he re-folded the blanket and placed it on the floor of the passenger's seat. "Should at least reduce the amount of sand that we tracked in." Shutting her door gently, Tristan climbed into the driver's seat and got settled. Before starting the car, Gwyn started giggling as she realized he was going to drive while barefoot. 

"Are you seriously going to do that?"

"Yes? Relax Miss Gwyn, I've done this many a time." Flashing her a confident grin, Tristan started the car and drove home without any problems whatsoever - despite going faster than what was safely recommended (though neither seemed to notice very much). 

"Not that impressive though," she smirked back. "I've done worse when I'm on my way to work. That's why I didn't say anything..."

"Wasn't trying to impress you anyways," he teased as he parked the car and shut off the engine. "Besides, I bike to work, remember?"

"Yes I know," she replied, smiling as she moved to open the passenger's door.

"Hey wait, allow me." Quickly getting out of the driver's seat, Tristan lifted Gwyn onto his back - feeling her wrap her arms around his neck and legs around his waist - and shut the door. "Much better this way, and you don't have to track sand everywhere." He then removed all of their personal items from the car and carried her up the stairs and into the apartment with little effort. 

Once he let her down, Gwyn, who was carrying the keys to his apartment, moved to open the door, making Tristan walk inside before her since he was carrying all of the stuff they had brought with them. "That was fast..." she commented as she locked the door shut.

"I've always been the pro-active one, as you are definitely learning this weekend," he chuckled as he set down their shoes and hung their coats on the backs of the dining chairs. "So, I've got a few records that we can listen to... they're the songs that I learned how to dance the tango to-" Tristan was immediately cut off as Gwyn kissed him the same kiss they shared in the club.

Once their kiss ended (and as both of them looked straight into each other's eyes as they regained their breath), Gwyn playfully grabbed him by his tie and chuckled. "So... shall we open the dances, Tris?" she whispered, in almost a sensual tone - another first according to Tristan.

"If you want or we can just skip the foreplay and just get right to it... Whatever works," he snickered as Gwyn began dragging him along by his tie.

"Who cares about that," she grinned as they arrived in the bedroom and Gwyn closed the door shut with one foot.

"Obviously not us," smirked Tristan as he picked her up and pinned her against the door before kissing her.

As soon as he started kissing her, Gwyn placed one of her arms round his neck while passing a hand through his hair, while with the other she reached for the tie once again to undo the knot. Once the tie was loose, Gwyn removed it and dropped it on the floor before unbuttoning the first few buttons on Tristan's shirt and began working on 'her' spot on his neck - feeling him shudder slightly as he pressed more of his weight against her.

While Gwyn continued to touch him wherever she could, Tristan began snaking a hand up one of her legs - which were both wrapped tightly around his narrow waist - while using the other to keep Gwyn from falling. Breaking away from Gwyn's kisses along his neck momentarily, he eyed her with a look that seemed to speak volumes. Even if she didn't have the ability to read or sense his emotions, his eyes gave them away.

For Gwyn, the look Tristan gave her was practically predatory, but immediately, she understood that it was a different look of 'hunger' in his blue eyes that differed greatly from the look that she had inadvertently given him earlier in the day. Smirking at him briefly, Gwyn watched as he licked his lips in anticipation. Placing her hands on his cheeks, the two met in another passionate kiss.

Still locked in their kiss, Tristan led Gwyn to bed, laying her down gently as she was still tugging at his shirt to remove it from his pants, while wrapping her arms round his waist to pull him even closer to him. Once the shirt came loose, Gwyn busied herself with removing his belt and unbuttoning his pants, which fell to the ground with little effort.

"May I?" Tristan whispered between kisses as he snaked his hands up her hips to remove the dress she was wearing.

"Of course," came the muffled groan as he slowly lifted up the dress as Gwyn helped him to remove it, while he continued placing random kisses starting from her tummy up, her chest, neck and meeting up her lips once again.

"So, now can you tell the difference between the look I gave you versus the one you gave me?" he whispered while holding her hands and kissing 'his' spot.

"Maybe... you don't look like _him_ to me," she smiled back. "You're quite _angelic_ by comparison."

"Well, I'm far from being an _angel_ here..." he grinned back before claiming her lips again with his as he unclasped her bra and tossed it behind him.

Gwyn blinked back at him and burst in a hearty laugh as she placed a kiss on his forehead. "My turn I suppose, right?" she whispered, with a wicked grin on her lips. 

"If you wish," Tristan smirked back wickedly as he felt Gwyn unbuttoning his shirt.

Smirking back in the same way, Gwyn slowly slid her hands (on purpose) down to reach Tristan's waist and tugged mischievously at the boxers' waistband and started slipping it off little by little.

"Anxious much?" he groaned as he felt her fingers grazing his skin while pulling his boxers down.

"Pretty. Damn. Much," she finished, as she pulled them off and grinned triumphantly after tossing it somewhere across the room. As she moved up to rest herself on top of him, Gwyn did the very same thing Tristan had done, and place random kisses across his body, starting from his abdomen, chest and neck - lingering even more when she arrived at 'her' spot. Something that strangely made a shiver run across all of his spine.

Gasping slightly as he felt her gently bite 'her' spot, Tristan easily reached down and removed her underwear before holding Gwyn tightly as he mimicked her actions.

"I'm all yours now," she whispered smiling back at him while placing a hand on his cheek, caressing it gently.

"You always have been... Also, should this fall under the category of make-up sex or not? I mean, we did have a pretty spectacular fight this afternoon and our little interlude in the shower doesn't really count - or does it?" he grinned back while stroking the now-smooth skin of her back

"Probably the shower could be classified as that," she laughed. "I'm way over that fight now..."

"I honestly still feel a little guilty about that... so, to make it up to you just a little more, you are free to have your wicked, wicked way with me tonight... since you're currently on top, _Assistant Director_."

"Currently? I'm always on top, _Manager_ ," she grinned back, leaning down as close to him as possible.

"For now at least," he grinned before pulling her down for another kiss.

"Love you Tris... but now... enough of the chit-chat..."

"Love you too, Gwyn," he whispered back before shifting his hips up slightly and kissing her passionately once again.

Their love-making that night was slow and intense, and it seemed that neither one of them wanted to let go of each other. As if... something would have been happening soon, something, though, that neither of them had the faintest clue of what it could be. Ignoring that transient feeling, they continued shifting positions for the rest of the night, till the two of them some hours later, lay breathless and glowing in each others arms, with their low breathing and rough heartbeats taking place of their relative moaning and chuckling in delight that had accompanied them throughout the night.

"You really don't want to sleep tonight, do you?" Gwyn smiled, slightly exhausted but happy, as she lay in his arms, covered by the soft bedsheets.

Lifting his head up from where it was resting on her chest, Tristan gave her a wicked smirk, "Not particularly..."

"But if you have a look at your bedside clock you'd realise it's 03:42 and I think I'm just a little bit exhausted right now," she chuckled, passing a hand through his damp hair.

"That's fine. It means we have just a little over two hours until we can go watch the sunrise together," he replied as he shifted a little lower down her body and lazily licked her stomach.

"How about we go there in an hour or so... we rest a little bit, get dressed quickly, then grab some heavy blankets and head off... I think I'd end up sleeping in your arms," she smiled back at him.

"Or Option B, I continue to distract you until it's time to leave..." he murmured as he began kissing her stomach before starting to venture lower.

"Maybe that could-" Gwyn started replying, when she got stopped by Tristan as he kissed one particular spot which sent a shiver through all of her body. "If you continue I might as well _reconsider_ what I just told you... maybe I'm not yet... _totally_ exhausted..."

"As you wish," he replied as he gave that particular spot a lazy lick before placing his lips over the spot again, causing Gwyn to keep Tristan in place with her hands and legs. 

Feeling him shift her position by giving her a small push, so as to rest back on top of her, Gwyn grinned and snaked her arms round his waist pulling him close.

"Feeling exhausted now?" he smirked as he nuzzled into her neck briefly before settling his lips over 'his' spot.

"Mmm-mmh," she hummed back, smiling as she started dozing off slightly.

"Rest for now, I'll wake you soon." Kissing her forehead gently, Tristan shifted their position so that Gwyn was resting on top of him and began rubbing circles into her back. Once he felt her breathing slow, Tristan gently slipped away from her hold on him and got dressed into a pair of boxers, a pair of shorts, and a t-shirt before climbing back into bed and watched Gwyn sleep. Looking over at the clock, he saw that it was nearly five in the morning and nearly laughed, as Gwyn only had a total of thirty minutes worth of sleep. Climbing out of bed again, and nearly froze when he heard her whimper slightly as he moved, he carefully tucked the blankets around her before heading into the kitchen. Finding the box of cinnamon rolls from yesterday, he removed them from the box and placed them on a cookie sheet before pre-heating his oven and working on making some coffee. Once the coffee started brewing, he placed the rolls into the oven and left momentarily to check on Gwyn.

Chuckling to himself, he saw that Gwyn was hugging the pillow that he was using against her chest. Stroking her cheek, he leaned down and kissed it gently. "Hey, time to get up, Love."

"Just another five minutes, please... still sleepy," she mumbled, turning to cover herself up again.

"Two and a half, and I'm coming back in with coffee and a cinnamon roll," he whispered before walking out of the room to head back into the kitchen. 

The smell of strong coffee and warm cinnamon rolls filled the air. Pouring a cup, Tristan pulled the cinnamon rolls out of the oven and removed one before cutting it in half and placing it on a plate. Taking the items, he walked back into the room and set everything on his night table before walking over to Gwyn and teasingly pulled the blankets away from her.

"No... not yet," she groaned once more, shivering slightly when she ended up with no sheets covering her.

Laughing, Tristan settled himself on top of Gwyn and began kissing her chest. "C'mon Baby, time to get up. I'll let you sleep once were at the beach. But first, a little breakfast and you need to get dressed - unless you want to head to the beach naked?"

"Of course not..." she muttered, opening her eyes slightly to find Tristan looking back at her. 

"Best get dressed then, hmm?" he grinned before climbing off her and taking a sip of coffee. Tearing a piece off of one of the cinnamon roll halves, Tristan raked his eyes over Gwyn's nude form and let out a whistle. "You are practically glowing from your head all the way down to your toes... you look like a goddess right now... I'm quite liking this." 

Stretching out her arms, Gwyn sat up and yawned, to gaze back at Tristan, smiling. Moving to get hold of one of the bedsheets, she wrapped herself up slightly and crawled right behind him, placing a kiss on his shoulder. "Good morning..." 

"Good morning." Grabbing the plate, he presented her with the other half of the cinnamon roll. "Eat up. I'll give you one of my t-shirts to wear as we don't really need anything fancy. Also, would you rather wear your jacket or one of my sweatshirts?" 

"Sweatshirt..." she mumbled, still quite asleep as she took a bite off the cinnamon roll.

Taking another sip of coffee, Tristan leaned over and kissed Gwyn slowly.

"You taste like coffee," she chuckled, as she rested her forehead against his.

"And you taste like cinnamon. Be right back," he grinned before disappearing into his closet to pull out a light blue t-shirt and grey hooded sweatshirt for Gwyn. "Should fit you pretty well," he replied while eating his half of the roll and lying next to her. Glancing at his clock, Tristan let out a yawn. "Still early, as sunrise isn't until six, but we should get going soon." 

"Alright..." she whispered, yawning for yet another time before finishing her mug of coffee. Once ready from the quick breakfast, Gwyn climbed down from bed, grabbed some things from her bag (including Tristan's t-shirt) and headed off to the bathroom. After a short while, she was back by the bed in Tristan's shirt with her hair gathered up in a pony-tail.

"You look adorable right now."

"Mmmh... adorably sleepy is more likely," she replied, as she searched in her bag for a pair of jeans. Grinning when she found them, she quickly sat back on bed and slipped them on.

"Almost ready?" he smiled.

"Yep," she told him, as she took his sweatshirt in her hands and quickly put it on. "Hey... this is actually comfortable..."

"Should be. I wear it all the time. Just leave the bed alone right now, I'll deal with it later." Grinning, he looked over at the clock and saw that they were getting close. "Meet me in the kitchen? Just need to make sure that the stove's off."

"Sure." After making one last (and very brief) call at the bathroom and after putting on a pair of sports shoes (which she had brought just in case knowing Tristan's habits), Gwyn walked into the kitchen, finding Tristan seated on one of the chairs, waiting for her with the car key's in his hands.

"Back," she grinned as she walked up to stand right in front of him. "We go?"

"Good to see. Wanna drive or nap?" he grinned while he finished eating another cinnamon roll. Getting up from his seat, he kissed Gwyn's cheek, knowing full well his lips were still sticky from the icing of the cinnamon roll, and grabbed his sweatshirt off of the breakfast bar.

"Nap," she smiled back, letting out a random yawn. "And that felt sticky," she chuckled, while placing a hand on her cheek.

"Yes, that sticky would be from the icing." Laughing, he grabbed one of his kitchen towels, ran it under the sink, and wiped his mouth before wiping her cheek and tossing the towel onto the counter. Taking her hand in his, he led her out of the apartment.

-

The drive out to the beach was slow and relaxing as Tristan marveled at the changing colors in the sky while Gwyn was dozing quietly beside him. Parking the car smoothly, he shut off the engine to see a light coming from the horizon. Leaning over, he kissed Gwyn.

"We're already here?" she muttered as she opened her eyes wearily once again.

"It's Sunday morning - no one is up at this time, so of course it takes less to arrive. C'mon, it's almost time," he urged her gently as he got out of the car and proceeded to pull some heavier blankets out of the trunk of the car. 

Taking one of the blankets herself, Gwyn followed an ecstatic Tristan who was pacing hurriedly towards their familiar spot. After placing one of the blankets on the sand, Tristan was the first to lie down with Gwyn immediately following suit, huddling closely against him while he placed an arm round her shoulder.

"Now... just watch," he whispered before placing a kiss on her forehead and tightly wrapping the blankets around them as the sun started to rise.

Not even Tristan's palette could catch the multitude of hues and tones that the sky turned into as a sliver of red coloured the surface of the ocean. Turning from indigo to lighter tones of orange and red, the red orb was slowly making its way out of the horizon, encountering some low lying clouds that also turned into orange and red in the process. Gwyn turned to look at Tristan, all intent into watching, as the sky's colours were reflecting into his eyes, making that dark blue colour of his seem even more intense. Smiling, she turned her face to look back at the marvel, glad she actually got up from bed after all...

"Have you ever watched the sun rise like that? Or can I consider this your first?" he smiled before nuzzling against her cheek.

"It's another first," she smiled.

"Well, I hope it isn't our last either. Promise me we'll be able to do this as often as we can?"

"It's a promise," she echoed back in a low soft voice.

"Good," he murmured before leaning down to kiss her.

As the sun was mid-way up the sky, Tristan started feeling Gwyn resting heavily against him, her breathing slowing down once again. Turning his head to have a better look, he just smiled as he saw a smiling Gwyn who had fallen asleep once more - the previous day was really having a toll on her after all.

Gently slipping out of her hold, he wrapped Gwyn up in the blanket and carried her back to the car, cradling her against his chest. After securing her, Tristan ran back to retrieve the blanket he left behind, folded it, and carried it back with him. Once in the car again, he started the engine and headed home to catch a few hours of rest with Gwyn. Upon arriving at home, Tristan carried his 'precious bundle' back to the bedroom where he quickly divested her of the sweatshirt and jeans as well as his clothes, save for his boxers, before laying her on the bed and pulling up the covers over them. 

Hours passed and this time round it was Gwyn who woke up before Tristan. Smiling as she saw him sleeping peacefully by her side, she huddled closer to him, placed a kiss on his forehead and proceeded into playing with the loose strands of hair he had on his forehead. Realising that the last thing she remembered was watching the sunrise with him on the beach, it dawned on her that Tristan had carried her back from the beach on his own, drove home, carried her back to his room, removed her clothes to make her comfortable and slept right by her side. Chuckling as she silently observed the slow rising and falling of his chest, she shifted to rest her head against him, waiting until he woke up once again.

"You never cease to amaze me..." she whispered, with a smile.

Feeling something tickling his side, Tristan's mouth began to form a smile as he rolled over to get away from whatever was tickling him. After a few seconds, he felt it again and began wrapping the blankets tightly around himself, letting out a small giggle. A tugging sensation, followed by the tickle led to Tristan blearily glaring at Gwyn's smiling face. "Meanie," he grinned at her.

"Woke up before you this time round," she laughed back, still trying to tickle him.

"That you did," he chuckled as he wrapped his arms around her to stop her from tickling him. "So, what time is it now?"

"Haven't had a look, too busy focusing my attention on a certain person here," she chuckled, kissing him.

Quickly kissing her back, Tristan glanced over at the clock and saw that it was close to noon. "Now, as much as I know you want to stay in bed all day, I have something planned for you. Best if we start getting cleaned up though, as we have _you-know-what_ tomorrow." 

"Would you laugh if I tell you that it's the first time I really don't feel like... _that_?"

Letting out a chuckle, he placed a kiss on her forehead. "Told you I'm no angel... I'm such a _bad influence_ on you, aren't I? But seriously, I want to take you somewhere today, but it's a _secret_." 

"Which means you're not going to tell me even if I beg... mmh?"

"Well I like it when you beg in a completely different context-" he started laughing as Gwyn hit him with a pillow.

Placing the pillow between herself and Tristan while resting against him, she grinned and gave him a quick kiss on his nose. "Naughty."

"You like it when I am, as evident when I was busily distracting you this morning..." he smirked back while grabbing one of her hands and kissed it.

"Love you..."

"I love you too."

"Now... since morning's already almost gone, bathroom, getting changed and leave?" she suggested, earning a nod of approval from Tristan.

"Question is now though... how _late_ do you want to leave here?" smirked Tristan as he slipped his hands under the t-shirt that Gwyn was wearing and rubbed her back.

"Since I know what you're thinking... well, if we do that, we'd never get out of your apartment so maybe... I'll pass... _for now_."

"Well, we do have your tub at your apartment, so we can save that for before bed. So you shower first or I shower first? Also, dress code is casual and comfortable, as we'll be doing a lot of walking, and lunch will equally relaxed."

"Mind it if I go first this time?" she asked, letting a chuckle escape her lips. "And I knew you'd come up with something like _that_... the tub I mean," she finished as she moved towards the edge of the bed.

"Weekend's not over and I'd like to end it on a good note before the start of the week. Also, I need to pack some clothes to take to your place. So, go wash up and I'll start cleaning up 'round here so that we can go straight to your place afterwards," he grinned. "And besides, your tub looks like it can comfortably hold the two of us..."

"I suppose it does... we can check that out this evening if you like," she replied, winking back at him as she got the necessary stuff from her bag and headed for the bathroom.

Grinning widely, Tristan opened the windows in his room and started cleaning up, beginning with picking up their discarded clothing from the previous night. Once he was done with that, he separated his clothes from hers and placed her clothes by her bag before removing the bedding, as they were due to be changed anyways. Satisfied, Tristan left his room and headed towards the spare bedroom and removed some fresh bed linens for his room from the closet before replacing them on the bed. After that was done, he moved to the kitchen and cleaned up there.

Once ready from the shower, Gwyn got out of the bathroom and walked to get hold of her bag, to see what to actually wear for the day - at the same time noticing that Tristan has cleared out the room and put everything in perfect order. Still not quite sure of what to wear, Gwyn walked out of the bedroom, still with a towel wrapped up around her and peeked inside the kitchen, while Tristan was clearing up the dishes and putting everything back in place. 

"Casual as in jeans, sports shoes and a light jacket?"

Whirling around to face Gwyn, while clutching a bottle of cleaner in one hand and a rag in the other, he gave her a sly grin. "Or just the towel could suffice..."

"That's just for you to see, house-husband," she chuckled. "Seriously now, think that would do?"

"Your original choice sounds good to me. Also, think we'll get mistaken for newlyweds again today?"

"Good, and yes we might I suppose... I think that actually was quite... _cute_."

"I found it on the funny side, as I bet most of the people don't know that you're actually my boss..." chuckled Tristan, "Though I suppose, if we were really married, you'd still be my boss."

"Maybe in more than one sense... and dearest, I look younger than you when I'm casual I suppose," she chuckled, as she walked out of the room.

"Yeah by like a year!" he called out before laughing and resumed his cleaning.

While Tristan was continuing his house chores, Gwyn headed back to the bedroom, and proceeded into slipping on her jeans, followed by a dark purple v-necked top. As that was done, she proceeded to dry up her hair (she still lacked her hairdryer so she decided that she couldn't leave it hanging down freely and she didn't have the time anyway), and thus gathered it up in a clip as she remembered Tristan telling her that he liked her hair that way. A slight dash of make up and a simple pair of earrings were the last things she wore, once she was ready she gazed back at the reflection in the mirror, with a sincere smile on her face.

Placing the rag in the sink, Tristan put the bottle of cleaner away and tied off the garbage bag, before placing it by the door. He then slipped outside to place the bag in the main garbage pick-up container before heading back in to check in on Gwyn. Heading back into his bedroom, he saw her staring in front of the mirror. "Everything okay?"

"Perfectly fine," she replied, smiling. "You finished up?"

"Just finished. You look stunning by the way, and I'm glad you put your hair up," he grinned while heading towards the bathroom.

"Oh... thank you," she whispered back, as she watched him close the bathroom's door.

After washing his hands, Tristan wandered into his closet and grabbed a pair of clean boxers and socks, a light grey t-shirt, and a pair of jeans before stripping off his current pair and hopping into the shower. While in there, he started chuckling to himself as he remembered what had happened in there yesterday. Once done, he brushed his teeth and used a bit of cologne before pulling on the boxers and jeans before grabbing his things to finish dressing in the bedroom while draping the towel around his shoulders.

Upon entering, Tristan found Gwyn seated on one side of the bed, folding up her clothes.

"Hey there," he smiled while placing his things on the opposite side of the bed and proceeded to dry his hair.

"Ready?" she asked, while folding up her black trousers, and turning to look at him.

"Almost. Still need to pack some clothes for your place," he replied as he pulled on his shirt and socks. "Wanna help me?"

"Sure... and Tris... do you mind if I keep these clothes here?" she told him, pointing at the small neatly-folded pile by her side.

"No, not at all. Would you be surprised if I was going to ask you to leave some stuff here?"

"Not in the slightest... I've been... so relaxed here that I think it's an obvious consequence..."

"Glad I could help. I'll probably send out your trousers and skirt to be cleaned with my suits, and take care of your shirts." Taking her hand in his, he led Gwyn through the bathroom and into his closet. "Pick what you like and I'll toss 'em into the bag. And, as a bonus, I'll let you have free reign on what I wear underneath," he grinned as he pulled out a small bag for his shirts and a garment bag for his suits.

"Definitely need to have a spare suit with you," she mumbled as she picked out one of her favourites. "Then... a few shirts," she continued, as she picked a plain white, black and pin-striped white shirt and a few ties to complement them. "Now... for the more casual things... pick what you like Tris... I'll move over to choose a couple of boxers," she told him, with an amused look in her eyes.

"Well, I lent you one of my favorite shirts for this morning, so that automatically goes with us, and..." he trailed off as he grabbed a few more shirts to wear around her apartment and work out in, as well as tossing in two pairs of jeans and a pair of black slacks for going out. Holding out the bag, he shot her a grin, "Okay with these?"

As she had a look at the bag, Gwyn stifled a laugh and looked back up at him. "You're getting half of your wardrobe with you?"

"In my defense, half the shirts go towards me working out to make you happy, while the other half go towards me being lazy around your apartment. I have more than enough jeans so I can easily part with two pairs, and the slacks... they're for 'just in case'."

"Sounds just perfect to me... now, finish up before we head off? I'm starting to get curious you know..."

"Well, you still have to pick out my boxers, and then we can leave," he smirked.

"Already done," she grinned pointing out at a small neatly folded pile.

"Cool." Taking the folded pile, he placed them in the bag and closed the bag before placing his work clothes and ties in the garment bag, though he pocketed one of the ties just before closing it. "Now we can go."

"Good," she grinned back, as she walked back inside the bedroom before Tristan and got hold of her jacket. "Guess I don't need to bring anything else with me... ah Tris, are we returning back here before we go to my place or we'll be heading straight there?"

"Straight there. I'm kinda missing my puppy," he grinned sheepishly.

"So that means..." she muttered, moving over to grab her bag. "Where shall I leave my clothes then?"

"Easy. Use one of the dressers out here. Practically all of the drawers are empty because all of my clothes are in my closet with the other dressers. I only have these two out here because they were long and low enough to place the mirror on and I can use the extra drawers for storage. You actually get to be the first to keep things in them." 

With a grin on her lips, Gwyn handed the clothes to Tristan and chuckled. "Mind if you do?"

"Yes AD..." he snickered as he took the clothes and set them on top of one of the dressers by the bed and pulled out a empty drawer. Depositing the pile easily, he closed it and then turned to face Gwyn. "Better?" 

"Definitely," she replied, reaching up to kiss him, laughing out lightly as she realised something.

"Something on your mind?" he teased as he hugged her.

"I have to reach slightly up to kiss you without heels," she chuckled. "After all, I just have simple sports shoes on."

"I think I can help you with that..." Laughing, he picked her up and kissed her as Gwyn wrapped her legs around him.

"Tris..." she whispered, chuckling at the same time as she rested her forehead against his. "We won't budge if we continue like this," she laughed softly.

"Most likely," he whispered back before kissing her again and setting her down slowly. "Now close your eyes, I said where we're going is a surprise so... I'm not taking any chances on you peeking."

Gwyn looked back at Tristan, furrowing her eyebrows while giving him a strange look. "Alright... this is becoming even more interesting..." she chuckled, as she closed her eyes. "There..."

Removing the red tie from his pocket, he wrapped it gently around Gwyn's eyes before gathering their things and taking her hand. "Now just trust me. I promise you'll love this."

Gwyn placed her free hand and reached for her face, chuckling as soon as she realised what he had tied across her eyes. "Tris, you used a tie?" she laughed. "And, it's really fun feeling all of your excitement about this... don't worry, I am trusting you."

"Not like I'm swimming in proper blindfolds here, besides it's only fitting that I used a tie... since it fuels your necktie kink with me," he joked as he led her out of the bedroom.

"You really think that I have this tie obsession, don't you?" she laughed as she followed him out into the living room.

"You do, which was why your eyes lit up when you were picking out my ties - especially when you saw the red one. Anyways, I used the red one on you."

"They make you look smart, and I think that's one of my weaknesses... you being all smart for work..." she chuckled. "Mmh wait... what if someone sees us though? They'll think that we're into weird _pastimes_..."

"Don't worry about it, I'll make sure we're not seen," he replied as he put on his shoes and opened the door. "Now... just sit here," he said gently as he sat her down in a chair, "and I'll be right back for you in a little bit." 

"I'll wait."

"Good. Won't be long." Patting her hand, Tristan made sure to grab their jackets from the chairs and brought everything down to the car. Moving the spare blankets to the rear passenger seats, he placed his bicycle in the trunk and shut the door before tossing both his and Gwyn's things in the back seat. Once done, he bounded up the stairs and took Gwyn's hand. "Alright, we can do this in two ways: you take hold of the banister as we go down the stairs or I carry you. Your choice."

"Read me and you'll know the answer to that," she grinned, as she gave a slight squeeze to his hand in response.

Closing his eyes briefly, he began chuckling as he placed her on his back and proceeded to leave the apartment. "Remind me to invite you to my waterpolo matches..."

"And watch you play in swimming trunks... mmm..." she chuckled, as she rested her head against one of his shoulders. "What does it have to do with all this anyway?"

"That would be your bonus, but you'd also probably appreciate my back and shoulders more after watching me play."

"Mmm-mmh, definitely, however I already appreciate them enough in other venues," she giggled, placing a kiss on his back.

"Obviously," he chuckled as he hopped off the last step and opened the passenger door for Gwyn before setting her inside. "Mind your head and hands," he whispered as he placed the seatbelt around her and shut the door before getting into the driver's side. "Good?"

"Yes," she replied, resting her head back once she was seated comfortably by his side. "Is it far from here?"

"Not too far from here, but it's a fair distance away from your place. We'll have lunch at this place too, so no worries." Placing the key into the ignition, he started the car and proceeded to the surprise location - a museum that specialized in the Victorian era. Since it was early in the afternoon, most people were out and about, but Tristan had managed to avoid people being able to look into the car as he easily made it to the museum. After parking the car, he leaned over and began to untie the 'blindfold'. "Now you can open them," he whispered before kissing her cheek.

"Oh so we're there and..."

"Surprise?"

"Yeah..." she replied, taking in the glorious architecture at the entrance. "How did you get to know about this?"

"I have my mysterious ways... C'mon, it's even better inside," he smiled as he proceeded to get out of the car, but was stopped by Gwyn.

"Thank you," she whispered, leaning in to kiss him.

"You're welcome and anything for you," he whispered back as he met her kiss.

"I had been wanting to come for ages... and never found the time because of work... plus... it's not such a well-known museum, in spite of its beauty..."

"And that's why we take advantage of weekends, Sweetheart." Gently, he urged her out of the car so that they could go inside.

-

Beaming happily, Gwyn following Tristan inside the building, which gave a tremendously imposing aura as soon as people stepped inside. Gwyn stood in the middle of the hallway, intent in studying every single detail of the intricate architecture, while Tristan moved towards the reception desk, to take two copies of the visitors' maps. 

"It's actually slightly more modern than its contents I suppose..." Gwyn stated, as she felt Tristan reach her side again.

"Just a bit, since it has to abide by building codes and whatnot, but let's go look around for a bit and then we can have lunch outside in the gardens."

As they walked through one of the entry hallways, arms linked in each other's, Gwyn had been studying the map to identify the main halls she wanted to see. "First there's fashion and design which I'd really love to have a look at, considering it should be choc-full with clothes, jewelry and accessories of the time, then... there's history... art and architecture - I think you'll like this - home and furniture... mmmh... this way," she mused, as she told Tristan's hand into hers and dragged him into the first hall. 

Grinning, Tristan couldn't help but notice Gwyn's eyes sparkle in delight as they entered the area reserved to the fashions of the epoch. Surrounded glass displays with numerous dresses, standing one after the other, Gwyn proceeded into giving Tristan a quick overview of the mentality behind the style. "Most still think that this era can be directly related to sexual repression. History critics have written that men's clothing was too formal and overly stiff, while women's gowns were fussy and over-done. They also say that clothing covered the entire body, and that even the glimpse of an ankle was actually considered as scandalous... Plus, I've also read that some contend that corsets constricted women's bodies and women's lives... I actually disagree though, if you have a look around, you'll see that most of it is quite the exaggeration. Men's outfits may have been less stunning than in the previous years, however, waistcoats, jackets, even dressing gowns, brought a touch of colour to this so-called, dull, style. I actually love the clothes men used to wear - and uniforms were something amazing with all of the detail that used to be included in the drapes and materials used. I think you'd look stunning in one of those," she pointed out, indicating one of the stands showing a full outfit formal outfit, with a full dress uniform complete with the badges and all of the full accessories immediately adjacent to it. 

"Gwyn, I'd look like a penguin..."

"You'd look fine, just like a prince," she grinned back, as they passed the men's section, to enter the one full with female clothing. "Remind you of a certain painting?" she smiled as she pointed out at a stand with children's clothing.

Studying the painting, Tristan nearly laughed out loud. "Holy... I had no idea... I mean, what I painted was from a dream not... wow..."

"Fred used to love seeing me dressed in those clothes when I was a little girl... he's quite fond of all this too."

"So... hypothetically, if I were to ask Fred for your hand in marriage... should I wear _any_ of this?"

"Probably I'd have quite the say in that," she whispered back. 

"Well, I said that it was all hypothetical... Personally, I'd probably stick to something a bit more... my style I guess," he whispered back as he wandered over to another display.

"Maybe a more modern adaptation of these... have a look at that dress," she smiled as she pointed out a stunning dark blue ballgown, with dainty lace trimmings, and which included the original hair accessories that used to be worn with it. "That I particularly like."

"I think you'd look absolutely drop-dead gorgeous in that dress, to be honest. Wait! Stay here for a bit-I have an idea!" With that, Tristan bolted out of the exhibit room, leaving Gwyn both amused and stunned.

"Where on earth did he..." she thought out aloud, as she turned to gaze at the gown once more.

Nearly fifteen minutes later, a slightly out of breath Tristan appeared with a notebook in one hand and several pencils in his other hand. "Okay, now... could you stand in front of the dress for a second?" 

"Oh... yes sure," she replied, moving a few steps back to stand right in front of the display.

"Perfect. Now just stand there as if you were wearing the dress..." he grinned as he shoved the remainder of the pencils in his pocket before opening the notebook and sketching something that Gwyn couldn't see. 

"Is moving or talking permitted?" she chuckled.

"Just keep talking to me, it's fine. I just mainly need your face, neck, and arms in as natural a position as possible." Peeking over the notebook every now and then, Tristan kept grinning as he continued to draw Gwyn's features. Nearly ten minutes later, he smiled over at Gwyn. "Okay Honey, you're done. Now please step away so that I can get the dress."

Following his intructions, Gwyn merely moved towards an adjacent display and gazed at him every now and then, amused at the fact that people were stopping to have a look at what he was actually doing.

"Okay, you can come see it now. Though that dress isn't yours, at least in this way, you can wear it forever."

Walking up by his side, Gwyn couldn't help but smile as she saw the full, detailed sketch of her in that very same dress. "Really, Tris, you need to colour this in when you have the time..."

"Oh I intend to once we get back to your place," he grinned. 

"That will be nice," she replied, placing a kiss on his hair.

"If you want to match, make sure you pick something out that doesn't make me look like a penguin, please?" 

"Won't make you look like a penguin... don't worry..." she chuckled. "You'll see soon about that yourself soon enough though," she grinned as she had a quick look at the map. 

"Huh? How so?"

"You'll see," she replied, as she got Tristan back to his feet and continued to walk amongst the displays. "Want me to keep your notebook in my bag?" 

"Yes please. Pencils too," he replied dutifully as he handed her both the notebook and the pencils.

"No problem," she replied, as she carefully placed the items in her bag and looked up at him again, locking her arms to his.

"So, where to next?"

"We just stopped looking at the first dress display, there's much more to see... plus, there's one small hall adjacent to this that I _really_ want you to go to..." she grinned, placing a kiss on his cheek. "By the way, if I bore you with my history lessons, tell me." 

"I'm actually finding all of this fascinating, but if you start rambling, I'll probably just kiss you to shut you up," he smirked as Gwyn began dragging him along.

Laughing, she continued walking along with him, stopping at one particular point, grinning. "That display will certainly interest you."

"Huh? Oh... cool." Furrowing his brow, he walked up to a display that featured several types of corsets. "Now, I know that corsets had the potential to totally fuck up a woman's rib cage and whatnot... but I quite like the payoff of the enhancement of the... boobs." 

"That's what they were aimed for after all," she replied with a laugh. "Corsets were made to enhance and stress out a woman's sexuality, exaggerating both the hips, and the bust... and yes, they were a royal pain especially for the waist, and seldom left one or two ribs fractured, considering how tight the thing could be sometimes. And yet, it was part of everyday life."

"Well, I love your breasts the way they are, so lucky you. Though... if you ever wore the corset with that blue dress we saw... you wouldn't be hurting my feelings if you did." 

Giving him a mischievous grin, Gwyn rested her head slightly against his shoulder while they passed by another few of the display stands.

Looking down at Gwyn, Tristan raised an eyebrow at her. "Okay, what's with the grin...?" 

"Oh you'll see..." 

"Should I be afraid?" 

"Just a little bit... you know I have this little thing for penguins..." she laughed.

"Whut? Hey wait-!" yelled Tristan as Gwyn proceeded to drag him over towards the end of the hall. 

Turning towards her left, she entered a hall that was practically empty, except for large mirrors on one side and racks with all sorts of clothes on the other, and one museum attendant standing at the opposite side of the hall. "Just like I imagined..." 

"Soooo... what's this about? We just try on the clothes?" 

"Yes," she smiled back at him. "According to the map, they should be exact replicas of the dresses and clothes that were on display... so maybe... there's that blue dress around." 

"Huh, neat..." As the pair separate, Tristan began looking through the various racks until he caught something with his eye. _Hmm... looks like this would fit me..._ Picking out the outfit, he wandered over to where Gwyn was. "What do you think?"

"I like the fact that you picked dark navy blue... think it suits you..." she replied, as she turned to continue looking for that dress. "There should be all the matching accessories to that too." 

"So... should I?" 

"You can go in one of the changing rooms if you like... I want to find that dress though now..." 

"Okay. I hope you do find it too," smiling, he gave her hand a squeeze before leaving for one of the changing rooms. 

Turning towards the racks again, Gwyn sighed, thinking that finding that particular one would be out of the question by then. Greens, reds, light pinks, cream... but no dark blue gown caught her attention. Probably noticing her distress, the hall attendant moved by her side, asking whether she required any help with finding a dress. Smiling, Gwyn turned and went about describing what she was actually looking for, to the tiniest detail.

"Oh that one you mean... well... considering the size, not too many people get to try that out... and so, we keep it at the very beginning of the rack to avoid getting it ruined as much as possible..." the young girl grinned back at her. "That's quite the lovely choice, makes you look like a princess," she continued, as she walked up to the beginning of the rack and handed it over to her. "Now if you need help with the corset and the crinoline, let me know... I'll be right out of your changing room if you like," she smiled back, leading Gwyn to the booth in order to get changed.

While Gwyn was searching for her perfect dress, Tristan was standing in the changing room and studied the uniform a bit more before proceeding to pull off his shirt and unbuckling his belt. Stripping down to his boxers and socks, he reached out and felt the material before undoing the buttons on the coat. Finding the trousers, he slipped them on and laughed as not only did the pants fit him, they started sliding down his hips, forcing him to hold them up while stepping out of the changing room to look for a proper belt on the accessory rack. Staring at the rack, Tristan started to feel a headache coming on while trying to find a belt. 

"Need help Sir?" the attendant chuckled, seeing Tristan getting nervous whilst staring at the rack. "You need a smaller size for the pants though... let me have a look myself..." she reassured him as she had a quick look through, and handed him over an identical version, but in a slightly smaller size. "Check if that is better. And if you need it, I placed a belt with the clothes' hanger too."

"Um...okay...?" Giving the attendant a smile, he bowed slightly. "Thank you for your help," he replied as he held up his current pants with one hand and the new pair in the other before heading back into the changing room. _Sheesh, even back in those days... they're all bigger than I am..._ Letting the current pair fall to the ground, Tristan stepped out of them and proceeded to pull on the newer pair. This pair again fit, but started to slide down his hips again - though not as badly as the other pair. Grabbing the belt, he fed it through the loops and buckled it, which made Tristan sigh in relief as he pulled on the shirt and uniform jacket. Looking in the mirror, the shirt was slightly larger than what he was used to, but it fit while the uniform jacket's sleeves were a bit too long for his taste.

Stepping out again, he found the attendant amongst the racks. "Um, excuse me Miss? You wouldn't happen to have another jacket like this, would you?" 

"Yep, and I suppose your lady will be more than happy to see you in that," she smiled, as she handed him over the jacket in no time. "I know this place all too well I suppose." 

"My lady?" he asked while changing out of the jacket at that moment rather than in the changing room. Putting on the new one, Tristan felt more confident about this choice. "Wouldn't happen to have any boots to go with this, would you? Or are shoes better?" 

"Have a look over there and choose whatever you like... I'll go check over to the madam to see if she needs any help now," she promptly replied as she walked towards the changing rooms. "By the way, boots may actually look better since they're tight fitting pants." 

Looking down at the pants, Tristan smirked. "They're not exactly tight to me..." Locating a pair of boots in his size, he easily slipped them on over his pant legs and made his way over to the large mirror. Seeing that it was a bit plain-looking, he went over to the accessory area and found a star-shaped brooch. Picking it up, he located a spot and pinned it on before donning a pair of white gloves and sitting down on the nearest chair.

"It really looks as if it was made for you m'am," the girl commented as she looked at Gwyn's reflection in the mirror as she finished helping her with the back of the dress. "Just wait here for now, I'll bring over some accessories that may do the final trick," she rushed out, grinning widely as she headed straight for the small accessory chest that lay a few metres away from where Tristan was seated. After grabbing some jewelry, hair accessories, a pair of long white gloves, and a pair of shoes, she headed straight back to the booth, handing everything back to Gwyn. "These should be fine, considering your size and all... if you need any help, just call."

"Come and have a look outside now, it's a bit crammy here so to speak after all," the attendant told Gwyn a few minutes later, with a huge grin on her face. "You look absolutely perfect."

Looking up from the flurry of movement from one of the changing rooms, Tristan stood up and headed over to where the attendant was standing. "Um... whu-Hi," Tristan managed to stutter out as he looked at Gwyn in the blue dress that had captivated both of them earlier. "You-you look... wow..." 

Smiling as she was finally out of the stuffy booth, Gwyn looked back at Tristan, glad that she was able to see him dressed in those kinds of clothes, at least for once. "And you really don't look like a penguin, at all..."

Grinning back at her, he bowed before her and bent down on one knee to take her gloved hand, kissing it briefly. "My Queen."

"Oh damn I need Albert to get photos of this," the girl rushed out of the hall, calling back. "You can stay with the clothes as much as you like, even for the rest of your stay here! I'll be back in a minute!" 

Back on their own in the middle of the hall, Gwyn smiled at Tristan as he stood back on his feet. "So... was it just like you had imagined it earlier?"

Wrapping his arms around her corseted waist, he hugged her close. "Better than I had ever dreamed. You truly do look like a queen, Gwyn." Bending down, he kissed her.

"Just stay here and take photos, I've never seen such a perfect duo all of the years I've worked here - I'll pay for them myself... I'll take them to the reception before the end of the day and tell them that it's a surprise from the museum," the attendant whispered as she had another one of the employees by her side. 

"They really look good actually, you're right," he smiled as he started taking candid shots of the two. 

"Oh I know," she grinned as she rested against the door's frame, watching them silently.

"Thank you," Gwyn whispered, looking back at him.

"Hmm? For what?" whispered Tristan as he continued to hold her close while starting to sway to the beat of the waltz playing inside his head.

"For this... for everything... for seeing you in a period costume," she chuckled, matching his movements.

"Well, the costume I wasn't expecting, but for everything else? The things love will make you do... and you're welcome." Grinning, he spun her out from their embrace before pulling her back in and continued dancing with her. "Think I should get a sword to go with this costume?"

"You might... I think I saw some myself on the far end of your section. By the way, you heard that girl tell us that we can stay with these on all day? Really now, this museum's pretty interactive," she smiled.

"Yeah, I think that's pretty cool of them. Can we go look at the shiny swords, please?" 

Laughing, she locked her arm into his and moved over to the area where she had seen the swords. "You've got all the choice you want here," she grinned.

"Ooooohh... very shiny..." murmured Tristan as a mischievous grin crept across his face as he looked at the swords.

"How about that one?" Gwyn pointed out, showing him one that had a small fleur-de-lys design on the hilt.

"Looks cool... though, anything else that would go with this? I like having choices."

"About the sword? Or with the uniform in general?"

"Choices of swords that go with the uniform," he grinned. 

"See which one of them you like most, after all... I sort of picked your uniform myself," she winked back at him.

"But Gwyn... I'm not all that knowledgeable at Victorian military arms... you're better at it," he whined playfully as he tugged at her hand.

"Oh alright," she smiled back, as she moved towards the rack and tried to handle some of the swords herself. Moving from one sword to the other, Gwyn managed to pick two other swords, and presented them to Tristan. "Just, try and unsheath them, and see which one of them suits you most... that'll be your sword... and by the way, blade's blunt so it won't hurt. But they're still realistic copies of the original ones."

"Okay," came the distracted reply as he began testing out the different swords, an awestruck gleam shining in his eyes as he studied them.

"Shouldn't be too difficult," she grinned back. "You'll see."

"It almost feels like they came out of a time machine actually," the hall attendant whispered to her photographer friend as he was busy taking pictures of the two.

"Exactly... and that's what's interesting about that couple, they're too natural. How many clumsy people have we seen wearing the clothes we have in the museum? Those two are, I suppose, the only couple I've seen being totally confident about it."

"I think you're right..." the girl replied, in a thoughtful tone.

"Ah ha! Found it!"

Noticing that he had picked up the one with the golden hilt and the white sheath, Gwyn just smiled and watched him as he tried to unsheath it with one swift movement, which, to her surprise, he did. "You really have never handled a sword, haven't you?"

"Nope! But I'm pretty sure that I wasn't supposed to be able to unsheath the sword in one go, right?"

"Well not really... the only thing I can think of is... have you ever tried fencing?"

"No... though I did train with a shinai for a long time when I was a kid. But that was made out of bamboo... not metal..." 

"Which should be related to a martial art then... now... we need a belt strap... mmm..." Gwyn thought out aloud as she started looking for one. "Check out this," she told him after a short while, handing him out the belt.

"Okay then, hold this please," he asked while handing her the sheathed sword. Once he was sure Gwyn had it, Tristan wrapped the belt around him before threading the sheath through it and securing it. As the sword and sheath were in place, he grabbed hold of the sheath and removed the sword smoothly. "Very cool." 

Taking in the image she had right in front of her of Tristan, Gwyn merely nodded in response, smiling. 

Re-sheathing the sword, Tristan flashed Gwyn another grin. "Be right back," he waved as he headed towards the direction of the bathrooms.

"Where are you going?!" she asked, as she watched him move away from her.

"Where you can't follow me... at least, not in public!"

Realising that he actually needed to go to the bathroom, Gwyn just burst in a soft laugh and turned to gaze at her reflection in the mirror once again. Decades had passed, probably more than a century since the last time she had worn a similar gown, and it actually gave her an all too familiar feeling of belonging, despite the fact that present day clothing was actually more comfortable for day-to-day wear.

A few minutes later, Tristan re-emerged and gave Gwyn a confident smirk. "Since you were looking all regal and gorgeous, I guess it was only proper that I try to at least look a little better." 

"You went to comb your hair back," she remarked grinning back at him, as Tristan moved by her side, circling her arms around her waist again. "Even though you were slightly nervous at first, I'm glad you're feeling happy now..."

"And actually use the bathroom, but yeah I did. And yes, it didn't turn out as bad as I thought it would be," he smiled before kissing her shoulder. "Funny thing is, I _feel_ royal in this..."

"Told you that you'd look like a prince," she whispered. "But you thought I was just trying to get you in those clothes."

"And you look like my queen, so we're square," he whispered back.

"Think we should consider going around the museum in these clothes? It could actually prove quite... fun. And the attendant suggested it anyway. Plus, there is the added bonus that no one would recognize us anyway," she finished.

"Sure... but could we have lunch first? I'm starving." 

"Which could prove quite the experience dressed like this," she chuckled as she stood up on her tip-toes to kiss him.

Keeping his hold on her, Tristan lifted Gwyn up from the ground slightly to kiss her back. "You can stick to your soup. I need at least a sandwich..."

After asking the attendant about leaving their clothes there, which she gladly did as the museum also kept safe boxes for their visitors, Tristan slipped the key of the box into his pocket, bowed his head slightly at the girl and locked his arm into Gwyn's, who was all too radiant to continue their visit. With only the map in their hands to guide them, Tristan quickly found the way towards the terrace restaurant, where the two gladly restored their energies with a light snack and a small dessert.

-

Obviously, being in full costumes earned the couple quite a few interested looks from onlookers and visitors to the museum, but after going inside a few of the halls, they realised they weren't the only ones that had gone through the fun of changing into those clothes for the day. Cutest of them all however, was the encounter they had with a small girl, probably two or three years old maximum, that had seen them while she was with her parents in the hall exhibiting the home decor section. As they were intent in studying some of the furniture that was displayed, the little girl tugged at her mother's jacket, telling her that she had seen a real king and queen walking about in the same hall. To Tristan and Gwyn's surprise, the girl came running up next to them, hugging one of Tristan's legs while giggling. 

"Can you lift me up Mr. King, please?" the little girl asked.

"Oh yeah, sure Sweetheart," Tristan promptly replied as he nodded at her mother who was just a few steps away from the two of them, watching her daughter closely.

"How come you're here?! My name's Lily and I've never seen a real King and Queen! Mommy reads stories about them to me every night!" she exclaimed as she opened out her arms in awe. 

"I'm going to tell you a little secret..." Tristan whispered, playing along, as Gwyn watched in amusement. "The Queen has lost a diamond earring and we're trying to find it for her..."

"Oh no!" the girl gasped, as she looked over to Gwyn. "Is she sad?"

"Just a little bit," Tristan continued. "But don't worry, we'll find it soon enough for her and return to our palace."

"Can I help?" Lily asked Tristan, truly concerned.

"Not really," he replied, winking back at her. "Now, your mommy must be waiting for you, look..." he told her as the mother was smiling at the three of them.

"Don't worry little Lily, my King's helping me to find the lost earring, so it shouldn't take us long... thank you for the help though," Gwyn smiled, placing a kiss on the little girl's forehead.

Giggling happily, the girl grinned back at Gwyn and whispered back. "You know, I really really really like your dress. I want to have one of those too when I get older!"

"Maybe you will," she replied, as Tristan set the little one down. "It was nice to meet you though Lily, we'll keep you in mind when we go back home."

"Okay! Thank you and it was nice to meet you too!" the girl waved back, as she ran into her mother's arms once again.

"Cute kid. Wouldn't mind having one or two when I get older," whispered Tristan as he waved back at Lily.

Smiling, Gwyn gave a small squeeze at Tristan's hand and proceeded into walking to the next hall. "Maybe..."

"Yeah? Well, I'll admit that seeing you in this dress is doing wonders for fueling my fantasies right now... Both the domestic kind and the _other_ kind..."

"Come to think of it, I'm actually not surprised at all," she laughed as she realised they had arrived to the section he might have enjoyed most. "We're in your area now..." she whispered, as she placed a kiss on his cheek. "Art and architecture coming up..."

"The art was really gorgeous around this time period, I've gotta admit," smiled Tristan as he began studying various brushes and materials used.

As Tristan was studying closely most of the paintings, especially those that interested him, Gwyn huddled closer, resting her head against him, enjoying the fact that she wasn't the only one getting lost in the beauties of that museum.

Checking his watch, Tristan placed a kiss in Gwyn's hair. "It's getting a bit late, Love. The museum should be closing soon and we have to go back to your place still. Despite that, have fun today?"

"It was amazing... thank you," she smiled back. "So... might as well start making our way back right?"

"Yeah... hold on though..." Trailing off, he stood next to a painting done in a style that made him smile. "This one vaguely reminds me of the one I did, not sure why though..." 

"Could be the subject..." she replied, moving next to him. "It's two little girls playing with their pet dog... the one you did had me reading a book, with my head turned slightly to look at you, sort of... there's the resemblance of it all."

"Not the drawing, but of my painting..." he muttered while studying the various brush strokes and use of colors. 

"I know that's what I was referring to."

"Oh, okay. But what I find amusing is how did my ten-year old self know how to paint like this?"

"Because you were a genius ten-year old who got inspired by fate to draw the girl who in the future would have been the woman whom he'd fall in love with."

Blinking, Tristan gave Gwyn a completely blank look while remaining silent. 

"What's wrong?"

"I honestly never thought of it that way... just kinda seemed far-fetched in my mind. But considering the fact that we can read each other's emotions? Maybe that's what really happened to me..." he grinned sheepishly. "Though not too sure on the fate part... but that might be another thing to consider..."

"Definitely... but I wouldn't think about it much if I were you... it's just a nice addition to all that's happening to us."

"True true. Go home now? I'd like to spend a pleasant evening with my puppy and then a _very good night_ with you," whispered Tristan while tapping his finger against her hip.

"Might as well," she grinned back at him, as the two started making their way towards the first hall they visited. However, as they were almost entering to go get changed, the hall attendant who had been so helpful a few hours back, came up to meet them, stopping from what seemed like a breathless run.

"Oh... there you are... you two... enjoyed yourselves?" she asked, as she smiled back at them.

"Yeah! Had a great time and the museum's fantastic, as the exhibits were exquisite. Wouldn't you agree so, Dear?"

"Yes! You really have such a wonderful collection, keep it up!" Gwyn replied enthusiastically.

"Glad you enjoyed - in fact... I went to show these to the museum superintendent himself," the girl told them, holding out a couple of photographs of the two of them from earlier on. "You look so natural dressed in those clothes, as if you popped out of a history book and came to visit... and he agreed with me on something."

Taking a photo, Tristan studied it in awe as the girl's words rang true: They did look natural in their clothes, especially Gwyn, whom Tristan thought looked like she was absolutely born to wear the dress. Looking up, he gave the girl a curious look. "Agreed with what exactly, if you don't mind me asking of course?"

"You can keep those costumes. Call it a keepsake of your day here, with compliments from all of us."

Sharing a look with Gwyn, Tristan gave the girl an incredulous smile while Gwyn was trying to find the words to speak.

"How... how about the museum? I mean, if we're going to keep these..."

"We have already ordered all of the items you borrowed, and we'll have them done in no time, so... no worries! Plus, they look simply splendid on you, as if they were your very own from another time. And now, if you follow me now, you can just gather all of your items and walk out of the museum just like this... should be fun actually, I've done that myself quite a number of times," she chuckled.

"Sure and thank you. You and all of the staff here are far too kind. I'm sorry for not asking earlier when you were helping me with the pants and belt, but may I ask what your name is?"

Grinning, the girl looked at the two and promptly replied. "Vicky... full name's Victoria. And don't worry about that, I noticed that you were freaking out about not finding your size and couldn't just stand there."

"Well then, Victoria, it was nice to meet you and thank you for all of your help," grinned Tristan as he extended his hand out to her.

Shaking his hand in response, Victoria smiled back at the two as she proceeded into asking them one last favor. "Would you mind if I ask of you one last thing? Is there a problem for you if I keep the photographs my friend took today?"

"What do you think? I think getting to keep the costumes is more than enough than a few photos, right Gwyn?"

"Thank you!" she exclaimed, moving to envelope the two of them in a big hug.

Laughing, Tristan returned her rather enthusiastic hug. "You're quite welcome." 

"I'll keep them safe with me, I already took the negatives from Albert too," she giggled. "I want the absolute exclusive of you two," she smiled.

"Exclusive?"

"I don't want anyone to have these... except me... it's a precious memory after all," Victoria replied, as she led them into the small hall where they had got changed earlier. 

"Well then, glad to be of service, though I'm sure we'll probably be making a return trip here in the near future."

"Thank you," the girl replied, as Tristan handed her over the key to their safe box. Once she had handed them their clothes, which she had placed in two seperate bags, and Gwyn's bag, she grinned back at them. "That should be all... ask for me when you come over again, I'll be glad to show you around the place myself if you like."

"We'll remember that... thank you so much," Gwyn replied as she took her bag, while Tristan took the clothes in his hands. "Now, I suppose we'd better head off... we have quite the journey back now," she replied, looking back at Tristan.

"Yeah... have work tomorrow..." whined Tristan as he gave Gwyn a playful pout.

"Have a nice week then," Victoria bowed slightly as the two headed out towards the exit of the museum. "And thanks again!"

"Bye! And have a nice week as well!" waved Tristan. "Hope to see you soon!"

-

As Tristan and Gwyn walked away, Albert stood in the doorway, camera in hand. "Are you seriously keeping my negatives, Vicky? They'd have been great for my portfolio..."

"Yes I am," she grinned, placing a kiss on her boyfriend's cheek. "I don't think they'd want their pictures to crop somewhere without their permission... can I keep them, please? The only ones I give you permission to keep are those you took while they were walking away..."

"You win, I guess. But yeah...never seen anyone like them before. Even their names seem like something out of a fairy tale or something..." 

"Talks the one who's girlfriend's name is Victoria when he's called Albert," she chuckled. "And yes... they really looked like that, very much so."

"Well yeah, but... _Tristan_? Isn't that from some famous story? Also, he's got a unique look to him..." 

"It's a famous love story actually, folklore derived... and talks about the romance between a knight and a princess. It's actually quite the adulterous story in its inception, but... I'd stop at the _knight and princess_ reference for those two."

"Most probably. But she was really pretty and he was a really handsome guy... Definitely looked like they were made for each other. Ah well, hopefully we'll see them soon. C'mon, better start closing up shop."

"Yes dear," she smiled back at him, as they got back inside, while Tristan and Gwyn had already gotten back inside the car.

-

Once they got settled in the car, Tristan immediately leaned over and gave Gwyn a passionate kiss.

"Thank you for today Tris," Gwyn whispered back as their kiss ended and she rearranged the skirt of her dress.

"Not a problem and sorry about that... I guess I'm a bit anxious to get you out of that dress... Soo... should I use my teeth to pull at the bow to undo the corset?" he smirked while starting the car.

"Whatever you wish as long as you don't ruin it," she grinned back at him.

"What makes you think I'd ruin your corset and dress? If anything, don't be so anxious in trying to get me naked," he teased back while heading onto the main road to Gwyn's apartment.

"Not too much, I love how you actually look in that, believe me. Maybe even more than I had originally imagined."

"Been fantasizing about me wearing a Victorian uniform, have we? Anything else you've fantasized me wearing that you care to share?"

"Nothing much I suppose... you fantasize way more about me than I actually do," she chuckled.

"Oh-ho, so you fantasize about me wearing nothing, hmm? At least when I think about you, you're _dressed_."

"No! I haven't said that, don't put things I haven't even thought about into my mouth," she laughed. "Phrase should have stood as: _Nothing else really_."

Laughing, he reached over and gave her hand a squeeze. "Thank you for the clarification, Dear. And yes, I was just kidding. Now just relax, we should be back at your place in about half an hour... though I hope it's less..."

"Should be like that approximately..." she replied, as she turned her head to gaze out of the window. "What do you think Anne will say when she sees us?"

"No idea. If it were Cyn, she'd probably ask if we were roleplaying or something." 

"Guess so..."

"Anyways, you are quite stunning to look at and are positively glowing still. Thus, I think I did my job in taking care of you for the weekend and in making you feel better," he grinned before speaking quietly. "Think we'll be able to have another relatively quiet weekend like this again?"

"I hope so, I _really_ do hope so," she echoed back, turning her head to look at him. "It felt too good to be true..."

"If we do, should we stay around here or venture out?"

"Venture out preferably, both of us would be comfortable in that case... or else at your place..."

"Well I do have that spare bedroom. You're always welcomed at my place - I mean, you have one of my spare keys afterall," he smiled gently before taking her hand in his as he continued to drive.

Once they arrived at Gwyn's place, they both found Anne and Jasper waiting for them in the garage. 

"Anne? What are you doing down here?" Gwyn asked as she opened the passenger's door to get outside. Almost immediately, Tristan rushed out of his seat to help her out - she was in a lavish gown after all.

"Well I... oh my God," Anne gasped as soon as she saw what they were wearing.

Looking down at their state of dress, Tristan just laughed. "Let's just say we had an eventful day at the museum today," he replied while making sure that Gwyn's skirt didn't catch when he shut the door. Upon seeing Jasper, he picked him up and kissed the top of his head while the puppy proceeded to lick him. "Hey Buddy. Been good for Auntie while Mommy and Daddy were gone?"

"Yes he did, he was such a good boy," Anne stated, while she turned to look at the two of them once again. "You really look beautiful, both of you. Costumes suit you so much..."

"Guess so, hmm? And thank you, Anne." Turning to Gwyn he handed Jasper over to her, "He wants to say hi to his Mommy."

"So I heard you've been a good boy, haven't you Jasper?" she played with him, cuddling the puppy close to her and placing a kiss on his head. "Shall we go inside now?" she told Tristan and Anne, while walking up by the latter's side. "How have you been?"

"Quite alright - and phone rang just once, and it was Fred. Told him that you were away for the weekend."

"Good, and tomorrow I'll check what he needed anyway. Tris, you alright there?"

"Go on ahead, I'll just be bringing our stuff up," he called while opening the rear passenger door and removing the bags. 

Once upstairs, Anne told Gwyn to head into the kitchen where she had already laid out the table for dinner, with a number of starters already on the table. "Tristan will love this..."

"Miss Gwyn..."

"Yes?" Gwyn replied, while she had poured herself a glass of water.

"You're really reminding me of years ago... when you had asked me to be your lady in waiting..."

"So many years have passed, that's true. However I realised that I still feel more than comfortable in this sort of clothing."

"You grew up in those times, it's more than obvious..." Anne replied, as she grinned when Tristan got inside the apartment, holding all of the bags they had brought with them.

"Don't mind me... just passing through..." he replied cheerfully as he somehow managed to carry all of the bags into Gwyn's bedroom.

"Leave everything there Tris, and come over here, dinner's ready!" she called out, as Jasper moved off her lap and ran to meet Tristan in the bedroom.

Setting down the bags, he heard the pattering of feet approaching and saw a little black and white ball headed straight for him. "Whu-Jasper... C'mere," laughing, Tristan picked up Jasper and hugged him while undoing the belt that held his sword and let it fall to the ground. Picking up the sword and sheath, he placed it on the bed and headed towards the kitchen. "Wow... Anne, you've outdone yourself..." he smiled as he slid into his seat and set Jasper down on the ground.

"Well, I missed you for almost three days, which means I had to compensate with a good dinner this evening, I just hope you like," she told the two of them.

"Aww, missed you too Anne," he smiled as he started eating his soup.

Dinner passed peacefully as the couple were discussing what they did during the weekend - leaving out the obvious details that belonged to just the two of them. From the walk on the beach, to watching sunrise, to eating out... and the museum escapade. Anne seemed relieved when she listened to their description of the events as everything seemed to have turned out right after all.

"Wow, you actually met a really cute couple at the museum then, it was nice of them to hand you over the costumes," Anne commented, as the two were eating a small bowl of fruit salad topped by vanilla ice-cream and chocolate sauce.

"Uh-huh, though it was kinda ironic that the girl's name was Victoria while the guy's name was Albert... Meeting Lily actually was a cute moment, though I think the 'dress-up' portion was the most memorable. I realized that even back then, all the guys of that time were larger in size than I am," chuckled Tristan. "Even the one I ended up with needed to be heavily belted to keep my pants up...and the sleeves are on the longish side." 

"But it looks fine on him anyway and he's being nitpicky... as all of the people that we met complemented him that he looked _stunning_ and _terribly handsome_ ," she winked back at Anne, obviously teasing him.

"Well, their compliments for you were that you were gorgeous and regal-looking, so I guess we're even."

"And they were right, for both of you," Anne told them as they both finished eating dessert. "Now, I'd suggest that you go and rest since tomorrow you both have to wake up early... I'll be clearing up the kitchen and I'm off in my room, if you don't require anything else from my end."

"I'm pretty good, how about you, Gwyn?"

"I'm alright but I wouldn't mind resting a little bit in the bedroom to tell you the truth."

Smiling, Anne gazed at the two of them. "Just go to bed and rest, and have a pleasant night, I'll be seeing you tomorrow morning, Your Majesties."

Grinning, Tristan helped bring the dishes into the kitchen before waving good night to Anne. Checking on Jasper, who was sleeping in his dog bed, he then extended his hand to Gwyn and led them into the bedroom, locking the door behind them. 

-

As much as the pair were ready to get to bed, their practical sides kicked in and they found themselves putting their clothes and other miscellaneous items (Tristan had the foresight to bring a razor, shaving cream, aftershave, and an extra bottle of cologne) away before putting out their clothes for the next morning. Once they were done, they both collapsed onto the bed, laughing briefly as Tristan pulled Gwyn into a hug.

"Never pictured royalty putting their own laundry away..."

"Well Mister, maybe it's just the magic wearing off? After all, Cinderella's carriage and dress had to return to normal too... just like we do too."

"Yeah... you're right. But according to the clock, it's not midnight yet so I think there's some magic left for the two of us," he smiled before kissing her cheek.

Laughing, Gwyn ran her fingers through Tristan's hair. "Might be onto something with that kind of optimism... We _are_ still in costume after all."

"I'm very well aware of that fact, Your Majesty..."

"Well then, my Prince, shouldn't you currently be attending to your Queen and her needs, hmm?" asked Gwyn in a seductive tone as she moved her fingers to stroke Tristan's cheek.

"By my Queen's command," he whispered back before pulling her into a loving and passionate kiss.

As their kiss ended, Gwyn chuckled as Tristan was searching for the dresses laces on her back and couldn't find them. "The bodice's fastened up with small hooks Tris, that's why it's so tricky."

"Hmm... that does make things a bit more interesting..." Sitting up from the bed, he sat Gwyn on his lap and ran his fingers down the back of the corset, as well as the front. Grinning, he kissed her again as he began unhooking the bodice.

"Enjoying that, aren't we," she whispered, noticing the gleam in Tristan's eyes. "Whoever says history's boring is totally wrong," she chuckled, as she felt Tristan's hands running across her back.

"Perhaps a bit. Afterall, though the dress may be exquisite in design and beauty... what lies underneath all the fabric is what's currently enticing me at the moment," he whispered back in a lower tone.

"Why am I not surprised to hear that?"

"Not simply your assets that appeal to my more carnal desires, but rather," he broke away from their embrace slightly to slide his finger down her chest and tapped the spot just to the left of her breast before placing his hand over the spot. "It's what's _here_ that makes me the happiest."

"I suppose... you never felt me this happy before..."

"I haven't but I hope to never lose this feeling - it fills my soul with light, love, and hope for us. Thank you."

"You're welcome..." she whispered, as the two of them sat up, facing one another. "Time to help me out of the dress..."

"My Lady," murmured Tristan as he began untying the corset's knot while kissing her cheek.

Pausing briefly from playing with the corset, Gwyn - with Tristan's help - slipped out of the dress and rested it neatly on a nearby chair, together with the crinoline that held the lower part of the dress so neatly. Standing before him only in the corset and her panties, Gwyn sat back on bed and smiled as she crawled by Tristan's side, who greeted her by placing his hands on her cheek and kissing her softly. At his touch, Gwyn wrapped her arms and her legs around him pulling him close as their kiss deepened, while Tristan removed the clip that was still holding her hair up, making it scatter unevenly over her shoulders.

"Sooo... is me being in a uniform going to be another kink for you?" he teased as he worked on his spot after planting kisses down her neck.

"As much as your ties," she chuckled as she started unfastening the buttons of his jacket.

"Should I start investing in military-style jackets then?"

"You might..." she whispered, leaning in to kiss him again, while helping him slip off the jacket, leaving him in just a white shirt and his uniform pants.

"Could be something for the fall and winter months..." he chuckled before moaning slightly as Gwyn began planting kisses down his chest while unbuttoning his shirt.

"Mmm-mmh," she smiled, as she proceeded into removing his shirt too, and give him a slight push to make him rest on his back, while she placed herself over him, laughing lightly. 

Taking her hands in his, he entwined their fingers together as they continued to smile and gaze at one another. "I do love you so much, my dear dear Gwendalynn."

Nuzzling against his neck, and placing small kisses on his neck in the process, Gwyn smiled and whispered back. "So do I, Tris... so much. We will take care of each other, won't we?"

"We shall. No matter what happens, I promise you that we will never stop taking care of one another," whispered Tristan as he leaned his head back to provide Gwyn more access to his neck.

"Always..."

"Good." Since Gwyn was currently restraining his hands, Tristan began shifting his hips against hers, causing him to smirk mischievously at her.

"Now, mind if you get your pants off?" she laughed out, as she felt his movement against her.

"I was hoping you would do all the work, if you don't mind..." he whispered roughly as she let go of his hands and fingers.

Sitting slightly up, Gwyn slid her hands down his chest to reach for his belt to unfasten it and remove it, to place it by their side on bed. Then, she crawled up to rest herself slightly on his legs and slipped off the pants slowly, grinning triumphantly once she was done. After placing the two items with the others on the chair, she moved by his side once again, letting out a giggle escape her lips.

Chuckling alongside her, Tristan rolled Gwyn onto her back before straddling her hips. Reaching down, he played with the ties of the corset and grinned as he saw that the knot was quite easy to pull apart. True to his word, he slid down her body, maintaining a fair amount of friction between them and grasped one end of the tie with his teeth. Pulling his head back slightly, the knot came undone quite easily.

"Should have known that you'd really do that," she laughed, while running a hand through his hair.

"Never doubt when I say that I'm going to do something, especially when it comes to you," he replied as he pulled the laces loose from the corset.

"Technically, I wasn't doubting... I was just wondering how you'd get that done... but I got the answer straight and plain," she whispered as she leaned in to kiss him while he slowly removed the garment off her.

"Mm-hmm..." he murmured while kissing her back and sliding off her panties as well.

Still in the middle of their kiss, Gwyn moved her hands towards the waistband of his boxers and chuckled as Tristan continued kissing her more intensely. "My turn..."

"By all means then... _My Queen,_ " he moaned as she planted kisses over his stomach while playing with the waistband teasingly.

As always, and with a grin of pure mischief gracing her lips, Gwyn caught his boxers from both sides and slid it off in a swift, yet efficiently quick movement. "Only one thing left now... might as well take care of that, _my King_..." she whispered back seductively as she shifted herself back up to look at him, feeling his arms holding her closer.

"Much better," he whispered back, as he proceeded into showering her skin with warm, soft kisses, often lingering in specific places which made Gwyn groan in pleasure at his touch.

Upon hearing her whimper his name in a low tone when he arrived at one spot, Tristan grinned back at her, shifting his position to place a quick kiss on her lips. "Now... with your permission, may I...?" he whispered in her ear, as he pulled her closer to him.

"Permission granted..." she muttered back, shifting slightly her legs as he caught her in one passionate kiss. "Love you..." she managed to whisper, in between kisses.

"Love you too, Gwyn."

-

A few hours later, the two slightly exhausted lovers were resting peacefully in each other's arms, with Gwyn gazing back at Tristan with a smile.

"What're you smiling about, hmm?" he whispered, as he placed a kiss on her forehead, and slightly rubbed her cheek with his index finger.

"Now I can say that I'm quite happy... this was the perfect way to end our day," she muttered, as she chuckled while snuggling closer to him.

Giving her a smirk, Tristan circled his arms around her waist to make her rest on top of him again. "Well, not too fast... you're forgetting something my Lady," he told her in a teasing manner. "Remember me telling you that I'd love to test something once we got here...?"

Gwyn stared back at him with a blank look, which changed into a surprised one when realisation struck her. "Don't tell me you're still thinking about that? Tristan, we're in the middle of the night!"

"So...? What's your point? You said we could, and I'm gonna hold you to that," he smirked as he sat up and cuddled Gwyn against his chest before carrying her bridal-style into the bathroom. Once inside, Tristan easily closed the door with his foot while carrying Gwyn before setting her down smoothly. Immediately afterwards, he began prepping the bathtub for the two of them as Gwyn looked on and smiled.

While watching Tristan move, she realized that he was quite graceful in his movements. Despite being completely and utterly naked before her, he was extremely comfortable in his body. She had observed him and his habits every now and then, but it was only at this moment where he had nothing to hide behind that she saw the cat-like grace and confidence that he exuded with ease. She found him, in short, absolutely beautiful.

"What are you looking for exactly?" Gwyn asked as he was busy searching around the room.

"Any bath oils or whatnot? Aids in the relaxation y'know..." grinned Tristan as he set some fluffy towels within reach for them after their bath.

"Check out that little closet over there, there isn't much and I haven't barely ever used them... Anne once bought them for me... in order to calm a little down, but proved to be quite useless actually..."

Following her directions, Tristan easily found the items and set about pouring some of them into the bathwater. Juggling the candles, he continued to grin. "Wanna actually use these or not? They're made with the essential oils too... but might set the mood as being totally cheesy."

Laughing, she took the candles in her hands and smiled. "Well, just don't light up the bathroom like a gothic cathedral of sappiness and it'll work just fine," she replied, as she placed three of the candles on the edges of the bathtub and lit them up thanks to a small box of matches that were lying in the same closet.

Looking at the waterline, Tristan shut off the water and climbed in quickly, a look of complete content and bliss on his face. "Ahhh... come on in, the water's great."

"In a second..." Gwyn replied as she walked up to switch off the lights, leaving the two in the dim light of those three candles. "Guess they're doing their work," she grinned as she moved up next to the bathtub and climbed inside, to sit by Tristan's side. Taking in the fragrances that came out of the water, including lavender and rose (which she recognized immediately because she was at least aware of what was actually inside that closet), Gwyn smiled and rested her head against him as she managed to relax immediately.

Sliding his arms around her waist, he gave her a gentle squeeze. "So, looks like I was right, this tub does easily fit two people..." Leaning back against the back of the tub, he let go of Gwyn and slid his hands behind her and began kneading her shoulders.

"Think we won't be too sleepy tomorrow morning?" she whispered.

"Somehow, I doubt that...but right now, you're all that I want," he whispered back.

"Wait... in the tub... hey Tris," she chuckled as Tristan moved over to drown her in a warm, passionate kiss. Still smiling as it ended, Gwyn looked up at him as he had his arms around her, keeping her as close to him as possible. "Definitely won't run away, don't worry," she laughed.

"Good," he kissed her cheek. "Definitely won't do if you slip on the bathroom floor."

"I won't even dare move from here, never mind slipping."

"And I'll make sure of that..." he whispered as he settled himself over her and shifted his hips while kissing her again.

"Show me..." she smirked with a hint of mischief in her tone, as she turned her head to kiss her 'spot' on his neck.

"Gladly." Pressing himself closer against her, he began working on his spot on her neck while slowly shifting his hips against her. "Love you."

Gasping slightly as soon as she felt him moving against her, Gwyn smiled and nuzzled against his neck, whispering. "Love you too Tristan..."

-

"So...you realized that we're gonna have to stop meeting like this, right?" chuckled Tristan as he cuddled against Gwyn's warm form against the cooling water of their bath. "Also, weren't the candles full when we started? They look half-done..."

Realizing that he was right about the candles, Gwyn looked up at Tristan and laughed. "Which might mean... it's almost morning. And anyway, you should add that to our list of firsts..."

"Guess so... unless those were some really fast-burning candles..." he laughed as he reached over for a towel. "We probably still have a bit of time to catch some rest," he replied before letting out a yawn.

"Actually," she replied, trying to stifle a laugh. "They were slow burning candles for relaxation purposes."

"Hmm... Ah well, I can say that I'm pretty satiated right now," Tristan nuzzled against Gwyn's neck.

"Want to rest a bit before we get up later for work?" she whispered, as she passed a hand through his hair.

"Definitely..."

After giving him one last kiss on his cheek, Gwyn was the first to stand up from the tub, grabbed one of the towels that Tristan had placed next to them, and slipped out while wrapping it neatly around her. Turning to look back at him, she crouched down, resting her head on the rim of the tub. "Comfy aren't we?"

"Around you? Yes I quite am, as I take it that you are as well." Standing up, he grabbed the other towel and dried off, but didn't bother with wrapping it around him as he hung it back on the rack. "Nice comfy bed awaits!"

As they walked back inside the bedroom, the first thing Gwyn did was reach over to her bedside table and have a look at the time as she sat down. "04:12... we may actually sleep till 07:30 if you like and get to work at 09:00... I think it could work that way... obviously we'd need to arrive at different times."

"Sounds good," he replied sleepily as he patted the space next to him. "Sleepy time now, AD."

"Coming," she called back, as she removed her towel once she was under the sheets by his side, and draped an arm around him while he was giving her his back already. After placing a kiss at the back of his head, Gwyn merely smiled and snuggled closer to him, falling asleep in a just a few minutes...

The sound of the alarm beeping woke Tristan up from his rather restful sleep. Reaching out from under the blanket that was pulled over him and Gwyn, he hit the snooze button before settling back down. In the brief hours of rest they had, he found himself laying partially on top of Gwyn's body.

"Was that... the alarm?" Gwyn groaned in a muffled tone, while slowly opening her eyes. "Don't tell me... it's time already..." she sighed.

"Okay... I won't..."

"But we have to..." she smiled. "Good morning sweetheart..."

"Good morning," he grinned back before kissing her teasingly.

"So... get up and get prepared for work?" she whispered as their kiss ended.

"Not like I have much of a choice..." Crawling off of her, he got up from bed and walked into the bathroom. "Coming?"

Stretching out her arms, Gwyn gestured Tristan to head off before her, as she stood up and had a look at what she needed to prepare for work. "Don't worry, bathroom's all yours for now..."

"Probably a good thing... can't have any distractions while in the shower... I might never want to let you go..."

"Just get going... I'll lay out your clothes while you're there," she smiled back as he watched him walking towards the bathroom.

"Okay okay _Boss Lady_ ," he laughed while closing the door behind him as Gwyn found his suit, which was laid out on the other chair in the room. Once inside, Tristan grabbed a quick shower and proceeded to brush his teeth. Looking at his hands, he could barely see where the cuts and bruises once were. In thinking about it, he realized that he hadn't worn the bandages over his hands since Friday, though he was using the salve that Gwyn had brought in her bag. Shaking his head, which caused several drops of water to land back onto his skin, Tristan rinsed his face off and looked in the mirror to study his nude form.

At that moment, Gwyn had walked in to check up on him and wrapped her arms around his waist. Tristan then slung an arm around her waist as well. "We look really really good..."

"I must admit, we really do," she replied as she moved up to kiss him, as the towel that was wrapped around her slipped off slowly, falling to the ground and making Tristan smirk at the same time.

"So... when we're home, can we make your room and bathroom a clothing-optional zone?"

"It seems like it by now," Gwyn laughed, resting her forehead against his.

"Oh goodie," he laughed as he picked her up and set her on the bathroom counter. Moving her legs apart slightly, he leaned in and kissed her. "Good morning again, Assistant Director."

"Good morning, Manager Faraday," she smiled, kissing him back.

-

"Hey Tristan, seems you're pretty hungry this morning," Anne commented, as she watched with a grin on her face, the couple having breakfast. "Had a good rest?"

"In more ways than one - this was a much needed weekend. It was nice not having to worry about anything... aside from the _one thing_ ," he replied in between bites of his breakfast.

"I don't want to know," Anne chuckled, who somehow seemed more relaxed with Tristan in Gwyn's home by now. He was the one who helped her ample times, so... it was more than normal to start feeling comfortable with his presence there. And Gwyn had never seemed so happy and relaxed ever since she'd known her...

"We should do this more often..." Gwyn commented, while she was having her coffee, and slowly patting Jasper who was curled up on her lap, sleeping.

"The family breakfast thing or the _other thing_?" Tristan smirked behind his glass of orange juice.

"Both of them, _dearest_ , but I was referring to the weekend in general," she replied while having a piece of toast.

"We should. Maybe we can all go out together on a day trip or something."

"Jasper would definitely approve," she chuckled, as the puppy perked his ears and looked up giving her a lazy yawn. "And you'd enjoy it too Anne I suppose," she finished as the maid looked at Gwyn and nodded. "You don't have any breaks from your work here."

"I don't mind it, but if you insist," she smiled back at the two. 

"Dog park sounds good - oh yeah, he's due for his shots today..."

"This evening? We might go during lunch break if you like," Gwyn suggested, grinning back at Tristan, as she finished off her coffee.

"Sounds good. Either me or Gwyn will give you a call Anne, so that you can come by with Jasper, okay?"

"That's alright for me," she replied, as she stood up to take the empty dishes into the kitchen. "You need anything else Tristan?" she asked, as she noticed that Gwyn had finished up.

"Any more... bananas?" he smirked over at Gwyn, who then swatted him with the paper she was reading while grinning at him.

"In a minute," she laughed out, watching the interaction between the two then walking into the kitchen to get the fruit.

"Thanks Anne!" Turning to Gwyn, who was still giggling behind her paper, "Told you I'm a _bad_ influence..."

"Will you stop it, one track mind..." Gwyn laughed out as she placed a kiss on his cheek. "You didn't say anything about my nibbling today..."

"That's what the bananas are for," he grinned. "Dual purpose."

"Tris, behave," she chided him in a mock-serious tone, as she reached out for an apple once Anne returned with the fruit bowl.

"What? I'm totally being good here..." he laughed as he got up and gathered his things. "Anne! The bananas are for Gwyn - so just leave them with her. See you guys later!"

"Later Tris," Gwyn greeted him back as he closed the door, leaving the two women bursting out in a fit of laughter. "Really now, I don't think I'll take these with me... mmh, maybe with cereal and yoghurt..."

Anne stared back at her, astounded. "For lunch you mean? You never really mentioned taking food with you at work..."

"As a snack... and it's all Tristan's influence, trust me," she replied, smiling back at Anne. After placing Jasper in her arms and placing a kiss on his nose, Gwyn walked into her bedroom to finish up preparing herself. Once done, and switching on into her AD mode, she walked into her office to get all the files she had left on her desk, grabbed her bag, jacket and car keys and walked into the kitchen.

"I prepared a little something for you to take to work, Miss Gwyn, it's on the table if you like."

"Oh... thank you," Gwyn replied, grinning back at her. "I'm off Anne, I'll be seeing you later."

"Have a good day," she greeted her, as she looked at Gwyn opening the apartment's door.

Stopping right before leaving, Gwyn turned to look back at Anne and smiled. "You can call me just Gwyn if you like. See you."


	8. VIII

Once he arrived in his office, Tristan was immediately greeted by both Cynthia and James sitting in front of his desk. "Morning. What's up?"

The pair shared a knowing look as they saw him enter. Reminded of the cat that ate the canary, the two just smirked at him.

"What's with the look now...?"

"Oh no nothing... how was the rest of the weekend with  _ you-know-who _ ..." Cynthia grinned back at him. "And good morning to you too."

"Yeah, I mean, when I last saw you - I didn't think you'd come back alive..." chuckled James.

"As you both can see, I'm alive and well..." Tristan muttered quickly as he continued to fish through his mail.

"You haven't answered my question Tris..." Cynthia teased him as she got back on her feet.

"Yeah... and?" he smiled as he knew he was being difficult on purpose.

"Ah whatever don't tell me, but judging from the look on your face, it obviously went well," she replied, as she walked towards the door. "I'll be seeing you later, AD should be arriving at about now. And have a good day," she waved back, walking back towards her office.

Seeing that James was still hanging around, Tristan decided to bug him. "So... you and Cyn? Nice night on Saturday?"

"We were with Cole, so don't try to fish nonexistent info, mate. No date, no nothing..." he quickly replied, trying to dispel his thoughts. "I'm glad you two talked it out though, you scared the shit out of me last time man!"

"Hey relax pal, didn't mean anything by it. And I'm really sorry about that, man... I'll make it up to you tomorrow - both with lunch and by giving you the full skinny on me and the AD."

"Sorry, didn't mean to sound snappy - just stated the facts as they stand..." sighing, James ran a hand through his short, spiky hair. "Is it weird that after all these years of knowing her... that I'm-"

"No, not at all," Tristan interrupted as he patted James' shoulder. "Despite the fact that I realised that Cyn was better as best friend material for me rather than girlfriend material after... well, you know... I'm glad that I was willing to at least find out. I always thought she was cute, and when we were little, it just seemed right that I'd be with her, but after that particular night when we were fourteen, we both realised that it'd never work out as we were too good of friends to be lovers. Don't worry man, just take it little by little - who knows? She just might feel the same way."

"Y'know mate, if it wasn't for us playing Truth or Dare on your twenty-first birthday, I'd probably be just a little weirded out by the fact that you and Cyn had sex at fourteen..."

"Not like we planned it - it just more or less happened. But on the upside, we learned a lot. Granted, my real education in sex happened after I graduated from college, but at least I figured it out with her. Now all that knowledge is currently being applied to the AD..."

Shaking his head, James just grinned as he got up from the couch. "Definitely need to tell me how you ended up with her... and leave in the gory details man. Mind if Cyn joins us?"

"Nah, I was gonna go bug her to come with us - since she deserves the full story too. Later mate," waved Tristan as he sat in his chair.

"Later Brat," laughed James as he left Tristan's office for his own, shutting the door behind him.

Once James was gone, Tristan let out a huge laugh as he began working on the day's work until the phone began to ring.

-

"So, that was fast, even for you. Any particular reason as to why you hauled your cute ass up here as fast as lightning?"

"Well this particular ass that you're so fond of is pretty much sole property of the AD..." he whispered back with a huge grin. "And also, I'm extending my 'make up lunch' to you for tomorrow - James already accepted. You two will be getting the full story - and gory details of how I ended up hers, should you choose to attend."

"Wouldn't miss this for the world. I mean, it's definitely clear that you two are enjoying each other's company... AD walked into her office humming and glowing - had a nice night?" she whispered in a conspiratory tone.

"Nice night and morning actually..." he winked and smirked back as he knocked on Gwyn's door before entering.

"Come in, Faraday," Gwyn called while seated at her desk, as she was going through her schedule for the coming week. "Seems my daily meeting with Fred's just after lunch... strange, it's earlier than usual," she mumbled under her breath as Tristan came inside after locking the door, walked up by her side to place a kiss on her hair, then made himself comfortable on the dark armchair placed in front of her desk. 

"Managed to talk with Cynthia?" she asked him as she raised her head to look at him while he handed her some reports he had gotten from his office.

"Seems I've been completely forgiven, as was able to bargain for my conditional release," he smiled back as he kept his hold on her left hand, kissing it softly. "I'll be treating her and James for lunch tomorrow, that way I'd like to clear things completely... So, busy much?"

"Quite, I must admit, as CEO's trying to keep me on the go I suppose, sent me some confidential reports over the weekend which I have to review and comment on by end of the week..." she sighed, looking back at him with a smile. "I'm used to this rhythm of work, so I've got no problem with that... as for lunch break, Tris, I have a meeting right after that so I can't stay out too much. Do you mind if you come at my office a bit earlier and we go pick Anne up?"

"Sure, I can do that. I've got a stack of reports about..." using his hands, he gestured the length of about three inches, “this high. But it's all reading so, I'll be good. Should I drop her off or will she and Jas be hanging around here after we're done with the doggy appointment?" 

"Anne would want to return back home..." she replied, taking a look at the reports Tristan had just given her. "Guess you'd better drop her off back at the apartment."

"Sure sure. So... need me to hang around here or may I go back to work now? It's easier to fantasise there than it is here... since I'm too tempted to act them out right now," he smirked mischievously.

"Go go, don't worry," she chuckled. "Plus, I'm too busy to get distracted right now... however..."

"Yes...?"

"Come here," she asked, gesturing for him to get closer to her.

Shrugging his shoulders, Tristan got up from his chair and moved over to Gwyn. "Yes... and...?"

"Maybe you were right about me and ties," she grinned, as she moved her hand towards his chest, gently grabbed his tie to make him move even closer to her. As Tristan rested one of his hands on her thighs, while placing the other on her cheek, Gwyn merely closed her eyes as his lips met hers. 

Once their kiss ended, both had a rather healthy blush on their cheeks. Grinning, Tristan kissed her one last time before she let go of his tie. "So, should I start wearing my ties to bed too or is the tie thing going to be strictly an office kink for you?"

"Office, dear, office," Gwyn laughed out, giving him a slight pat on his chest. "Having you in my bedroom with just the tie would be horrid..." she told him, stifling a laugh.

"Hmm, you might be right... choking hazard. Anyways, I'm off," he smiled as Gwyn fixed his collar and smoothed his shirt. "Love you."

"Love you too... I'll see you later."

Stepping away from her, he gave her a wave before leaving the office, the door left slightly ajar in his wake. A few seconds later, Gwyn heard laughter coming from Cynthia, making her smile as she knew that Cynthia must have caught sight of Tristan's blush.

"I think you should be heading off to your office... or else I'll start making a countdown," Cynthia whispered. "Until you head back to AD's office and take her on her desk," she laughed. "Blush suits you too."

"Cyn Cyn Cyn... if you only knew how long I've been wanting to do that - that desk can easily hold the weight of us both... But AD's orders say no fun stuff in her office... And... shut up about the blush..." he whispered back while grinning. "Just one more day and I'll tell you everything - well mostly everything... gotta leave some secrets." Reaching over her desk, he grabbed her cup of tea and took a drink before heading off.

"What the-" she scowled, seeing her tea half-drunk on her desk. "See you later, idiot!"

Stopping, he waved back. "See ya!"

-

After a few more hours of reading, Tristan's phone began to ring again. "Hello hello, this is Tristan Faraday speaking."

"Faraday, are you utterly bored as I am right now, while I'm considering throwing all this rubbish out of the window? Apart from yours, and some others, the rest is a bunch of infinitesimal crap."

"I am indeed, AD. Can we go to the roof and have a mini-bonfire? Rather, I'll let Jasper use them as his potty papers."

"We might. Considering that all the effort it took me to read this shit is an epic waste of my goddamn time. Which reminds me, I think we might start setting up the new department soon, since we have CEO's approval and go-ahead."

"Oooohh, best watch the naughty language there AD... though I love it when you talk dirty... Oh yeah? Sounds like fun... and lots of OT..."

"I won't be staying OT here. As for the language... it's not like it's the first time you've heard me talk like this..."

"Nope, but that was in the comfort of your sound-proof office, rather than over the phone. Well, you won't have to be pulling overtime - you can just work from home - I'll probably end up stuck here to oversee the physical transition..."

"You can work at home if you like. It's not as if you'll have to oversee that late in the evening."

"Your home or my home? I don't really have much of an office in my place - rather none of my office papers are kept in my apartment. And as far as the overseeing, I wanted to place the new Advertising department in teams - so someone's gotta make sure that all personal stuff goes in the correct places"

"My office, Faraday. As for that, the respective officers need to see that to themselves, we'll provide them with labels, boxes and tags, so no need for you to stay here. With respect to the overall supervising... I'm going to leave everything in your hands. You're competent enough to do so."

"Lovely and thanks... time to go get my puppy. Meet you downstairs?"

"It's lunch time already?" she commented, glancing at her wristwatch.

"Mm-hmm. Also, did you call me because you could feel me getting bored while reading?"

"That too... both of us were I suppose."

"Sooo... prior to me being bored... what else did you feel?" he teased.

"Frustration, most probably related to the reports you were reading, followed by boredom... then..." she smiled. "Do anticipation, eagerness and impatience sound familiar?"

"Sounds about right - add fury to that list and that's what I got from you. Heading down now?"

"I tend to get more passionate on work, that's why," she laughed. "Yes, coming now."

"Mmm, yes your work - well, you get rather passionate about all the work you do - both in the office and at home. See you downstairs."

After informing Cynthia that she'd be leaving the office slightly earlier for break in view of the meeting she had immediately following, Gwyn grabbed her jacket, locked the office door and headed for downstairs, to find Tristan playing with Jasper and Anne smiling at the two of them.

"Ah-ha, so glad you could join us, AD," smiled Tristan as he handed Jasper over to his 'mommy'.

"Good afternoon Mi-Gwyn..." Anne greeted Gwyn, nodding back at her. "All's OK?"

"Quite alright, apart from being busy of course," Gwyn smiled as she cradled Jasper in her arms. "Oh, how are you little sweetheart you..." she whispered as the puppy gave her a small lick on her cheek, earning a giggle from Gwyn in the process.

Taking the leash from Anne, Tristan clipped it to Jasper's collar as Gwyn set him down. "Come on Buddy... Let's go." 

Watching Jasper take the lead, the little group headed for the veterinary office - while stopping at every little thing that caught the puppy's attention (which was everything).

"So, you had the snack I prepared for you?" Anne asked, as she watched Tristan and Jasper walking in front of the two of them.

"Yes I did, and you actually reminded me that I wanted to say thank you about that... it was just right," she smiled as she saw Tristan turn to look at two of them.

"What snack?" he asked. "You actually had food without me bugging you to eat?! Wow... I'm totally impressed right now."

"Thank Anne for that," she smiled back at him. "Technically, I should thank you too... mind you though, it was a low-cal snack anyway, you wouldn't have liked it," she chuckled.

Rolling his eyes, he felt a little tug from Jasper. "You know I actually picked the banana for the nutritional value - plus it helps to regain any lost energy. Dunno about what you were thinking, but that was the main reason why I picked it for you," he teased as they approached the clinic. 

"Well, just for your info, I sliced that up with yoghurt and cereal..."

"Not totally low-calorie then." Smirking, he opened the door to the clinic and helped Jasper inside as the other two followed. Inside the office, there were a few other people waiting alongside their pets. As Anne sat down, both Tristan and Gwyn approached the front desk, with Jasper meeting the other pets as Anne held his leash.

"Hi. I have an appointment with Dr. Thompson for my dog," smiled Tristan as he greeted the attendant.

Raising his head up, the attendant, who's name tag read Eric, smiled at two of them and replied. "Good morning to both... appointment booked on who's name please?"

"It should be under Tristan Faraday. Jasper would be my dog."

"Fara... oh there you are Sir. Do you mind waiting just a few minutes please? Dr. Thompson will attend to you soon."

"Not a problem and thank you. Have a good day." Nodding back at Eric, Tristan sat down next to Gwyn as Jasper immediately placed his paws on Tristan's calf. "Yeah you're such a good boy, aren't you. Maybe this weekend I'll take you to your other home, though I'll admit that it's not as nice as your current one," he smiled as he continued to pet Jasper's head.

"I don't think sweetheart would mind, wouldn't he, mmh?" Gwyn replied as she placed the puppy on her lap, who in response started hopping back and forth from Gwyn to Tristan.

"Probably not. Plus, Anne will at least be able to not worry about Jas being underfoot while she works around the house. Though I'm sure he'll miss Auntie over the weekend."

At that, Anne nodded immediately. "I will too... he was quite the company when you were away... he ended up sleeping on my bed too... but that should have been a secret," she chuckled.

"Nah, he's a guard dog too..." grinned Tristan as he handed Jasper over to Anne. "Did a good job protecting you and providing you some company so he deserves to have a treat every now and then. Gotta work on the potty thing though... but that should be easy enough."

"She's the perfect babysitter and puppy-trainer you know," Gwyn grinning, nudging him lightly.

"True, she has been... though he's still not completely there yet. Found a little puddle in the kitchen, but he's doing great. Though the day that he has to get fixed... Gotta spend the entire day with him, need to do some guy bonding."

"When did you find the puddle?" Anne asked, blinking back at Tristan in surprise.

"Uh, I saw it when I was walking past the kitchen on my way out. Must've gotten excited when I was leaving."

"And I missed it?! I mean, I was in the kitchen for most of the morn... oh that was it then! I thought I had dropped something..."

Laughing, Tristan was about to answer when he heard his name being called.

"Mr. Faraday, you can come in. Doctor's waiting for you," Eric called, as Tristan and Gwyn got up from their seats at the same time, as Jasper gazed at the two of them while wagging his tail happily.

"Anne, you want to go inside instead of me?" Gwyn asked, as she smiled back at her maid.

"No no, go ahead, really. I'll wait here for the three of you," she nodded as she gave one last pat to the puppy.

"Okay, see you in a bit," he smiled as he and Gwyn led Jasper to follow Eric.

-

Once inside the exam room, Tristan placed Jasper on the table and stood next to him while waiting for the doctor.

"Hey little one, no need to be scared," Gwyn whispered as she crouched down to Jasper's level, placing a kiss on his head. "Me and Tris are here after all..." she told him reassuringly, as she continued patting him gently.

A knock on the door caused Jasper to bark as a portly red-haired man entered the room. Taking a look at his notes, the man extended his hand to Tristan then Gwyn. "I'm Doctor Harry Thompson, and this little guy must be Jasper Faraday, correct?"

Shaking his hand, Tristan grinned. "Yep, this would be him."

"Good, and seems it's the first time this little guy's come to visit right?" the doctor asked, as he placed Jasper - who literally froze up - in front of him. "Tense, aren't we?" he chuckled, as he started checking up the puppy. "And mommy and daddy shouldn't be this tense either..."

"Hey Jas, don't worry... it'll be all over soon," cooed Tristan as he continued to pet Jasper as the doctor continued his check-up. "And yeah, it's his first visit. I found him about a month ago, and had him checked out as well as got his first round of shots. This should be his second set."

"Mmh, I have to take note of that then... and he's perfectly fine," the doctor grinned as he finished inspecting his teeth. "I'll go fetch the shots, I'll be right back."

"Okay." Once Doctor Thompson left, Tristan patted Jasper's head. "See Puppy? Almost done. And the Doctor said that you're perfectly fine, which is good to hear. We'll get you some new toys once this is all over with, okay?"

Gwyn smiled as she saw Tristan interact with the puppy so patiently. "Tris have you ever had a dog?"

"Yeah, back home. We have two dogs and a cat - the funny thing being they all like each other. My mom started feeling lonely when my other sisters left and it was just me, so we got one dog. Then a neighbour had some puppies so we got another one - the nice thing is that both dogs were puppies at that point. Finally, I found a kitten - he'd wandered into our yard and was playing with my dogs. Brought him to my mom and we kept him - only because my mom said the kitten reminded her of me. I was... eight when we got all them. They're still good, though just getting on in years. My mom spoils them though, but we love them loads."

"Looks like it," she smiled, as she placed a kiss on his cheek, right when the doctor walked inside the exam room.

"Oops, disturbing something?" the doctor grinned as he took Jasper back in his hands.

"No no nothing," Gwyn instantly replied, as the two watched the doctor grab Jasper back gently, take hold of the puppy fat on his back, towards his neck and gave him the shots.

Hearing the little high-pitched yips from Jasper, Tristan immediately kissed the top of his head as the doctor pulled back. 

"We're done here guys... and Jasper here's been a good boy," Dr. Thompson told the puppy, as he gave him a treat which Jasper thankfully accepted.

"Thank you Dr. Thompson," smiled Tristan as Jasper jumped into his arms, eating his treat.

"My pleasure," the doctor replied, looking up at Gwyn smiling. 

Getting a whiff of Jasper's puppy breath from his treat, Tristan handed him over to Gwyn as he shook the doctor's hand again. "Thanks again Doctor. Also, I'd like to schedule an appointment for...  _ you-know-what, _ " he grinned wryly while jerking his thumb over at Jasper.

"Oh sure, just, check with Eric at the reception desk and he'll arrange everything, just tell him time and date for the next one and that's it. I'll be seeing you in a couple of months then," he grinned, as he patted Jasper's head for one last time. "Thanks and I'll be seeing you."

"Have a good day, Doc," nodded Tristan.

After Gwyn echoed back Tristan's greeting to the doctor with Jasper still in her arms, and headed off outside to meet Anne, while Tristan took care of the payment and of setting the next appointment. Once done, he moved back to the two women, who were cuddling the puppy as if it were a baby.

"Done?" Gwyn asked as she handed Jasper over to Anne, who was more than happy to take the little one in her arms.

"Yep. And got the other appointment set up... I'll be taking him in and spending the day with him... Well, time to get some stuff for him. I know that we're running low on puppy food and treats... plus he'll need some more toys."

"You're going now?" Gwyn blinked back at him as she glanced at her wrist-watch to have a look at the time.

"Ahh, you're right... Gotta get back to work. Sorry Buddy... looks like it's just you and Auntie Anne again," Tristan said sadly as he petted Jasper, who immediately started licking his face.

"We'll be seeing you later anyway," Gwyn smiled, placing one last kiss on the puppy's head and looking back up at Tristan. "Time to hand him over to Anne again, sweetheart."

"Yeah," he whispered as he kissed Jasper's head again before handing him over to Anne. "See you guys later.

"Sure," Anne smiled, as she clipped on his leash and set him down. "You two have a nice afternoon, we'll be seeing you later," she nodded as she walked off with Jasper by her side. "Jasper, don't pull, or I'll tell mommy and daddy."

Taking Gwyn's hand in his, he gave it a squeeze. "Time to go. You've got a meeting to get to, don't you."

"Yes..."

"What's wrong? You seem really nervous..."

"To tell you the truth... I don't know either... but... maybe it's because I'm meeting up with Fred..." she replied, holding his hand tighter.

"Maybe. I'd hug and kiss you right now to tell you everything will be alright, but... ah what the hell." Making sure that no one could recognize them, he pulled Gwyn into a hug and kissed her. 

"You sure there wasn't anyone watching," she whispered, smiling back at him.

"Yep," he whispered back as he let her go. "Best go on ahead. I'll see you later?" 

"Of course..."

Watching her leave, Tristan suddenly felt a chill run down his spine - as if something bad was going to happen real soon.

-

"AD, Lara from CEO's office has already phoned twice, what's with all this urgency?" Cynthia blinked as she watched a nervous Gwyn go inside her office, grab a number of files and head off.

"Not really sure, but the timing's strange and all... call Lara, tell her I'm coming up," she asked her. "And I'll be seeing you later Cynthia. If Faraday comes along and I'm not ready yet, tell him to get back to his office and that I'll call him when I'm back. Thanks."

"You're welcome... see you later..."

Gwyn wasn't too sure what on earth was wrong with Fred that afternoon - the timing of the meeting, all of the urgency... she was absolutely sure that the bad vibes she had been feeling ever since she got to work that morning were somehow related, also because she hadn't fed for days, so most probably it was a result of numerous factors taking their toll on her system. As she arrived at the upper floor, she hastily greeted Lara and headed straight for Fred's office, locking the door behind her and exhaling a deep sigh.

"What's with all this fuss Fred, it's not like you..." Gwyn groaned as she walked towards his desk. 

"Ah Gwyn, please sit down. I have quite the exciting news for you." Fred was practically gleeful in his greeting, which made Gwyn even more suspicious. "I've been speaking with the Council Elders, and after much deliberation, they've agreed with me. And as my most trusted Commander, I want you to personally carry it out."

Upon hearing that, Gwyn furrowed her eyebrows and sat down in front of him, hands curled up in fists while resting on her lap. "Personally carry out... what exactly?"

"The Council has decided that some new blood would be much appreciated into our little circle, and for that, I've recommended just one person to fulfill the job: Tristan Faraday."

It felt as if her heart literally stopped beating. As if her lungs had stopped their intake of air. As if her world had suddenly crushed to a million pieces. As if all of the memories of the past few days vanished in thin air...

She felt, she almost  _ knew _ , at the very back of her mind, that after all, Fred had been hinting to that ever since the beginning - the strange interest he took in the boy, having Tristan visited by his personal doctor... having him so close to her, the Black incident... plus, all those words of praise... those...

"Why  _ him _ ?" she managed to ask, almost choking in her words while posing the question to Fred. "Fred, of all people, why  _ Faraday _ ?"

"Why Gwendalynn, I'm surprised. I thought that you would be elated to let the boy in on our little family. He's everything that we've been waiting for. He's young, he's as handsome as can be, he's well-liked - and that's just his superficial qualities. The boy can lead - this project of yours has proven to me that he's more than capable. He's not afraid to bend the rules, as I was able to observe him gathering all of the brightest and best for Advertising - one of whom was Black's subordinate, as well as his best friend. Most of all, he would do anything for you - which shows his loyalty. If our plan to enslave all of the humans is to come to pass, I'll- _ we'll _ need a boy like Faraday to lead." Getting up from his desk, Fred walked over to his cabinet and made himself a glass of scotch before drinking it in one go.

She'd never felt that way. Never felt like ripping out Fred's throat to make him shut the fuck up as she did in that very moment...

"I've always been against turning humans into vampires... Fred. Most of them just die, as they're not strong enough for the physical... and more than that, the psychological effects of the change. We are  _ born _ as we are... why do you want him to endure all this?"

"That day with the examination. It was as much proof as I needed that he would be able to withstand the transformation. The fact that the boy only suffered superficial cuts and bruises to his hands - while Black had looked as if several clan members had beaten him within an inch of his life - confirmed to me that this boy is absolutely instrumental to our cause. For a human boy, he's in exceptional health - he rivals that of our best fighters. Mentally, he's more than capable - as his intelligence places him well within the genius range. He will be our crowning jewel, so to speak."

Gwyn almost growled when she heard that coming out of Fred's mouth. "Fred, you already made me kill two humans because you and the Council had brilliantly chosen them as eligible candidates, and both of them died in my arms, screaming and cursing back at me that they'd hate me for eternity... but I didn't know those people, so, I couldn't give a damn shit about them and they were assholes, anyway. But that's not the point. Later on, I remember that I had asked you explicitly to stop giving me those kind of orders, and you did. Now... you come up with this... and not only do I know the person you've identified, he's my best friend, damn you all!"

"Your. Best. Friend. Gwendalynn Beatrice Coulston, I'm absolutely shocked and delighted that you consider the boy to be your best friend. This will make the task even easier - as the boy will not question your actions. Use it to your advantage, he's merely a boy who has the potential to become something even greater. You would be doing him a great service in making him one of us." Crossing the room, Fred placed his hands on Gwyn's shoulders and squeezed them gently. "Gwyn, you know as well as I do that we need him."

"Great...  _ service _ ? Oh Fred you must be joking... great service of what? Of ruining his mortal life?! What the fuckin' hell of a service is that?! He's got mortal memories, a mortal life, a career, numerous life experiences... the friends and family  _ I _ never had. And you're asking me to ruin everything for that kid? For our goddamn sake? There's more than enough of us for our cause, we don't need humans-turned-vampires to help us out."

"Gwendalynn, the Council has decided, as have I. You are to carry out this order - no excuses. They have also been monitoring the boy since he first applied here - and the fact that he so brazenly chose to become a junior employee rather than Director because he wanted to climb the corporate ladder for himself - they already knew that he'd be the one. Much more so than that Neville Kirkham - absolute waste of pureblood potential... It was my decision to place him under you once he became a Manager - and then the complete implosion of Advertising... this project of yours and his was the final test for the Council, and the human boy has proven he's perfect."

Gwyn bit her lower lip and looked away. She knew all about Neville, but Fred wasn't at all aware she'd still meet him from time to time - he'd become a complete stranger in Fred's eyes by now. "So you have been observing... me, him... who else I wasn't aware of?"

"Only you two - within the office only. I've been keeping my eye on Black as well - but that's mostly due to his obsession with you. You have your life as does Faraday, especially the boy. I want him to enjoy what precious little time he has left of his miserable human existence. For you, it's clear that you are rather fond of him, but since he's consistently producing results for you, the fraternization between the two of you is more than acceptable. Who knows? Perhaps the boy will be your mate - once he's old enough," grinned Fred in an indulgent manner.

_ Miserable human existence. Your mate when he's old enough. _ Struck by those two particular phrases, Gwyn glared back at Fred, turning to face him, her eyes narrowed into slits. "Fred, that kid's existence is more worthy than all of our goddamn years of miserable livelihood put together. Humans enjoy every minute they have, we just take time for granted and do what? Tell me? Waste our time plotting on winning over them, tell me now, who's wrong, us or them? I don't agree with turning Faraday into a vampire, end of story."

"Gwyn, it sounds as if you're going soft for these  _ humans _ . They're fragile, soft, and most importantly of all,  _ mortal _ . When they die, they die - none of their memories, worldly goods, or their loved ones will remain with them. With us, we have  _ centuries _ worth of memories, our possessions remain with us and above all, our true loved ones are still with us. I would be doing the boy a great favour - as he would be able to continue living as he is - while serving for our greater good."

"And watch his loved ones die one after the other before his eyes? What good is there in that?!" she screamed out at him, enraged.

" _ ENOUGH! _ I've been tolerant of your line of questioning, but you have said more than enough. You are to carry out your orders, and that is  _ FINAL.  _ Am I making myself  _ clear _ , Commander Coulston?" 

"Yes, Head of Clan.  _ Clear enough _ ," she gulped, slapping Fred's hand away from her. " _ Don't touch me _ ," she snarled in a hiss, as she gave him one last nod and headed for the door. 

As she left his office, Fred walked over to his window and glanced out at the people in the streets with a malicious smile. "Soon, all of you will be under our control..." Taking another look, he walked back to his desk and began writing a note to himself to have some food prepared for Gwyn, as she was looking a bit peaky during the entire exchange.  _ Perhaps it was the lack of proper food that has made her irritable... I shall rectify that, as I need her in top form if she is to carry out this order. _

-

"Hey... hey AD is something wrong?" Cynthia asked as she immediately rose from her desk as she saw Gwyn storm inside the office without saying a single word. Following her first instinct, Gwyn moved towards her desk, grabbed her car's keys and rushed outside, with Cynthia trailing after her. "Gwyn... will you tell me what's wrong? Please..." she begged her, seeing that she wouldn't have said a word anyway.

"Do me a favour, Cynthia... go check if Tristan is alright... I'll... I need to head out of office... for a while," she stuttured, as Cynthia noticed that she clearly had tears in her eyes.

"Y-yes, will do..." she replied, watching Gwyn head towards the emergency exit and disappear in an instant. Biting her lower lip in a state of quasi-panic, Cynthia locked the doors of their rooms and headed straight for Tristan's office. She'd never seen her boss like that before... not even when she and Tristan had quarreled a couple of days ago. Something serious had just happened during the meeting with the CEO, most probably, which made her take the decision of leaving the office in a rush. And... what did Tristan have to do with all this? He wasn't involved in the meeting to her knowledge... at all.

"Tristan, are you here?" Cynthia called after knocking at his door, and entering without receiving a reply. Upon stepping inside and switching on the lights, Cynthia gasped in shock when she found her best friend lying unconscious by his desk. In the futile attempt of calming down, Cynthia exhaled a deep breath and knelt down by his side, slipping one arm round his shoulders, making him raise his head slightly.

"Tris... Tris it's me Cynthia..." she called gently, as she held one of his arms in her hand to check his pulse, then checked his forehead and rested a hand on his heart. "For God's sake, Tris, talk to me... please..."

Groaning, Tristan began moving slightly as Cynthia held him tightly. Blinking awake, he felt like his tongue was too thick to speak. "Cyn?" he whispered as he felt something wet against his cheek.

"Yes sweetheart, it's me..." she whispered, holding him close. 

"It hurts... oh God it hurts..." he moaned as he tried moving but couldn't.

"What? What's wrong? Where's it hurting?"

"Everywhere... make it stop Cyn... please?"

"Just tell me what I need to do... I...  _ everywhere _ ?!" she gasped, staring back at him, totally clueless on how she could help him.

"I want Gwyn... where is she?"

"She... she left the office..."

Closing his eyes momentarily, he felt Gwyn and all of her emotions before suddenly sitting up and grabbed hold of his garbage can, vomiting violently into it.

"Tris... I'm going to call for help... I can't see you like this, let me call Cole or Ja-" she halted, as he placed a hand on her arm. "What?"

"Anne... get Anne..." he whispered before vomiting again and slumping back to the ground.

"Right... Anne... Gwyn's number..." she muttered, trying to think coherently as she kept her eyes constantly on Tristan, now lying back down on the ground. "Tris... keep on talking to me, whatever you say's fine but I want to hear you talk," she asked, as she dialed the number of the Coulston apartment. "Answer Anne, please..."

"I wanna go home... Hurts..."

"We'll take you there soon, honey... come on Anne answer..."

"Hello, Coulston residence, how may I- Cynthia?" Anne replied in her usual tone.

"Yes it's me, Anne, can you come over here at work now please, I need your help... Tristan needs it actually, something's wrong with him and I don't know what."

"Did something happen to the Miss?" Anne asked, in a serious tone.

"Yes... I think so."

"I'm coming now... try to calm him down, or distract him... at least till I'm there. We'll bring him over to the Miss' residence so that he can rest..."

"O... Okay Anne, I'll be seeing..." she told her, as she heard Anne hang up the phone at the other end. "You." Turning her look towards Tristan, she couldn't help not notice how pale and sick he looked all of a sudden...then, just like Anne had asked her, Cynthia moved next to Tristan, grabbed one of the cushions on his office couch, and rested his head upon it, trying to keep him awake. "You need to keep talking to me you know..."

"Cyn...? Still here?" 

"'Course I am, as if I'd leave you alone in this state."

"Why does it hurt?"

"I don't know honey, I wish I knew... Anne's coming here now, just like you asked me." 

"Cyn... you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine baby, I'm perfectly fine," she replied, trying to refrain herself from crying. 

"Good... AUGH!" Suddenly Tristan began screaming while Cynthia tried to hold him down as he writhed in pain and tears were running down his cheeks.

"Come here, come here, come here..." she whispered in a rush, making him sit up and scream out while she held him close to her. "Oh God please make it stop now... I can't stand it anymore... hush... shhh... Tris calm down, I'm here... and won't leave you alone, I promise... shhh..."

"Gwyn... need to find her..."

"She'll be back too... honey, she'll be back..." she whispered, as she started rocking him as slowly as possible in her arms.

"Hurts still..."

"I know... but it'll be over soon," she continued whispering, as she rubbed his back with the sole purpose of calming him down.

"Where... Anne?"

"She'll be coming soon... she left just when I called her and..."

"Oh finally found it!" a familiar voice could be heard at the door, as the woman slipped inside, closing the door behind her immediately. "Tristan, it's me," Anne called, as she rushed by his side, placing a hand on his back. "What's wrong?" she asked, smiling back at Cynthia, who was slightly relieved at seeing a familiar face.

"Gwyn... need to find..."

"Gwyn will be fine... we need to take care of you now... Cyn, do you know of anyone with a car that may give a lift home... maybe one of your friends..."

"I do... actually, and for some strange reason I came here with my car instead of by train... I'll call James, he'll help us carry Tristan down to the car."

"Thank you," Anne replied, as she moved by Tristan's side. "Feeling a throbbing pain in your heart right?" she whispered.

"Yes... Hurts Anne..."

"We'll make that pass as soon as possible, I promise... And Gwyn will be alright too..." she smiled, as she looked up at Cynthia who nodded in response. 

"James' coming here now..."

"Go find Gwyn..." he whispered before slumping back.

"You need my help more right now..." Anne whispered back. "Gwyn'll be safe."

"Goddammit James, I said it's urgent..." she growled, as she caressed Tristan's hair gently.

"Sorry I-HOLY SHIT! What happened?!" exclaimed James as both he and Cole entered the office.

"I don't know either, but... mind helping me take him to my car, please?"

"Cyn, how?" whispered Cole as he grabbed Tristan's wrist and felt his slow, faint pulse.

"Cole... I don't have a clue, came here and found him totally unconscious..."

"Sure Cyn... You got him Cole?"

"Yeah I'll get him... he's too light for his own good," he whispered as he picked up Tristan and cradled him in his arms. "Well we'll get him outta here now, alright? Cyn, can you and Anne get his things? Jamie - get the door."

"Yes... sure..." Cynthia replied in a faint whisper, stopped immediately by Anne. "Go help your friends, get him through the emergency exit, I'll catch up with you with his things in a minute."

"Cyn? Something the matter?" asked James as he placed a hand on her elbow as Cole was carrying the barely conscious Tristan in his arms.

"I don't know," she told him in response while letting a sob escape her lips. "I just... don't know..."

"Cyn, could you please tell me where you parked? Kid's starting to lose consciousness - we need to get him somewhere safe."

"Right next to AD's reserved slot. And we need to take him to Gwyn's place... he'd feel better there, I'm sure... Anne will lead the way once she's back," she replied, as she started crying her heart out.

"Right. Cyn, don't cry...we'll be okay," whispered Cole as he gave her a smile before making his way towards the parking lot, as James continued to comfort Cynthia while leading her to the car.

"James, is it OK if you drive us home?" I'll show the way..." Anne commented as she was already by the car before them.

"Um, sure. Not a problem." Nodding, he climbed behind the wheel as Anne got into the passenger's seat while Cynthia got into the rear passenger seat before Cole, who placed Tristan's head in her lap while he placed his legs on his lap before climbing into the car himself.

As James drove and Anne directed him, both Cynthia and Cole took one of Tristan's hands and held it tightly. For Tristan himself, he continued to moan in pain while beginning to sweat. Eventually, James arrived at Gwyn's apartment and both Anne and Cole got out immediately: Anne to unlock the main door and Cole to carry Tristan. Both Cynthia and James followed after the other two, carrying Tristan's things. Once inside the apartment, Jasper began barking in a friendly manner but began whimpering and whining as soon as he saw his 'daddy' being carried into his 'mommy's' room. James picked up the puppy and followed everyone into Gwyn's room, as Cole laid his best friend down on the bed. Quickly, both Cynthia and Anne began to remove Tristan's clothes to make him more comfortable while Anne directed Cole into the bathroom to get a cool washcloth for Tristan. Settling Tristan under the covers, Anne placed the washcloth on Tristan's forehead - watching the young man calm down almost instantly and fell into a fitful sleep.

Jasper's whining broke the comfortable silence that fell across the room, which caused James to place Jasper on the bed. The puppy made his way over to his 'daddy', licked Tristan's cheek, and made himself comfortable next to Tristan's prone form - falling asleep within a matter of minutes. The foursome in the room smiled gently as they proceeded to let the boy and his dog sleep fitfully. After spending roughly twenty minutes gathering their wits about them, James, Cole, and Cynthia bade Anne farewell - who had promised to call Cynthia once Tristan woke up. Once the three young adults had left, Anne re-entered Gwyn's room and settled herself in one of the large chairs with a book and began her vigil.

-

The patter of the raindrops against her windscreen were not loud or strong enough to muffle the screams and shouts that came from the inside of her car. She had been driving aimlessly for more than an hour, sobbing uncontrollably and slamming her fists against the steering wheel, in complete absence of how and where she was leading to. Instinctively, she had also managed to avoid a number of accidents, earning numerous amounts of curses and profanities shouted at her face in view of her reckless female driving skills, as they called them, but she didn't care. An empty look, a mere nod and her foot directly on the gas pedal were her reply. 

_...I've recommended just one person to fulfill the job: Tristan Faraday _ .

"How could you?! How could you, goddammit!?!" she screamed out again as the sobbing started again, wrecking her body all over. She'd always been tough... in her decisions, in her actions, in her way of life. She... as Gwendalynn Coulston... was an age-old vampire... pathetic human feelings should not be part of her existence... However though... however those few weeks, she had learned to love those feelings, learned to feel them herself. Thanks to  _ him _ . To the one person Fred and the Council wanted to take away from her. Stopping the car on one side of the road, Gwyn rested her arms to the wheel, placing her forehead against her arms, crying out every single tear she was keeping inside. 

After a while, Gwyn realised that she had been driving along the coast road, and since it seemed like a storm was coming around - the rain was getting fiercer - the only place she could think of going was one, and not too far from where she was...

"Gwyn?! Is that you?!" exclaimed Neville as he opened the door to the restaurant, the howling wind of the storm nearly drowning out his voice.

"Mmm-hmm," Gwyn nodded, standing on the porch of Neville's place. Still with tears running down her cheeks as she was standing in the heavy rain, she just raised her blank eyes at him and whispered. "Would you mind... letting me inside... please?"

"Of course, of course, come in please," he replied as he gently ushered her into the restaurant. "Lisa! Could you please fetch some towels, a robe, and a hot cup of tea please!" Seeing Gwyn shivering, he enveloped her into a warm hug. "Shhh, honey, it'll be okay..."

"I don't want to do it... I don't want to... I can't..." she muttered, as Gwyn held Neville's shirt tightly and started crying in his arms.

"Whoa whoa... calm down, Gwyn. First we'll get you warmed up and then you can tell me all about it. Also, I have something for you - rather, it's something for the boy you came with last time."

Upon hearing Neville mention Tristan, Gwyn felt her stomach quench immediately and quickly placed her hand in front of her mouth, gesturing to Neville that she urgently needed to go to the bathroom. Realising that she was going to throw up, Neville promptly took her in his arms and rushed towards the bathroom, staying by her side as she violently threw up whatever there had been in her system that same morning.

Holding her hair back, Neville rubbed her back as Lisa appeared with the contents that Neville had asked for. "It's okay Gwyn, it's okay. You're safe here..." Turning to Lisa, he smiled brightly at her, "Thank you Love."

"You're welcome," she whispered, placing a hand on Gwyn's back, rubbing it gently. "You'll be fine with Neville, Gwyn... we'll take care of you," she said, with a reassuring tone. "Honey, need me here?"

"Please stay with Gwyn and have her change into something more comfortable - those wet clothes can't be too comfortable right now. I'll go make us a small snack. Be back in soon," he replied with a kiss before leaving.

"No Nev... don't go..." Gwyn mumbled just as Neville had reached the door. "Please."

Smiling, Lisa gave an understanding look to Neville and moved away from Gwyn, whispering back at her husband. "It's her brother she wants, not me... I'll go prepare something... you just stay here and take care of her. I'll bring a change of clothes with me."

Hearing the nearly broken tone in Gwyn's voice, he stopped. Turning, he gave her a small smile. "All right dear, I'll stay. But... on the condition that you get out of those wet clothes.  _ We _ may not get sick, but you're practically chilled to the bone. And thanks Lisa, just gather those clothes first and we'll meet you downstairs."

"Will do dear, see you," Lisa replied, as she headed out of the room.

"I'm sorry Nev."

"Whatever for? You don't have anything to worry about here, don't worry," he replied softly as he handed her the towel and robe. "Now, let's get you cleaned up and have a nice cup of tea."

As she dried off her hair, took off her clothes and put on the bathrobe - with Neville waiting for her out of the bathroom - her mind went back to Fred's conversation and to the order he had just given her, making her slump to her knees on the cold bathroom floor, ending up in a fit of crying once again.

Knocking on the door, Neville poked his head into the bathroom and found Gwyn on the floor, hugging her knees to her chest as she continued to cry. Slipping into the room, he sat down next to her and wrapped his arms around her tightly, rocking her slowly. "Sweetie, it's okay, we're here for you. Something bad happened, didn't there?"

"Mmm-hmm," she sobbed, as she huddled closer to him, still clinging tightly to his clothes and burying her head in his chest.

"Was it Fred?" he whispered quietly. "Just nod, don't talk..." 

"Yes..."

Sighing, he held her even tighter. "God... I swear that asshole sometimes... Do you want to tell me why he's making you cry? Also, I saw you tense up when I mentioned the boy - something about him, right?"

"I..." she stammered, as she moved her head to rest it upon his shoulder. "I don't know... what to do... Nev."

"It's okay. I don't want you to tell me if you aren't sure, but you might feel just a little bit better if you talk to us," he soothingly whispered back while rubbing her shoulders.

"Nev, I don't want to turn Tristan into one of us."

"What?! Is that what Fred wants?! THAT ASSHOLE! I'LL KILL HIM MYSELF!!" roared Neville as he clutched Gwyn to him even tighter. "No... How could they? Why would they? He's just a boy... an innocent one at that..."

Gwyn didn't reply. She expected that reaction from Neville after all. His schism with Fred and the whole Clan had started because of a similar issue after all.

"You were right though..." she whispered in half a smile, as a tear ran down her cheek. "I really fell in love with a human, just like you."

"The boy?"

"Yes..."

Chuckling softly, he smiled broadly at her. "I knew it. The fact that he was able to not only tease you but make you laugh... He managed to do the impossible, hmm?"

"Mmm-hmm."

"Does he love you?"

"Yes," she smiled. "Much more than I ever deserve..."

"But... you love him as well, do you not?"

"Yes Nev... and never felt like this..." she whispered in return. "I should have known that it wouldn't have lasted long... it was too good... for someone like me."

"Then make it last - for as long as you have him, treasure your moments with him. In the end, it'll be up to you. I can't choose for you nor can I condone the decision you'll make in the future regarding the boy, but if he's worth everything to you, I'll support you and him. And if that fucking son of a bitch asshole hasn't given you a timetable - stall. Spend every waking moment with him if need be - tell him you love him daily... just do what it takes to make you and him happy right now. You two will get through this together. I hate to admit it, but he's everything to you that I never could be. And to be honest, I'm glad you and I didn't work out - you're too much like a sister to me. If ever you need a place to stay - if only for a little while - then you're free to stay here. It's not much, but it's the least I could do for you when you were helping Lisa and I."

Turning her head to look back at him, Gwyn smiled slightly for the first time that evening and placed a kiss on her 'brother's' cheek. "I've always seen you as my older brother... when in actual fact you would be the one to run up to me crying when something went wrong, especially with Fred. As for the timeframe... no... Fred didn't give me any. He just gave out the order to his Commander, that's all."

"Needless to say, I've grown up since then. It took some time to adjust to life without the Clan, but I learned how to think on my own two feet and haven't looked back. Plus, in knowing what the Clan's true aim is? I couldn't live with myself if I went through with it... And as you have no timeline, embrace that fact. From here on out - Tristan is  _ yours _ , and yours only. Continue to love him as you have prior to this moment. I could tell that something was different about you when you came in - and I welcome seeing the old Gwyn I grew up with - as I have the boy to thank for bringing you back to me."

"Thank you..."

"No problem. Though do tell me, how did you know he was the one for you?" grinned Neville. "There's definitely... well, I want to say that there's a connection between you two... isn't there?"

"I think telling you that I can manage to  _ feel _ his emotions and vice-versa is more than enough..." she whispered, holding him close. "I hope he's alright... maybe... I should give them a call... later."

"Wait... you can  _ feel _ his emotions - and vice versa? Oh God Gwyn... you and he managed to do the one thing that next to none of our kind can do... Do whatever it takes to keep him to you - he's practically your soulmate. And as for how he's feeling... let him rest as I'm pretty sure he went through hell around the same time you were. I'll give Anne a call later - and we can have dinner here together. Now, let's go check on my lovely wife and have that spot of tea - should calm your nerves and the boy's."

"You sure... about dinner I mean? I don't want to disturb much..." she replied, caressing his cheek gently.

"Of course, the more the merrier. Plus, I haven't seen the boy since the last time you were here - which you need to be doing more of - and I wouldn't mind checking up on him." Studying her closely, a mischievous grin graced his lips, "I take it you've been spending  _ quality time _ with him, hmm? Time that  _ Daddy Dearest _ would be appalled at knowing that a human boy has been sleeping with his lovely daughter."

With a slight blush colouring her cheeks, Gwyn chuckled lightly and stared back at Neville. "Now tell me how you came up with  _ that _ conclusion..."

"You seem to be forgetting that I'm currently married to a  _ human _ , Gwyn. Plus, it's the glow that's giving you away... as you aren't wearing as much make-up as you normally do."

"Ah... well... uhm... right."

Patting her shoulder comfortingly, he kissed her cheek. "Don't worry about it. At least we both know that you really do care about each other if you were willing to share yourself with him. After all, you once told me that you were saving yourself for your true love, and the fact that you can sense each other's emotions... I have it on good authority that you are each other's true love."

"He was quite surprised at that in fact," she smiled.

"I would've been too had I been him. I take it that the boy is far more worldly than one would believe? He looks like a child to be honest, how old is he by the way?" 

"Twenty-four... and yes he is... he's definitely lived more than me with all of my years in that sense. But I don't regret it. At least... thinking that I saved myself for him has a nice ring to it."

"He's  _ twenty-four _ ?! Would've pegged him to be seventeen... And you shouldn't regret it - as he is your one and only."

"Nev, he doesn't look  _ that _ young... it's not like I'd be seeing a teenager after all. And... you're the one to talk - you've waited till you got married, even though I recall you having numerous lovely ladies at your feet when you were younger and still with us," she finished with a grin, as the two of them started getting back on their feet.

"Well, that was because none of them interested me... Lisa did, despite being a human. And to be honest, the humans are much more fun to be around than our kind... they're so boring and stuffy... can't stand it... And he  _ does _ look that young... but in a good way."

"True... hence why Fred never managed to find a suitor - as he likes to define them - for me. Even though I think he was eyeing someone these last few years..."

Laughing, Neville led them upstairs to one of the private room so that Gwyn could change. "Never would've worked between us. You're a bit too prim and proper for me, though I guess I never would've found this side to you anyways... the boy was able to do all that on his own. Can you tell me  _ how _ he managed to do that?"

"Because he managed to dig the  _ Gwyn _ out of the  _ Assistant Director _ . Plus, I feel at ease with him as if I'd known him forever. Yes, I must admit... things started out as teasing from his end and I just couldn't stand his presence... but then... call it a twist of fate if you like... I just couldn't stay  _ without _ his presence by my side. As for me and you... well, probably I'd be the female copy of Fred by now."

"Can't have that now, can we. Besides, world domination isn't exactly your style. And the kid's cute - aside from the physical sense, I'm married and can call other guys handsome when I see one - as he seems quite playful and charming. Which is why it was easy to see that he probably annoyed the hell out of you. I was never that bad..." 

"Precisely," she chuckled, as Gwyn found a change of clothes lying on the small bed in the middle of the room, while Neville was waiting for her outside. "But he's turned to be quite the sweetheart after all... that's why, I don't want him to change Nev," she said, as she removed the bathrobe and slipped on the dry pair of trousers and a fluffy pink sweatshirt, which made her laugh when she saw her reflection in the mirror.

"And what exactly is so funny, Gwendalynn?" smiled Neville.

"Pink. I never wear... pink."

"There's a first time for everything. Besides, I doubt you'd fit into my stuff..."

"Right... And Nev, when I was talking earlier about the suitor thing... I wasn't referring to you, y'know... I was hinting at someone you absolutely  _ adore _ ," she told him as they walked out, with Neville placing an arm round her waist.

"Who... oh GOD... I can really be dense sometimes... By the way Gwynnie, how's your sex life now?"

"What?!" she gasped, stopping in her tracks. "It's not like I'm going to talk to you about that right now..." she replied, blushing furiously. "Besides, I never had that kind of life... before."

"Aww...why ever not? And obviously that your only experience is the boy - but like I said earlier, you're definitely enjoying spending time with him. Now I'm sure he's an absolute sweetheart as far as treating you like a queen during the day but at night..." continued Neville as he sat them down on a nearby couch.

"...I treat him like a king," she chuckled. "And Nev, you're far too curious... you've always been like that. And don't go asking questions like that to Tristan if he comes here with Anne..."

"I promise I won't, but that spot on your neck is completely telling me otherwise. So spill."

"Oh, this..." she smiled, moving a hand towards Tristan's favorite 'spot'. "Never felt any better Nev... never felt this content, or happy. I think you've never seen me like this all the years you've known me. As for  _ that _ ..." she grinned. "Well... let's just say we just can't have enough of each other every single time."

"Nope... Plus it looks like you haven't been sleeping much either," he grinned which earned him a light slap on his chest. "Also, ever get to put those relaxation bath oils to good use? I remember you telling me that Anne bought them for you..."

Looking up at him, Gwyn placed a hand on her mouth and laughed out softly. "Just tried them out... last night..."

Laughing even more, Neville hugged Gwyn one more time. "Was it really last night... or was it this morning? Or maybe it was... both?" 

"Probably you might consider that as... very early morning," she mused. "Love you Nev, thanks for always being here..."

"Very early morning? Jeez... no wonder you're so goddamn happy right now," he chuckled before grinning warmly at her, "Love you too Gwyn, and you're always welcome."

Smiling as she walked back into the room, Lisa placed a tray with a pot of tea, and different cakes and sweets, before sitting down on the armchair by Neville's side. "Seems you're feeling better Gwyn, that's good to know..." she winked back at her while resting a hand on her tummy, caressing it gently.

"Yep, all the poor dear needed was a little friendly ear and advice," smiled Neville as he kissed his wife and placed his hand over Lisa's stomach.

Gwyn gasped as with all of the panic she hadn't noticed that Lisa was now heavily pregnant - she hadn't seen her brother's wife for months. "So, when is your little one due?" Gwyn smiled, as she took a cup of tea and had a quick sip.

"Mmm...?"

"Two more months to go," Lisa chuckled, as she brought Neville's hand to her lips and kissed it gently.

"What she said. Never thought that we'd be this lucky... but we are," beamed Neville, though to Gwyn, she could see a flicker of fear in his eyes.

"What are you worrying about Nev?" Gwyn asked them bluntly as she put down her cup. "And I think I'm not the only one who's noticed that..." she smiled back, seeing Lisa nod back at her.

"Just worried of how good of a Dad I'll be," he smiled gently. "Gotta make sure the kid doesn't screw up as much as I did while growing up." 

"Oh you didn't screw up too much!" she laughed lightly. "I thought it was something more serious than that."

"Nah... And sure I screwed up... I think I got into more trouble than I care to count. Now, you two relax, I've a phone call to make." Getting up from his seat, Neville kissed Lisa gently and smiled at Gwyn before leaving the room.

"He's going to phone Anne, isn't he?" Lisa asked, as she gestured Gwyn to help herself as she took a cupcake in her hands. "Gwyn? Can you say whether the baby's human or vampire?"

"Guess so... and now? Not really no... probably it'll be clearer towards the end," Gwyn commented, as she grabbed a gingerbread cookie.

"Yes," she nodded, smiling. "That's one of the first things he was worried silly about when I asked him. But then, he told me that he couldn't feel any vampire aura or anything... and he somehow calmed down. And he's being paranoid over little things too," she chuckled. "It's what actually makes him cute and... ouch."

"What?" Gwyn gasped startling from her seat. "Something's wrong?" she asked, rushing to her side.

"No no," she promptly reassured her. "Little one's kicking mommy like crazy..." she continued, as she took Gwyn's hand in hers and placed it over the exact spot where she had felt the kick. "See if you can feel... there... got that?"

Gwyn looked up at Lisa, literally beaming. "That was quite something," she chuckled, as the little one still inside Lisa started making himself present. "How does it feel... from your end?" she asked, still feeling the baby kick every now and then.

"Strange, because you can't really picture the fact that there's a little someone in there in the initial months. I mean, the first time I felt a kick, I stared at Neville for a good half an hour, with an idiot's look on my face. I mean, I knew I was pregnant, but that was the first time that I really said to myself: 'Wow, Lis, you're going to become a mother soon.'"

"And a great one you'll be, Dear," smiled Neville as he re-entered the room. "Just got off the phone with Anne, your Little One seems to be doing better - and they're on their way by taxi."

"Really?" she exclaimed, almost jumping from her seat. "That's a relief," she sighed, resting a hand on her chest. "Thank you for calling..."

"Not a problem. Best start getting dinner ready. Something light for you and something substantial for Lisa and the boy. Judging from Anne's responses, he'll need something warm and filling... plus I think he could stand to fill out a bit more. Gwyn, were you always into skinny shrimps like him?"

"I was never into skinny anyones, Nev!" she replied, throwing a cushion at him. 

"You deserved that," Lisa laughed, as she stood back on her feet. "Mushroom soup and a plate of pasta? What do you say Love?"

"Relax Sweetheart, I'll handle dinner as that sounds quite fantastic actually. And judging from your reaction Gwyn, I take it that the boy's not as shrimpy as he looks?"

"You're making it sound like I'm in love with a kid," she pouted playfully, sticking her tongue at him. 

"Considering how old  _ we _ are in comparison? He is one, Gwyn... but I won't hold that against you, as it seems like he's lived a life that's a long as ours," he smiled gently before heading into the kitchens.

"Honey, should I be going about saying that I'm married to a living historical artefact?" Lisa smirked as she followed Neville into the kitchen. 

"You can, besides, you're only as young as you feel. And today... I feel like I'm 147 today than my usual 202," Neville laughed back.

"The heck! I had forgotten you're slightly younger than me," she gasped, following the two of them. 

"Well, I was physically older than you when we met anyways... so it evens out."

"Mmmh, yes, technically speaking you were... and anyways, I don't feel the time-gap between me and him... probably Lisa feels the same way..." she told him.

"Not too sure about her but yeah, I never felt the time-gap between us either."

"Nope, not at all," Lisa echoed back, as she gathered all of the ingredients for the dinner.

"By the way... what about the restaurant this evening? I made you stay here for quite some time, when you're usually working in the kitchens... how come?"

"Simple Gwyn. It's Monday, and we're always closed on Mondays. But since you haven't been here in a while - you just forgot. Now come on, need to put your mushroom-scrubbing skills to the test." 

"I... oh alright," she grinned back, as Neville proceeded into teasing Gwyn into how much of a disaster she had always been in the kitchen.

Seeing her visibly relaxed, Neville finally placed his mind at rest, knowing that she'd be perfectly fine as soon as she'd see Tristan again.

-

While Lisa and Gwyn were in a discussion about baby names and guesswork with respect to the possible sex of the baby, Neville had been sure to hear someone knocking at the door, and after excusing himself from the two women, he walked towards the entrance and opened the door, finding two people and a pup waiting on his porch.

"Hi Neville..." Anne smiled back, holding up an umbrella since it was still raining heavily. "Is she alright?"

"Oh she's a lot better than before - believe me." Looking over Anne's shoulder, Neville smiled as he saw a familiar shock of black hair that was currently covering the boy's eyes. "Come in you two, and Kid, you're looking a bit better than I thought you'd look."

"Huh? How so?" asked Tristan as he and Jasper entered the restaurant - but not before Jasper shook off the rain.

"From the sound of things, Anne said that you looked like death warmed over, Kiddo," Neville replied good-naturedly as he helped Anne and Tristan out of their coats before handing them some dry towels.

"Oh...  _ that _ ." 

"He was... but he starting getting significantly better a couple of hours ago..." Anne commented. "Thanks Neville."

"Anytime Annie and that's good to hear. Anyways, dinner's ready so go on in, as I've got something for the pup here too," he waved them towards the direction of the dining area while drying off Jasper - who then proceeded to follow the pair.

Turning the corner, Tristan caught sight of Gwyn and nearly laughed at the sweatshirt she was wearing. "I don't recall you ever wearing pink, Sweetheart."

"That's because I don't like pink, never liked it and makes me look like a giant cup... cake..." she stopped, realising that she wasn't talking to Neville anymore. 

"Hey."

Hastily letting go of whatever kitchen utensils she had at hand, and placing them back on the kitchen counter, Gwyn rushed by Tristan's side, hugging him close to her. 

Taking her in his arms as she rushed into them, Tristan started laughing as Gwyn's momentum knocked them to the ground. "Nice to see you too, Gwyn," he grinned while holding her tightly.

Without any reply, Gwyn proceeded into giving him a warm kiss on his lips, yearning for him as if the last time they met was ages before. "Nice to see you too... and sorry..."

"For what?" he asked gently before kissing her again.

"For this afternoon."

"Ain't nothing to be sorry about. I don't really remember much - other than just hurting everywhere and a funny pain in my heart - but the next thing I knew, I was at home with both Jasper and Anne by my side. Then the phone rang and we ended up here."

"I'm really sorry baby, so much," she mumbled, kissing him again.

"Don't worry about it, Love. We're okay now, so no more crying, okay?" he whispered back after their kiss - completely oblivious to their audience.

Watching the pair, Neville wrapped an arm around Lisa's waist and kissed the top of her head. "They are absolutely adorable together... despite him looking like a little boy," he joked.

"Stop bugging her about him being a boy," she whispered, leaning in to kiss him. "You're making me feel as if I were a child..."

"Nah, and besides, I'd still love you anyways," he whispered back.

"Tris," Gwyn whispered, now smiling.

"Hmm?"

"Might as well get up now," she chuckled. "You need to eat."

"Can't I just have you instead?" he grinned.

At hearing his question, Gwyn laughed heartily, relieved as she realised that he was really feeling well after all. "Later..."

"I heard that Kiddo, and if you're gonna do that, might as well go upstairs - though be mindful that you and my 'little sister' aren't exactly up to full strength just yet. So no rough stuff, alright?"

Smirking at both Gwyn and Neville, Tristan simply nodded. "Duly noted. Now, as my Queen has commanded me to do... gotta eat first. What's for dinner?" 

"Mushroom soup and lasagne," Lisa grinned, as she was placing the soup in a large serving dish, while Anne had moved by her side to help her. "So if you don't mind, you all now can just sit down and wait for dinner to be served."

"Fantastic! Need something in my stomach after puking my guts out earlier," grinned Tristan as he smoothly got to his feet in one move while cradling Gwyn against his chest before setting her down again.

"Sorry for that too..." she whispered, as she placed a number of small kisses on his chest.

"Hey, hey stop apologizing already. I can feel you too, remember?" he smiled while kissing her forehead. 

"You're not the only one that regurgitated his entire stomach Tristan," Lisa commented as she brought the serving dish on the table, with Anne's help. "I suppose... you and Gwyn felt the same thing, simultaneously."

Scratching his head, Tristan nodded. "Mm-hmm, though according to Anne and Cyn... I was unconscious for most of the afternoon... so I don't really remember much. And don't start Gwyn, it wasn't your fault," he replied while looking Gwyn straight in the eye.

"I... it was but... let's not think about it now..."

Sighing, but deciding to not push the issue, Tristan gave Gwyn one more kiss before settling in his seat next to her. Meanwhile, Neville continued to observe the pair and silently prayed that whatever happened next, they'd still be together.

"Here," Anne grinned as she handed over the soup plates to Tristan and Gwyn. 

Noticing that Tristan gave her a wicked look, Gwyn just smiled back and chuckled. "Oh alright, I'll eat it all, I promise."

"Better..." he continued to smirk before eating. Looking over at Lisa and Neville, he gave them a huge smile. "This is fantastic. Thank you so much." Standing up he extended his hand to Lisa, "Sorry for not properly introducing myself earlier - bit distracted, but I'm Tristan Faraday and it's nice to meet you."

"Lisa Kirkham, my pleasure," she grinned back, shaking his hand. "Plus one of course," she chuckled. "And don't worry, we could have imagined that you'd be easily distracted."

Chuckling, he gave her a smile as a dull blush appeared on his cheeks. "Suppose so. And thank you both again." Giving a little bow, he sat down and began eating while occasionally teasing Gwyn to eat more.

"And, done!" Gwyn grinned, looking back at Tristan and sticking her tongue out at him. "Before you."

"Yeah? Awesome job there and it was a full bowl too," he teased. 

"You should be proud then," she chuckled.

"I am actually. Gotta have you in top shape, y'know."

Anne looked at the two of them and chuckled, as she stood up to help Neville clear the table for the second dish. As she walked into the kitchen however, she slightly touched Neville's arm and whispered: "Does all this have to do with Fred?"

"Yeah. Asshole wants the kid... and wants Gwyn to do the job in turning him."

"What?!" she gasped as Neville covered her mouth immediately. 

"Shhh... not so loud. And yeah, that's why she was in hysterics when she arrived here," he whispered back.

"Well, one of Tristan's best friends told me that he was screaming in agony in his office before I arrived there to help... he definitely was feeling what she was going through... what's this fuss of turning a human into a vampire anyway, as if it's fun," Anne growled, noticing the angry look in Neville's eyes.

"Dunno, but Gwyn definitely doesn't want to do it as she knows the risk of losing the kid's really high. She was practically devastated when I got it out of her - her life now is that kid's... and obviously she's his life too. Whatever happens though Anne, we gotta protect them. I'd hate for them to be torn apart as it's clear that the boy's the best thing that's ever happened to her." 

"Those were the exact words she used to describe him... just when I thought she could finally live a portion of her life in a content state of mind... all this trouble comes along," she told him, as Neville got the tray of lasagne out of the oven.

"Well, we're not gonna let that asshole win Annie. Or even if by some miracle he survives the transformation... I just hope he's strong enough to be himself. I couldn't do it to Lisa and I've already promised her that when she goes, I go as I don't ever want to live without her. Annie, we'll get through this, but for now, let them be them...as it's all we can do."

"Did he give her any deadline?"

Smiling, he shook his head. "Nope, and that's the best part."

"She won't manage to stall forever, but... that's already a plus... might give her more time to think, while continuing to live her life with him," she replied, as she handed him the plates over.

"Yep. And we'll provide them a place should they need it. Sound like a plan?"

"Sounds fine to me, thanks for this Neville..." she smiled, as she helped him placing the lasagne in their respective plates.

"No problem, Annie. I've never seen Gwyn this happy in recent times and now that I have, I don't want to lose her again...like I did last time to that one guy who killed himself. She deserves to be happy, and the kid makes her happy," he grinned back as he carried the serving tray while Anne carried the plates.

"I think you'll like this one, Neville does them in a divine way," Gwyn smiled, as she saw Tristan eagerly eyeing the plate Anne placed in front of him.

"Oooohhh... looks great," came Tristan's amused reaction.

"Nev, what's this about giving me such a big portion?" Gwyn called out, as she saw the two men grin, as Neville came back with his, Lisa and Anne's servings.

"Because Gwynnie, you need to eat more as you hurled up a good chunk of whatever you ate today - which was far more substantial than I've ever seen you eat in all my years of knowing you. Plus, even if you don't finish, the shrimp here can probably polish it off."

"Hey! Don't call me a shrimp," pouted Tristan.

Grinning even wider, Neville set down the serving dish, placed his hands on both of Tristan's sides (making him giggle) and lifted him up without much fuss. "Yep, need to feed you more too Kiddo."

Blinking back at the two, Gwyn stifled yet another laugh, wondering how on earth Neville managed to lift Tristan so easily - Tristan wasn't such a lightweight after all. Well, at least, she didn't recall he was  _ that _ light.

Laughing, Tristan continued to squirm as Neville set him back down in his chair and patted his head. "Eat up Kiddo, plenty of food for ya."

"Fine fine," he giggled as he began digging into his dinner. "Tastes even better than it smelled..."

"Honey..." Lisa asked, turning to look at her husband, holding an already empty plate in her hands. "Could I have another small serving please?"

"Whoa already? Sure dear," smiled Neville as he dished up another serving and handed it to her before starting on his own plate. Watching everyone seated at his table, Neville continued to smile as this was one particular family dinner he could get used to - unlike the old ones he used to participate in.

"Tris, you haven't even finished yours!"

"I'm getting there, don't rush me..."

"Then what's this about stealing from my plate... mmh?" she chuckled.

"More for me?" he grinned while gobbling up the rest of his (and her) portions before getting another portion for himself.

Gwyn gave a quick look at Anne, who grinned back in response before bursting out laughing together with Gwyn. 

"Is this normal for you guys?" Neville asked while taking a drink of his water.

"For him it is," Gwyn replied, placing a hand at the back of his neck.

"Seriously? Then where exactly does it go?"

Looking up from mid-bite, Tristan grinned. "My stomach, where else?"

"Nev, I know you're thinking something..." Lisa chuckled, as she finished off her second portion.

"Well, mostly I was thinking that having more dinners like this would be nice, but I'm trying to reconcile the fact that the Kid's eating enough to feed an army and yet... he's still too light..."

"Fast metabolism. Always had one. Plus I have really light bones too," smirked Tristan as he finished the last of his dinner and drank his lemonade.

"Well, that explains everything then," Neville grinned. 

"And lots of love-making," Lisa uttered bluntly, earning the stares of everyone that was at the table.

Setting his glass down, Tristan started cracking up. "There's that too actually - but I'm pretty sure that Gwyn's told you I'm a bit of a sports nut. I've been told that I'm crazy because I run five miles during my lunch hour for fun or that I bike to work every day."

"Still think first option is the right one," she grinned, finishing up her glass of water.

"Ahh, but I never discounted that fact did I?" Tristan smirked back mischievously.

"Ahem, I'm still here you know..." Gwyn said. "And Nev stop grinning at me like an idiot."

"What? I was asking you about it earlier, but you never said anything. Plus, the fact that you look like you could use some more sleep... totally gives merit to what Lisa's saying and that the Kid's not denying it either. You're also about as red as a tomato right now too."

"Shut up," she mumbled, burying her face in Tristan's shoulder.

Leaning his head against hers, Tristan took her hand in his and held it tightly. "Alright alright... we'd best be going now, despite the awesome fun I'm having right now. And yes I'm thinking about what you guys are already assuming I'm thinking about so, if you don't mind, I'd like to be on my way so that I can get to work on that," Tristan replied in a serious tone that made everyone at the table laugh out loud.

"Aren't you staying here for the night?" Lisa suggested as she gave a quick glance to Neville.

"Yeah, the storm's pretty bad out there right now, but we'd understand if you can't as you've got work in the morning, don't you?"

"Well... as long as we wake up early tomorrow morning to get to my apartment early well..." she commented, looking at Tristan.

"Oh don't worry, just give me the time you want to wake up and I'll come over, I'm not really sleeping much right now..." Lisa replied, smiling at the two.

"Well, so long as we don't keep you up... too long," smirked Tristan, which caused Gwyn to kiss him to shut him up.

"Not at all. Baby's pretty active at night, so... don't really manage anyway," she told them. "Even if you stay up all night," she smirked.

Standing up, Tristan picked Gwyn up and carried her off towards the stairs, laughing the entire time. "Night everyone! See you all in the morning!"

"What the-Tris!" giggled Gwyn as she held tightly to Tristan as he took the stairs two at a time and entered one of the spare bedrooms, locking the door behind him.

Downstairs in the dining area, after the three adults realized just what exactly happened moments ago, laughter broke out amongst themselves as they began cleaning up (though Neville insisted that Lisa take it easy as both he and Anne took care of straightening up). As Anne and Neville cleaned, Lisa was busy entertaining Jasper, who had taken a liking to her immediately. Taking note of Jasper's identification tag on his collar, she laughed as she realized that though Jasper belonged to Tristan, the puppy's home address was listed as Gwyn's.

-

"That was... quite...  _ entertaining _ ," Gwyn laughed as Tristan seated her gently on the edge of the bed, furrowing her eyebrows as she noticed him kneeling in front of her. "Now,  _ what _ are you doing?" she smiled, taking his hands in hers as Tristan looked back at her in a mischievous look.

"What am I doing...? Hmm...good question there..." he continued to smirk as he moved his hands back on her thighs.

Leaning in towards him, Gwyn placed a quick kiss on his lips, pulling him closer to her and resting her chin on his head when the kiss ended.

Wrapping his arms around her middle, he rested his head against her shoulder. "Now, I know you probably can't tell me what happened during the meeting, but just know that I love you and don't blame you for anything that happened today, alright? If anything though, I'm glad you're okay."

"Had a furious fight with Fred, as you can imagine," she chuckled bitterly. "Even though I know you don't want me to repeat that again, I'm sorry for all that I made you go through... I'm glad that, at least, I managed to tell Cynthia to take care of you... before I left."

"Me too... She was crying over the phone when I talked to her after I woke up... Never heard her so scared in my life, but I told her that I was okay and that I'll make it up to her. And if you're going to be difficult, then I'm sorry too for making you feel bad too... as for Fred, was the fight about work or something else?"

"Sort of about work, mostly about something else..." she sighed. "And, you definitely didn't make me feel bad... you, of all people, is the least to make me feel bad... really..."

"Promise?" 

"Mmh?" she turned, facing him. "Promise what?"

"Promise that I didn't make you feel bad today?" he whispered while hugging her tightly.

"Of course you didn't," she smiled, kissing the top of his head.

Giving her a small grin, he slipped his hands under the pink sweatshirt and began caressing her lower back. "So, since I didn't make you feel bad today... might as well start making you feel good, right?" 

"Might as well-hey!" she chuckled as Tristan moved back on his feet, kissed her and gave her a gentle push, making her rest on her back.

Climbing onto the bed, Tristan sat next to her and grinned. "Hey now, might as well make the most of it tonight - as the storm's loud enough to muffle most of the sounds we make in here, right? So, my question is bath then bed or just bed? Granted though, I feel like I could use a nice hot bath after all that happened this afternoon."

Laughing lightly, Gwyn sat up and grinned back at him mischievously, realising at the same time that not thinking about all that had happened that afternoon was best forgotten. For the sake of the two of them. "Bed - bath - bed."

Raising an eyebrow at her, he smirked as he sat her on his lap and pulled off her sweatshirt while she removed his t-shirt. "My my, taking the initiative tonight aren't we?"

"Mmm-hmm... let's just say," she leaned in, whispering. "I need you more than I usually do... tonight."

"Just tonight? Because, y'know, I wouldn't mind this being a regular occurrence," he snickered before kissing her deeply.

"Make me forget all that happened today Tris, please..." she almost pleaded him in a low whisper, once their kiss ended.

Hearing her plea, Tristan quickly and wordlessly removed the rest of her clothes, as she removed his, before slowly making love to her.

"Thank you..." she smiled, as she passed a hand through his now-damp hair some time later.

"Anything for you," he smiled back as he pulled her close. "Cuddle here then in the tub?"

"Well, we might as well go get cleaned up," she chuckled. "With all of the emotions we went through together, plus the sickness, and the rain... and... God only knows what else... oh yes, sweat," she laughed as she kissed his forehead. "I don't think tub's as big as mine back home though..."

"Oh don't worry too much about that, I think I've proven to you that I'm quite...  _ flexible _ so it shouldn't be too much of a problem..." he smirked before carrying her into the bathroom, kicking their discarded clothing that lay in his path.

Laughing in response, Gwyn clung closer to him as he carried her inside the bathroom, placed her inside the tub and let the tap water running. "And why are you still out there may I ask?" she grinned. "Looking for something?"

Giving her an innocent look, "No, just looking  _ at _ something that I want right now." 

"Insatiable," she commented with a grin on her lips as Tristan got inside the tub. "And now?"

"Well, gotta put all that food I eat to good use right? And now... I think that I'll let you have your way with me..." he grinned as he settled himself behind her and rested his chin on her shoulder.

Stretching to close the water as the tub was already half full, Gwyn turned to face Tristan as he had circled his arms round her waist and gave him a deep passionate kiss, shifting closer to him as much as possible.

"I love you so much, Gwyn. Be mine forever?"

"Always... and forever Tris..." she smiled. "It's a solemn promise..."

Holding her close, he leaned in to whisper into her ear, "Good. Now it's your turn to make love to me."

"I know..." she whispered sensually, as she moved her head towards his neck as started kissing her favorite spot, while Tristan placed his hands on her lower back, pulling her close. "I swear though..." she chuckled. "I'm going to be dead tired tomorrow. Not that I'm minding that much anyway..."

"I doubt that you would mind... You're gonna be dead tired? Somehow I doubt that as well," he chuckled before working on his spot. "You are loving every single minute of this... and then some."

"Some?" she asked, as she lingered on one particular area of his neck, making him gasp. 

"Okay, let me re-phrase that, you are loving every single minute that you have with me whether we're awake or asleep... And don't stop."

"Loving every single second... every moment," she whispered back, somehow recalling what Neville had told her earlier. She needed to make the most out of every single instant she would have spent with Tristan from the point onwards - even a simple smile, a loving gesture, or just a look could somehow be part of her treasured memories of him. Living in such an uncertain future would have made anyone think of it that way... "I won't stop... don't worry."

Sometime later, Tristan let out a quiet yawn as he felt Gwyn's slow, rhythmic breathing against his chest. Chuckling, he kissed the crown of her head before gently nudging her awake. "Sweetie, we should probably move... It's a bit late - or really early right now."

Mumbling some form of 'yes' as she stood up, Gwyn climbed out of the tub, followed by Tristan who held her close as he felt that she wasn't stable enough to stand on her legs because of the sleepiness and tiredness coupled up. 

Picking up Gwyn easily, Tristan grinned to himself in self-satisfaction as he carried his lover back to bed and pulled the blankets over their nude bodies. As Gwyn began settling back to sleep, Tristan took hold of one of her hands and entwined their fingers together, marveling at the fact that he had somehow completely won her heart. Placing one last kiss on her shoulder blade, he wrapped his arm around her waist and fell asleep a few seconds later.

-

"Hey you two, I know it must be a pain waking up right now but... it'll start getting late soon," Lisa told them, as she knocked softly at the spare bedroom door where Tristan and Gwyn were sleeping.

"Just five more minutes Mom..." mumbled Tristan as he nuzzled deeper into Gwyn's neck.

"Was that Lisa?" Gwyn groaned back, placing a kiss on Tristan's hair.

"I think so?"

"Guess we have to wake up baby..." she whispered while sitting up in bed. "Thanks Lisa, we'll be coming down soon," she called back, as she felt Tristan wrapping his arms round her waist.

"You're welcome! Breakfast will be waiting for you downstairs," she grinned, as she slowly made her way downstairs once again.

Tugging her back down, he grinned before kissing her soundly. "Good morning."

"Good morning."

"As strange as it sounds, I can't wait to see you in AD mode... the pink thing's a bit much..."

"Out of character," she laughed, as she kissed him one last time and got out of bed, moving around the room to gather their clothes.

"Definitely," he grinned back as he found his boxers and jeans. Just before slipping on his boxers, he felt Gwyn's arms around his waist. "Any reason why you're preventing me from getting dressed?"

"To cuddle you a bit before we leave?" she replied, showering his back with small quick kisses, as Tristan leaned back his head against her. "I've got loads of work to do, plus, I'm thinking of canceling all of my meetings to focus as much as possible on my work - and that includes our project, so... I won't really have the time to cuddle you all morning and afternoon, you know."

"You can always just cuddle me as we're working in your office," he shot back as he wrapped his arms behind him to hug Gwyn.

"Honey, we've got work to do," she smiled as he turned to face her. "However..."

"However...?"

"I might accept short mental breaks," she grinned, earning the same look from him in return.

"Ooooh... so should we do the dirty phone call thing or are you just going to fantasise in your office? Because either or, I'm probably going to have to march right into your office and take you right then and there," laughed Tristan as Gwyn wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I'm seriously reconsidering the last option."

"Oh really? Because y'know the real thing's always much better than your fantasies," he smirked before kissing her.

"Considering that you have your dinner out with friends tonight... I'll miss my baby back home," she smiled, at the same thinking that Fred wouldn't have minded anyway - as that could have been considered as part of her dissuasion tactics falling within his very own plan.

"I could always come by after dinner, strictly for dessert... and my dog."

"You might, I wouldn't mind, I'd either be working or relaxing..."

"Good. Then I'll see you after dinner then. Not like they would mind dropping me off at your place anyways... As now I can count Cole in on knowing about us..."

"He helped you yesterday afternoon, I presume, mmh?" she frowned, resting her head on his shoulder.

"According to Anne and Cyn, yep. Don't worry baby... we'll all be okay. Trust me."

"I'll have to thank Cynthia as soon as I see her..."

"Yeah, which I guess you can personally do in a few hours. Ugh, as much as I don't wanna go... I know we need to. And by the way, your hands are getting a little too comfortable on my butt, not that I mind of course."

"Oops, sorry," she chuckled as she gave Tristan one last kiss on his cheek and let him go. "Let's finish getting dressed, and go downstairs... we don't have all morning after all," she concluded, sitting back on the edge of the bed as she slipped on the pair of trousers and pink sweatshirt. "Plus, we still need to go home and get changed."

Playfully, he stuck his tongue out at her as he pulled on his boxers and jeans. "No you're not, but like I said, I didn't mind at all. Also, it's probably best to get downstairs as soon as possible... I'd hate for Neville to break down the door and drag us downstairs while we're both naked..." 

"He wouldn't anyway..." she grinned as she gathered her hair in a ponytail once she was ready. "Bed's pretty much of a grand mess... mind helping me out rearrange it?" she commented, as she studied the state of the bedsheets.

"Sure, no problem," he smiled back as he pulled on his t-shirt before helping her with the bed. "So... do we do our best work in bed or in the bathroom? Though we haven't tried your office yet so..."

Laughing, Gwyn threw one of the pillows back at him in response. "Bed's best."

"Dunno, the last two times in the bathtub were pretty hot too... But your desk... wouldn't mind testing that one out..."

"What's with you and my desk I still can't understand," she chuckled, finishing up. Grinning, she then moved towards the door and opened it. "Nineteenth century hardwood isn't all too comfortable you know."

"And how would  _ you _ know if we've never tried it, hmm?" he teased. "Plus, the desk is the main focal point of your office, hence my fascination with it."

"Obsessed," she laughed, making her way out of the room. "Tris, you coming?" she called back, already by the staircase.

"Yes Ma'am and more like I'm obsessed with potentially having my way with you on that desk..." he grinned as he followed her down the stairs.

"Thank goodness I've got that insured," she laughed out once they arrived downstairs, earning the curious looks of Anne, Neville and Lisa who were already in the dining room.

"Did we miss something?" Tristan asked cautiously as he sat down at the table.

"Nothing, nothing," the two women replied, stifling a laugh as Neville giving them a mischievous grin.

"So... you two have a good night?"

Picking up his glass of orange juice, Tristan simply drank with an air of nonchalance, despite the huge smile on his face.

"Yes we did," Gwyn smiled. "Thanks for waking us up Lisa. Managed to sleep, at least for a short while?"

"Just a bit, as a little someone decided to play inside mommy's tummy last night," she replied, placing a hand on her stomach.

Feeling a tug on his pant leg, Tristan picked Jasper up and kissed the top of his head - earning several licks in the process as well as an amused laugh from Lisa.

"He came to sleep in our bedroom," Lisa smiled, as she had a sip from her cup of tea. "I thought he'd stay with Anne, but to my surprise, we found him nuzzling himself between me and Neville."

"He likes meeting new people. Plus, he's really smart so I guess he was feeling rather protective of you and the baby. At home, he'll stay in his dog bed but sometimes he'll sleep on my stomach when I'm on the couch," smiled Tristan as he continued to pet Jasper before setting him down and digging into his breakfast.

"That's what he did in fact, came by my side, wagging his tail and gave me a lick on my cheek, then lied down by my side, placing his muzzle on my pillow and fell asleep," she chuckled. "Someone was getting jealous in fact," she commented as she gave an amused look at Neville.

"And that same jealous person is quite quiet this morning..." Gwyn grinned back at Neville.

"I am so not jealous because of the dog... By the way, why's the dog living at your place when he belongs to the Kid?"

Chewing his bacon, Tristan gave them a thoughtful look. "I found him in an alley and took him with me, since he was too little to be by himself. Took him to the vet, got him checked out, bought a few things and brought him over to Gwyn's to keep both her and Anne company. When I registered his name... I ended up giving him my last name and Gwyn's address since at least I knew that there'd be someone with him at all times. Ulterior motive? Jasper's there to take care of them when I'm not around... and to remind Gwyn of me."

"Oh how sweet of you," Lisa smiled, gasping all of a sudden. "Whoa there you little angel, calm down... we'll get you a puppy when you're older."

"So that's how he did it. Most guys go the flower and chocolate route. Kid here went the 'give my boss a puppy' route. How cute Gwynnie."

"Well, actually, he even got jealous at a bouquet of flowers that one time when Black had..." she stopped, realising what she was going to say.

"Wait wait wait...  _ Black _ ? What's that asshole done now... God I hate that guy... He do something to you Gwyn?" Neville asked quietly while the others, including Jasper, looked on.

Nodding, Gwyn looked up at Tristan, who sighed in return. "Technically... to both."

"'Technically to both' what Gwyn? Please tell me."

"He beat her up..." Tristan said quietly as he took Gwyn's hand in his.

"He what?" Lisa gasped, turning to look at Anne who nodded in return.

"First me... then... eventually... he tried to do get his revenge for not getting what he wanted on Tristan..." Gwyn whispered, while caressing Tristan's hand with her thumb. 

"Why didn't you tell me, Gwyn? Also, you're quite lucky Kid - I remember I once had a go against Black, he broke my jaw and arm in two places."

"I didn't really give him a chance to touch me - he insulted Gwyn to my face and I just started hitting him. He looked like he had his face smashed in by a baseball bat, my hands just had some large superficial cuts and bruises. Fred had his personal doc look at them the day after I kicked Black's ass... which I thought was weird, but they gave me a salve and I used that for a while. Now you can't really tell I was in a fight."

"Hold on Kid... lemme see 'em."

"What? My hands? Sure." Shrugging his shoulders, he placed his hands in Neville's as the older man began studying them intently as Lisa looked on.

Studying the boy's hands, Neville could easily see where the healing cuts once were. ' _ Fred had his personal doc look at them'... shit, no wonder he wants the kid... If he was able to take on Black with just scratches - oh fuck... _ Letting go of Tristan's hands, he shot Gwyn a look that told her he knew why Fred was so interested. "Yeah Kid, I can see that they're healing really well. But thanks though for taking care of Gwyn and Anne - same to you Pup."

Realising that Neville actually wanted to have a quick word with her, Gwyn stood back on her feet, posed a kiss on Tristan's hair and smiled. "I'll go fetch some more milk from the kitchen... if you don't mind."

"I'll come with you," Neville's prompt reply came as he followed Gwyn inside, leaving the others discussing completely different topics than the one related to Black. 

"What is it?" Gwyn whispered, once she knew they were out of hearing distance from the three of them.

"Kid took on Black and all he got were scratches?! No wonder Fred wants the boy... he sees the boy filling the role that I couldn't, right?" Neville whispered back, slightly agitated. "God Gwyn... you- _ we _ have to keep him safe... his friends too, no doubt as Anne was telling us about yesterday."

"Maybe that's what he's thinking - you were the ideal suitor for me in his eyes after all... and he had raised you as such. That's what he might be thinking with respect to Tris," she whispered back. "But don't worry," she replied, in a reassuring tone. "I've decided to spend all the time that I can with him, staying around as much as possible - hoping that he doesn't get the bright idea of assigning someone else to the task. I can stall, but not forever, Nev. And I'm going to make the most out of all of that precious time," she smiled, visibly more relaxed after passing the night with Tristan. "Black was still hoping that  _ Daddy _ would choose him for me."

"Well clearly Black was mistaken, as ironically  _ Daddy's _ chosen Tristan. And good on your plan, Gwyn. If you two need a place, you got it right here," he smiled gently as he gave her a warm hug and kissed her forehead. "As for the precious time with the kid - might wanna keep it down a bit as the baby wasn't the only thing keeping us up last night... though I'd guess that having sound-proof walls have probably spoiled you somewhat, hmm?"

"Y-you heard us?!"

"Gwyn, I'm a vampire too, remember? Got great hearing and all - though you two were actually really quiet for the most part as Lisa couldn't hear you - save for when you two headed to the bathroom I suppose. No wonder he eats so much... though I'm suspecting that you got tired before him, right?"

Laughing, Gwyn rested her chin on Neville's shoulder and whispered back. "I think I fell asleep in the bathtub, Tristan carried me back to bed... and sorry for disturbing your sleep, Big Brother," she smiled.

"Didn't really disturb my sleep - Lisa moving because of the baby and Jasper hogging my pillow were doing that - but I must admit... it was a rather interesting night to say the least... Kinda hot too... Lastly, he pretty good?"

"If you heard me you'd know the answer," she grinned back at him, with a slight blush coloring her cheeks.

"Remind me to give the kid bigger portions next time... He'll need it. Though after picking him up last night, I can see why you're so fond of him - he's all lean muscle and no fat. Really light too - though I doubt you could tell the difference," Neville continued with his teasing. "And yes, it sounded like you had a  _ very good _ time with him..."

"Yes I did and now... can you hand me over the milk so that he won't think we were discussing yesterday, and his accomplishments?" she replied, poking her tongue back at him.

Rolling his eyes, he handed the bottle of milk over to Gwyn. "Fine, he's a growing boy after all... and I meant both him and the Pup. And how'd he get you to keep Jasper? Thought you weren't a dog person?"

"Let's put it this way - I just give the puppy a home. It's Anne and Tristan that take care of him..." she told him as they walked back into the living room. "I just spoil him silly," she laughed. "Just like I do with that man over there."

"Clearly," laughed Neville as he ruffled Tristan's hair before sitting down. "Best hurry up with your breakfast there, Kid. Don't wanna make your boss late for work now do you?"

Grinning mischievously, Tristan took the glass of milk that Gwyn offered him. "Well, since we usually leave at separate times, it's usually me running late as she keeps me around a little later than she should." 

"Will you two stop it now?" she pouted playfully, which made Tristan grab her from her waist and make her sit down on his lap.

"Ah-ah, we're not at work so I'm still free to spend quality time with my  _ girlfriend _ not my  _ boss. _ Time that I'm definitely savouring right now," smiled Tristan as kissed Gwyn's cheek.

"You've realised, it's the first time you've called me your girlfriend, haven't you?" she smiled turning to grin back at him.

"Point taken. Never really cared in making the distinction as you're still the same person I love."

"I actually like how it sounds..."

"Then I'll start calling you as such... though I like calling you Assistant Director when we're off the clock..."

"Well, you have to call me Assistant Director in any case," she grinned as Anne stood up to take the crockery back into the kitchen.

"But not in the tone that I use when we're in bed..." he smirked, causing Neville and Lisa to laugh out loud.

"Oh my God, Tristan, I really didn't need to hear that," she laughed as she stood up. "I need to go to the bathroom - bladder emergency," she told them, still laughing as she rushed to the toilet.

Watching Lisa leave, Neville just eyed the pair in front of him and grinned. "Most exciting morning I've had in a while, I'll say that. You two best finish up - got a long day ahead of you back at work and we've gotta start setting up the restaurant." 

"I'm ready, he has to finish up," Gwyn grinned as she stood up and stretched her arms out, letting out a yawn. "And thank you for everything Nev, really."

Smiling, Tristan devoured the rest of his eggs and sausage and drained the last of his milk before wiping his mouth. "Yeah thanks for everything. By the way... is it too early for profiteroles?"

"Kiddo, it's seven in the morning! And you're already thinking about dessert? Gwyn? What are we gonna do with this one, hmm?" laughed Neville. 

"He's insatiable in all forms imaginable," Gwyn winked back at Neville, blushing slightly.

"There's some in the fridge Neville prepared for you last night, if you like," Lisa replied, as she walked back into the dining room. "Mister Kirkham is just bluffing here," she grinned, placing a kiss on his cheek.

"Really?! Yay! Thanks so much!" exclaimed Tristan as he ran into the kitchen, with Jasper at his heels.

Looking at the two women in front of him, Neville continued to grin. "And you two were giving me a hard time about the fact that I call him a little kid..."

"I won't comment on that," Gwyn replied, stifling a laughter. "He's absolutely crazy about sweets and desserts."

"Oh I have no doubt about that," Lisa chuckled in return.

"I swear I'm getting tired at just watching him run around... Well, so long as he makes you happy Gwyn, though how you have the energy to deal with him, I'll never know..."

"Probably it's one of the things that makes me love him... he makes me feel  _ alive _ ."

"I can definitely see that... He certainly is lively," replied Neville as he hugged Gwyn while laughter could be heard in the kitchen. "Apparently Anne's rather fond of him too."

"Yes she is... she's been around me for far too long I suppose... now at least, having a vampire and a human by her side makes her feel better. More at home, in a way."

"Guess so." 

Smiling, both Anne and Tristan were eating out of the bag of profiteroles while Jasper made his way over to Gwyn's feet.

"We good to go?" asked Tristan in between bites of the profiterole in his hand.

"There you are you," Gwyn whispered, taking the puppy in her arms. "Sweetie's being a good boy, isn't he?" she grinned, then looking up at the two. "Yes might as well. We have to be at the office in two hours' time. And by the way, will you leave a couple of those for me too please?"

"Aww... there's only..." Quickly, Tristan peeked into the bag and saw at least fifteen more in the bag before letting out a sigh. "Fifteen more..."

"Keep some for Cynthia too then."

Pouting slightly, Tristan slowly closed the bag and wiped his mouth again with his napkin from the table. "Might as well. Mr. Neville?"

Blinking, Neville began laughing. "Kid, it's just Neville - calling me Mister makes me sound so old..."

"Sorry...  _ Neville _ , could you please make more? I'd like to bring some home for dessert after dinner tonight with my friends."

"NOW?!"

"Not now, I meant later - for tonight."

"Mmh... why don't you come and pick them up after you finish work? They'd definitely be ready by then..."

"Or I can bring them back home for you myself. I'm going to help Lisa with clearing up, and preparing her hospital bag... if the Miss doesn't have any objection..."

"Definitely not," Gwyn replied. "But we'll come pick you up after work... sounds good to you Tris?"

"Sure! Not gonna object to that. Besides, I can help with the hospital bag - learned how to pack one properly when my oldest sister had her first kid... Also, if you're having trouble with sleeping at night, I know of a tea blend that might help."

"Mmh... that might sound helpful..." Lisa smiled, right before looking at the time. "Hate to cut this short, but you really should be leaving now."

"Aww... alright alright," Tristan replied with a smile as he gave Lisa a hug and kiss on the cheek. "Thank you for everything. And may I?" he gestured towards her stomach.

"Oh go on," she chuckled, as she smiled back at Neville, and winked in Gwyn's direction.

Placing his hand on her stomach, Tristan smiled as he felt the baby kick. "Hey in there, be mindful of your mommy, alright? She's working pretty hard at keeping you safe and happy, but she needs to rest too. Plus, might do you some good too to take a nap for a few hours, right?" Feeling a bit more movement, Tristan removed his hand and extended it to Neville. "Thanks for everything, especially keeping her safe."

"You're more than welcome... and be sure to keep yourself safe too," Neville grinned, shaking his hand firmly.

"Can and will do," he grinned back before letting go and hugging Anne. "See you later tonight." 

"Yes," she nodded in return. "And take care of yourselves. Oh, and tell Cynthia I said hello."

"Sure thing." Finally, Tristan picked up Jasper and scratched his belly before giving him a kiss on the nose. "Be a good boy Jas. Take care of Auntie Anne, Auntie Lisa, and Uncle Neville, okay?"

Barking in return, Jasper licked Tristan's nose before settling back on the ground.

"Bye everyone," waved Tristan as he started heading for the entrance of the restaurant.

"Thanks for everything, and we'll be seeing you soon... Anne? Need anything, call me."

"Yes yes, I will, thank you Gwyn," Anne smiled, as she waved back at the two. "See you."

"Later everyone!" Tristan waved one final time as he opened the door and the umbrella as both he and Gwyn got under it before heading out to her car in the rain.

-

The drive back to Gwyn's apartment took more time than either wanted, due to the torrential rain making the city streets extremely slick and dangerous. Once home, the pair quickly stripped off their clothes and hopped into the shower - fighting the temptation for a quickie as they bathed quickly. After cleaning up the rest of themselves, Gwyn allowed Tristan to pick out her outfit for the day while Tristan not only allowed Gwyn to pick his clothes, but also to physically dress him as he knew that he wouldn't be able to see her for most of the day. Once she tied off his tie, Gwyn decided to let Tristan dress her, which made the two of them giggle the entire time as Tristan couldn't keep his hands from straying. Eventually, both Gwyn and Tristan finished straightening themselves up and headed off to the office, all while simply enjoying each other's company.

Stopping mid-way to the office, Gwyn parked the car for a brief while and turned to face Tristan. "Guess I'd better leave you off here... for now, what do you think?"

"Guess so. Though if you see me stalking around like a wet cat, we'll know why..." he grinned back at her. Leaning over, he took her hand and kissed it before grabbing his bag and umbrella. "Love you Gwyn."

"Love you Tris," she whispered back, as she watched him getting out of the car and walking away. Sighing, she switched on the engine and headed off, hoping to manage to focus on her work as much as possible for the rest of the day.

-

"Cynthia, would you mind coming in my office please?"

"Ah... yes, AD, coming now," Cynthia promptly replied, standing up from her desk to enter Gwyn's office. Gwyn had got straight inside her office that morning, asked Cynthia to cancel all of her appointments for the day then worked for straight for a full three-four hours without saying a word to anyone, evidently not wanting to be disturbed. After knocking lightly at the door and hearing Gwyn's voice, Cynthia slipped inside, waiting for the next instruction from her boss.

"Have a seat," Gwyn asked her as she finished signing the last document from a stack that was on the left side of the desk. 

"Oh, thank you," Cynthia replied, while keeping her eyes on her hands rested on her lap.

"Thanks for yesterday Cynthia... I... I really don't know what could have happened if you weren't there. And I'm sorry for frightening you so much... I mean, I left without any explanation whatsoever, leaving you in complete darkness of what had happened... also... Tristan had nothing to do with all this... he was in that state because of me."

"I... don't mention it..." she smiled, looking up at Gwyn. "It was the least I could do... I'm glad he's alright now. He came in today right? Still hasn't come to say hello this morning..."

A knock on Gwyn's door made both women turn as, true to his word, a rather wet Tristan slipped inside. "Hi-I... sorry, I'll just be going..."

Blinking, Gwyn gestured for Tristan to get inside the office. "So that's what you meant! Why didn't you tell me you didn't have an umbrella?" she chided him, sighing a little bit.

"I did... it broke when I was walking and then a huuuuugge truck drove into a really big puddle... drenching me in the process - and sorry for dripping on the carpet. Oh and hi Cyn, how are you?"

"You idiot!" Cynthia exclaimed, as she woke up from her seat, with tears welling up in her eyes and rushed by Tristan's side to hug him. "I'm so glad you're alright..."

"Hey hey, watch the wet clothes," Tristan joked as he cautiously hugged her back to avoid getting her wet. "No worries, gorgeous, I'm alright now." 

"Forget the carpet... just go get changed before you start working, I don't want you to catch a cold now," Gwyn smiled as she winked back at Tristan.

"Yeah... about that... my spare suit's at the cleaners... so..." he grinned sheepishly as he tugged on his overcoat and suit jacket before slyly winking back at Gwyn.

"You sure you're alright Tris, mmh?" Cynthia muffled still holding him close.

"Oh he sure is..." Gwyn replied, grinning. "Haven't you noticed what he was hinting at... if you want to stay in your underwear, honey, there's your office for that," she echoed back mischievously. "Plus, I've got a lot of work behind schedule that I need to get done by today. In any case, you need to dry out anyway."

"Not that I'm looking forward to it..." he pouted playfully. "Mind if we have a mini-camp out in my office with Jamie and Cole, Cyn? I'll spring for lunch and you three may proceed in grilling me. Besides, I'll be stuck in my boxers for most the day."

Laughing, Cynthia looked up at her best friend and chuckled. "Doesn't sound like a bad idea..."

"For  _ you _ maybe... Oh and here," Tristan removed his wet tie (which still remained knotted) and placed it around Gwyn's neck. Leaning in, he whispered, "Stop feeling guilty about yesterday, I'm over it."

"Was guilt so evident that you felt it?" Gwyn smiled back.

"Yep." Shooting Cynthia a smirk, "Turn your head, Cyn. Grown-up stuff happening." He then bent his head down and kissed Gwyn passionately before stepping away. 

"Oh whatever," she pouted, as she looked away. "As if I didn't know what you're doing."

"Which means I won't be seeing you during lunch..." Gwyn commented, as Tristan was walking towards the door.

"Not unless you want me to? Because of y'know, work stuff," he grinned while placing a hand on Cynthia's shoulder.

"I wouldn't mind you coming around for just a couple of minutes," she smiled, as she gestured the two of them to leave the room, back into full AD mode. "And sorry to sound rude but... do you mind?"

"Sure sure. C'mon Cyn, best leave AD here to her 'oh so busy busy work'," Tristan said with a bright smile as he led himself and Cynthia out.

"Have a nice day, and thank you!" she called out, smiling, as she watched Tristan closing her door.

"Hey Tris..." Cynthia whispered, as he was arranging himself before leaving for his office again. "I'm glad you're alright."

"Me too, sweetie, me too. Hurt really bad, but I'm glad we're both alright now. See you at lunch?"

"Mmm-hmm, but at least phone AD before the boys arrive at your office... which reminds me, I'll phone them up. You just get dried off and get some work done."

"I will," he smiled before leaning over her desk and kissing her cheek. "See ya!"

-

"AD... phone call from Faraday," she chuckled as she peeped inside Gwyn's office after a couple of hours. "Put him through?"

"Yes yes, I need to tell him that he forgot something here earlier," she smiled back. "Thanks Cynthia."

"You're welcome, passing him in a minute," she replied as she went back to her desk and passed on the call. "See you soon Tris," she grinned as she placed the handset back in its place.

"Yes Faraday?" Gwyn replied from her desk, grinning.

"May Cynthia join me for lunch, Miss AD ma'am?"

"Yes she can, permission granted," she chuckled at the other end. "Faraday, do you know that you've forgotten your tie in my office?"

"I didn't forget it - I wanted you to take care of it," he laughed as he scratched his calf. "I mean, I thought you might miss it while my suit and shirt are at the cleaners." 

"Which means, you're talking to me in your boxers right now..."

"My white ones at that," he snickered.

"I heard that laugh... you just read me, didn't you?"

"Not too hard to do so... Seems like you're taking a bit of a mental vacation right about now, and luckily, the shorts didn't get soaked from the rain. Otherwise I'd- _ now now _ , save those feelings for later,  _ Assistant Director _ ."

"Your fault, Faraday, stop talking about your underwear," she chuckled.

"You're the one that started it. But... I'm quite looking forward to getting rid of yours later," he replied cheekily.

"Naughty..." she smiled, knowing that he really meant what he had just told her anyway. "Is work alright Tris?"

"Yeah, boring, but it's alright. You?"

"Fine. But too much to do and too little time... I have the suspicion that I'll have to work all through the evening once I get back home."

"Guess I'll have to physically distract you from it once it starts getting too late..."

"Probably that will be the only way to get me off it."

"We'll still have to get Anne though, unless you want some alone-time in the apartment beforehand?"

"Let me tell you what we'd need to do - once we're done from here, we go get Anne and your profiteroles, and I can give you a lift to your place, I guess that would make things easier for you. I suppose you and your friends will me meeting somewhere close to where you live."

"Actually, Cyn's place is closer to the restaurant... but... yeah, my place is good. Don't wanna bug her beforehand." 

"That's a plan then."

"Alright then, so unless you're gonna be fantasizing a bit longer, care to send your trusted assistant/my best friend down my direction? Pizzas should be arriving soon - one of the mail guys'll be delivering them to me."

"Seems you're all organized then," she smiled. "I'll be telling Cynthia to come over as soon as I finish our call."

"Guess so - had a good teacher. I'll stop by after lunch if you want?"

"Yes please - with a slice of pizza and a couple of profiteroles... I forgot to bring lunch with me, for obvious reasons," she chuckled, leaving Tristan slightly surprised again.

"We're having a cheese pizza, an all-veggie pizza for Cyn, and an all-meat pizza for Cole and I. Any preference? As for the profiteroles, I'll set four aside for you," he chuckled over the receiver. "See, I'm totally an awesome influence on you."

"Leave me a veggie slice if Cynthia doesn't mind... and yes, you are quite my awesome influence," she chuckled. "Love you..."

"Will do and love you too," he replied sincerely.

"And I'll call your best friend to come along," she told him. "See you later."

"Later then."

-

"Coming in!" Cynthia called, after knocking at Tristan's office door. "Whoa!" she grinned as soon as she closed the door and turned to see James and Cole seated on Tristan's desk. "What the heck are you doing sitting there?"

"No where else to sit-"

"Actually we're just waiting for Tristan to come back - he went to the bathroom. Pizzas should be here in a bit."

"Jamie, I was going to say - before I was so  _ rudely _ interrupted - that we're not sitting on the couch because all of Tristan's papers and reports are on it."

Sitting in the couch, Cynthia grinned back at her two friends. "You mean, he went to the bathroom in his shorts?"

Rolling their eyes, Cole answered back. "Yeah he did. I swear that kid's nuts at times. We heard a lot of whistles as he walked past some of the girls on the floor."

"And then he wonders why he got all that fangirl mail."

"Sorry I'm... late? Hey Cyn," grinned Tristan as he walked into his office with the pizzas in hand. Once both James and Cole moved, he set the boxes down and that was when Cynthia realized just how  _ under dressed _ Tristan was at the moment. __

"Will you cover yourself up in some way?! And you even went to get the pizzas in your boxer shorts too!" she sighed, placing a hand on her temple.

"All my clothes are at the cleaners, and I don't have any of my clean workout clothes here either. I'm also quite comfortable right now and no, Tyler the mail guy was right outside the door when I got to my door, so I took the boxes," he smirked while both James and Cole decided to wisely stay out of the conversation.

"You're impossible."

"And you love me anyways. So, food's here, save a few of the veggie slices and ask away," Tristan replied as he dug into the all-meat pizza and placed a stack of napkins onto his desk by the boxes. "All questions are fair game - though I'll probably not answer a few if they're too personal regarding Gwyn."

"Since I'm hungry..." Cynthia commented, as she took a slice of veggie pizza and a napkin in her hands. "I'll leave it to the guys first."

"When and how?"

"I started having a crush on her long before the project, but it was during the project that I started chasing after her. The how part is tricky, as I was in her office one day and just before I left, I had the urge to kiss her - so I did, which pissed her off royally but I was on cloud nine at that moment."

"I can totally imagine you doing that... and to your boss too, you're really damn crazy," Cynthia remarked, while continuing to eat.

"I really can't say what made me do it, other than I did," he shrugged before grabbing another three slices (one of each kind). "Next?"

"When did you realise she was returning your feelings?" Cynthia asked, smiling back at Tristan.

"Definitely before Black... It was... the night after we both stormed out of the office - you remember that day Cyn as you chewed me out beforehand. But that was an interesting day... I crossed the boundary in her office, we both got confused and frustrated, apologized and made up during a walk on the beach and lunch, I said something and put my foot in my mouth, had another argument, both ended up back at work later in the evening... and *poof* another apology followed by a few more kisses and a shared dessert. She laid some ground rules for decorum in the office, but we're slowly breaking them. Next?"

Both James and Cole decided to let Cynthia do all of the questioning, as it seemed redundant for all three of them to ask the same questions - plus the pizzas were too good to stop eating.

"Thought so... boys, your turn now," Cynthia grinned, as she winked back at Tristan.

Pausing mid-bite, "'Thought so' what, Cyn?"

"That things went that way... I mean... it must have been difficult at first, not for you, for Gwyn."

"I mean, I know I was coming off way too strong especially in the beginning, but... it's like I had this voice telling me that she was the one I've been looking for my entire life. I had to have her, plain and simple. She was definitely risking a lot, all things considered, and my risks were there too, but not as high up as hers. Since that day - we've had three more major arguments - the last being on Saturday, but it's more about our insecurities than anything. We've both never felt this strong of a pull towards someone until now..."

"She really is the one, isn't she then Tris?" she gazed back at him, with a loving look.

"I think so... She just... I can't really describe it," he grinned an almost dreamy grin. "I... yeah, I'd give  _ anything _ to spend forever with her."

"Oh God Cole, our little boy's growing up... Isn't this just  _ adorable _ ?" teased James as he grabbed a slice of the meat pizza.

"Awww... then the next thing he'll do is talk about marriage, maybe have some kids... It's all just terribly sweet right now," snickered Cole while drinking out of his can of soda.

Pouting slightly, Tristan took another slice of the cheese pizza after having finished his previous three slices while Cynthia eyed the other two critically. 

"Oh that's obvious... I mean... totally natural if he's feeling that way about her," Cynthia told the two, taking Tristan's side.

"No Cyn, I mean it... I  _ can't _ live without her. It'd kill me if I ever lost her..." he replied quietly.

"And don't start thinking weird, depressing stuff now, will you?" she told him, taking her last slice of pizza. "And I think I'm out of questions now."

"I'm not... honestly, but... I don't want to lose what I have. After the last argument - which led to me groveling a lot - the make-up sex before dinner was amazing, then we went to dinner, then a waltz on the beach... and then back to my place for another couple of hours of 'fun'. I kinda refused to sleep, which she teased me about, so I decided to distract her by going down on her and then I dragged her to the beach to watch the sunrise on Sunday morning. Spent the day at the Victorian museum - as she loves anything about that time period - and then back to her place..."

"Victorian? That sounds lovely... And... bet you two wouldn't even dream of being so romantic," she teased James and Cole as she moved to fetch her can of diet cola.

"Wait wait - you were pretty up all of Sunday? Did you even  _ sleep _ this past weekend Tris?" Cole asked in a slightly worried tone.

"Managed a few hours on Sunday morning. After sunrise, we both went back to sleep and woke up around midday. Went to the museum and her place afterwards."

Shaking his head while adjusting his glasses, James gave his younger friend a grin. "You are insane, Kiddo. You mostly spent your weekend making love to your  _ BOSS _ ... You are easily the most brazen kid I've ever known."

"I'd say it was a mutual thing on her part as well, but yes, yes I did. And it was fucking amazing... Only hope that this coming weekend is just as amazing - minus any fighting, but the make-up sex would probably be mind-blowingly good."

"I think AD would kill you if she knew what you're telling us..."

Closing his eyes briefly as he chewed his food, he opened his eyes again and gave them a grin. "She'd kill me if I went into detail as to what we do when in bed together, but she also knew that I was going to talk to you guys about us. I'm just going over the obvious while leaving out the details." 

"I'm done!" Cynthia exclaimed, as she started getting cozy on the couch. "No more questions from my end."

"Cyn... my papers were on the couch..."

"I'm not sitting on any papers dear, placed them neatly on the side," she replied, pointing at a small stack of papers on the other side of the couch while sticking her tongue at Tristan.

"There was a report with the papers too..."

"It's with them too. Placed it on top."

Peeking behind Cynthia's back, James grabbed a plastic report cover that was in between her and the couch cushion. "He meant  _ this _ report, Cyn."

Raising an eyebrow, she looked at the cover and grinned. "Still seems perfect to me... and is it me or you two left all the questioning to me?"

Wiping his hands on a napkin, Tristan ran a hand through his hair. "Girlfriend or not, she's still my boss... who probably would've killed me if I lost any of those papers."

Grinning, Cole moved the remaining papers and set them on the floor before resting his head on Cynthia's shoulder. "Jamie and I figured that it would've been redundant if we asked the same questions that you were already asking."

"Yep. Besides, guys don't really ask questions like those," laughed James as he rested his back against Cynthia's leg.

"See Tris? You're safe... no... tricky questions so to speak," she chuckled.

"Good. So... just no making bets on when I actually take her on her desk... okay?" grinned Tristan as he transferred the remaining slices of pizza to one box, while leaving four slices (two veggie, one cheese, one meat) in another box for Gwyn. Reaching into his bag, he pulled out the remaining bag of profiteroles and placed all but four onto a paper plate. "These you've gotta try. We both shared a bag of these the night Gwyn and I got together."

"Let's see then..." Taking one profiterole each while the two boys were still resting against Cynthia, the three friends gasped in delight as soon as they had the first bite. 

"Oh my God! Where did you get these from?!" Cynthia exclaimed, looking back at a grinning Tristan.

"Fucking amazing, aren't they? And I got them from a restaurant by the coast. Gwyn's friend and wife own the place. She took me there on  _ that day _ for lunch. After yesterday, she ended up there and I got to take these back with me."

"Holy crap, I'm not too much into sweets, but this is fuckin' awesome," Cole commented. "Cyn, we need to bring these to you every time you're PMSing."

"We've gotta go to the place. Say, why don't we skip out on Gino's tonight and head to the place that Tris' talking about?"

"I agree! And shut up about the PMS, what do you know..." she mumbled.

"Hold on a second, need to make a phone call..." Picking up the receiver, he directly dialed Gwyn's line. "Hello?"

"Yes?"

"Mind if we have a change in plans for tonight? The others wanna got to Neville's place for dinner. So, I think it'd be easier to just have them follow us there? Then we can get Anne and Jasper afterwards. What do you think?"

"I see no problem with that I suppose... gave them the profiteroles, right?" she chuckled at the other end.

"Oh yeah and they want more. I'll tell them the plan. See you later!"

"Later dear," she smiled as she hung up, and her expression immediately turned into a more serious one, as she got out from her office.

-

"Ahh Gwyn, have a seat," smiled Fred as Gwyn sat in her customary chair. "Now, despite our little tiff yesterday, I was noticing that you've been looking a bit - peaky. So, as I'll be needing my top commander in tip-top shape, I've brought you a rather substantial meal. My way of saying, 'sorry for making my little girl cry'."

Taking an air of pure nonchalance, Gwyn merely crossed her legs and nodded. "Oh thank you for the thought... I must have disturbed you yet again."

"My pleasure and again, I'm sorry for hurting you in any way yesterday. I just want what's best for you, and for that, I want you to get better. And no, I requested your presence here, so I should be apologizing to you."

"Right."

"Now go on and if you need anything else, just let me know," replied Fred as he made a 'shoo'ing' motion with his hands as he got back to work on the small stack of reports that Gwyn had brought with her for him to read.

Without saying another word, Gwyn just stood up, nodded back at Fred and walked into the small room at the back of his office where he usually used to keep her 'meals', slamming the door in the process. The sooner she got out of that place, the better...

-

Sighing to himself as he walked through the halls of the office in his boxers, Tristan carefully avoided anyone's looks as he made his way over to Gwyn and Cynthia's offices. His clothes were due to be back around five, which meant that Tristan had roughly two and a half more hours of just sitting around in his boxers. Seeing Cynthia, he gave her a wry grin as he continued to carry the pizza box while the profiterole bag was perched atop it. "She in?"

"Yep dear, got in a couple of minutes after I got back - was in a strange mood at first, but then I heard her hum a few minutes later. Go inside," she winked back at him.

"Alright alright, don't rush me..." he grinned before knocking and entering Gwyn's office. Immediately, he was drawn to the fact that he heard her humming the waltz they had danced to on the beach. "Having a good time... wow, you look  _ great _ ."

"Lock the door Tris."

Adjusting the box to his other hand, Tristan quickly locked the door and made his way over to Gwyn's desk and set the pizza box and profiterole bag on an unused corner of the desk before sitting down. "Sorry I didn't have my reports with me - my hands were kinda full..."

"The reports are the last thing I'm thinking about right now."

Giving her a small smirk, he moved to sit on the edge of his chair and rested his elbows on her desk. "So... I can feel that right now. The question is, what exactly are you  _ thinking _ right now, hmm?"

"Well...  _ this _ might be a hint," she smirked, as she stood up on her feet, and moved in front of her desk to sit on his lap, still with the blush caused by the feeding on her cheeks.

"My my... aren't you the one that said that we couldn't do anything in your office during official office hours?" Tristan smirked wider as he wrapped his arms around Gwyn's waist.

"Might make an exception... you're in boxers in my office anyway," she laughed, resting her forehead against his.

"Sounds like a plan to me," he whispered back before kissed her. 

"Perfect... and... what are you doing?" she chuckled, as Tristan took her in his arms.

"Well I was thinking that despite how much I want to take you on your desk, perhaps the couch would be a better place on this cold, dreary, and rainy afternoon, hmm?" he laughed as he carried her over to the couch and settled himself above her. 

"Talk about needing a mental break," she whispered as she placed a hand at the back of his neck and pulled him closed to her.

"I think it's about high time you took one,  _ Assistant Director _ ," he whispered back as his hands slid up her skirt.

Pulling him even closer, Gwyn started placing small kisses on his jaw, chin, running down to his neck and halting right on the usual spot. "That's exactly what I'm doing," she whispered back.

"Guess I'd better put my half-hour break to good use then," he winked as he found the waistband of her underwear and stockings. "Time to test just how soundproof the walls are."

"My thoughts exactly..." she replied, pulling him into a deeper, more intense kiss...

Almost half an hour later, the pair were lying languidly on the couch, catching their breath while still touching and stroking each other's skin constantly; their nude bodies cooling in the air-conditioned air of Gwyn's office.

"I think my half-hour break's almost up, Sweetheart. Unless this 'meeting's gonna last a bit longer?" whispered Tristan as he was cuddling against Gwyn on the narrow space of her couch. Resting his head on her shoulder, he could see just exactly where he had discarded her clothes around her office while she had merely tossed his boxers over by her skirt.

"No, you should go back to work now - but... I don't want you running about in those boxers again. First, I know those damned fangirls of yours must have eyed you like rabid beasts... and second... it's not really... proper. Plus, only I have the permission to see you like that... and, I'm getting pretty possessive of late, you know," she chuckled.

"Well, if you can sneak me into my office without being seen... I'd appreciate that. Unfortunately, my clothes won't be ready for another..." he checked his wristwatch briefly, "two hours. So I'm stuck wearing just them until the dry cleaner guy shows up - then I can be properly dressed. Yes the fangirls were eying me like meat, yes I'm aware of how improperly dressed I am, especially at this exact moment, and yes, only you have permission to see me as I am right now. I don't really mind the possessiveness though, it's a definite turn-on actually."

"Give me time to put my clothes back on... and I'll ask Cynthia to bring your work over..." she smiled, as he started playing with a stray strand of hair on her forehead. "Plus, I'll give you a blanket to cover yourself up."

"Fair enough," he smiled back before kissing her again.

Once back into her prim and proper AD-self and after having gotten Tristan wrapped in a blanket, Gwyn walked out of her office and asked Cynthia to fetch his work from his office, just like she had just mentioned to Tristan.

"He's still in there you mean?"

"Yes, wrapped up in a blanket like a present," Gwyn chuckled, as Cynthia gave her a confused look. "And he's still got two more hours till his clothes arrive from dry-cleaning so... I won't be having him go around the place with just his blessed boxer shorts!"

"Will do in a minute then, I agree," Cynthia grinned as she stood up. "Oh by the way, you really got a lovely blush AD."

"Thank you Cyn and..." she stopped, noticing she had the same naughty grin Tristan had when he was talking about a particular something in a teasing way. "Hey!"

"See ya in a bit!"

-

"There you go, boxer-donning employee of the year," Cynthia grinned, when she entered the office finding Tristan seated on the couch heavily wrapped in a blanket, while the AD was already working her mind off. "Got you everything you had on your desk top," she told him, while handing him his work.

Giving her a smirk, he stood up to wrap the blanket around his waist before taking his papers. "Thank you Cyn. Between you and AD, you're the only ones that can protect me from the fangirls..."

"Better that way, instead of burning all of them on a stake," she mumbled from her desk, making Cynthia chuckle in response.

"She's right about that Tris, they're terribly annoying."

"And you haven't even seen the flippin' fanmail."

"I got more fanmail? Since when?" he yawned as he opened the report to where he last left off.

"You didn't get any, at least I hope so... but I was just telling Cynthia how irritating that stuff is."

"At least the blaze from the bonfire was spectacular..."

"That too."

"You got that stuff burnt in a bonfire?" she laughed, amused. "That's awesome."

"Yeah, last Friday night. Awesome sight to behold. Lingerie burns up quite quickly I must add... But really, nothing new in my office, right?" 

"No no, haven't seen anything suspicious... and Tris, lingerie? Those  _ whor _ -lovely ladies sent you... lingerie?!"

"See how a normal person reacts to that, Tristan?" grinned Gwyn, raising her head up from her desk to look at the two of them.

"Yes lingerie and it's not like I could do anything with it. I don't have the figure, I have no ass or boobs to even support it so... they got burnt up."

"True, true..." mused Cynthia, as she moved towards the office door. "Need anything else before I leave?"

"Just let me know when the dry cleaning guy arrives... and then bring me my clothes? Please please please?"

"Will do, and see you later you two," she smiled, as she exited the office and closed the door, leaving them on their own. Sitting down at her desk, she realized that Tristan had the same blush on his cheeks that Gwyn did as well as the fact that his hair was tousled more that it was when he first arrived, which made her chuckle to herself before smirking. 

_ Looks like their little 'meeting' went well... in more ways than one. _


	9. IX

"Tristan, all's okay down there?" Gwyn chuckled as she raised her head from work for the first time after two whole hours. "Seems you found yourself comfortable on that carpet."

Letting out a yawn, Tristan gave Gwyn a sleepy smile and nodded. "I'm good. You get pretty far with your stuff?" 

"Not bad, I caught up with yesterday's work and now need to get done what I had scheduled for today..." she replied, with a grin. "You're feeling sleepy?"

"A bit. The weather's making me tired..." he yawned again before rolling onto his back and scratching his stomach. "I wish my clothes were here already..." 

"Well, it's almost five... so, it shouldn't take too long now..." Gwyn answered, after having a look at her wristwatch. 

"Guess so..." he mumbled before rolling onto his stomach again and signing the last of his papers. "Want to take a look at these here or at home?"

"At home, probably better off that way, and... want me to call Cynthia?" she laughed lightly.

"Please? Not that I'm bothered by the naked thing... just, y'know we have dinner to go to."

"Will do," Gwyn answered, taking the telephone in her hand to call Cynthia, who, by some weird telepathic freak was right behind her door already. 

"Someone needed clothes here?" she asked with a wicked grin, as she opened the door slightly ajar.

Seeing Cynthia at the door, Tristan shot to his feet and made his way over to her. "I so love you right now," he grinned while taking the dry cleaning hanger from her.

"Sure sure," she laughed, handing him the clothes over. "And do me a favor Tris, leave a spare change of clothes in your office please..." she ordered him, as Gwyn nodded in approval.

"Well... kinda forgot to do laundry this weekend... busy with more important things," he smirked as he began getting dressed. "But I'll probably bring my other clothes here once they're clean... hey! They also gave me my extra suit and shirts! Awesome!"

"Not quite... fitting to have a manager in his boxer shorts at work, right AD?"

"Rightly so," Gwyn echoed back, while grinning at Tristan.

"Hey now, out of everyone here, I'm probably the only one in this entire office building who can successfully pull off the whole 'spend the work day in his boxers' look," he grinned at the two of them.

"Tris listen, I just remembered... what will be plan for this evening be? We'll follow you there after work? How about the booking?" she asked, as Gwyn stood up and started rearranging her files and papers.

"Yeah, you can just follow us, right AD? As for booking... do you have their number, Boss Lady?"

"Here, looked for it when you asked me before the lunch break..." Gwyn replied, handing him a post-it note with a number jotted on it. "And it's fine from my end."

"Very cool. Now, does this meet with your approval?" joked Tristan as he stood before them fully dressed - save for being barefoot as his shoes and wet socks were still in his office.

"Definitely," both women replied in unison.

"Nice to know I pass muster with you guys..."

"And here Tris," Gwyn chuckled, as she tossed him over his tie. "Don't forget this."

Catching the tie, Tristan began re-tying his tie and noted that Gwyn had remembered to let it dry out. "Save for the bare feet, better now?"

"Much much..." Gwyn replied, with a satisfied grin. "Now go get your shoes so that we can leave... I think I'm done from here today."

"Wow, checking out early AD? As I said earlier, I'm such an awesome influence. By the way, how was the pizza?"

"I'll leave you to your conversation as I need to pack up my stuff and call James and Cole... see you in a bit, if AD doesn't need anything else from my end."

"No not at all Cynthia, and thanks," Gwyn promptly replied, as Cynthia nodded and headed outside. "As for the pizza, I particularly liked the all-meat one," she grinned. "And I'm checking out earlier as I'm going to work from home..."

"Ha knew it. Can I just leave my papers here? I'm gonna get my bag, shoes... and spare socks from my office then come right back." 

"Knew what? And sure you can... I'll be waiting."

"That you'd like the pizza that I picked," he smiled back as he opened her office door. "See ya in a bit."

-

"I'm feeling as if we're followed," Gwyn laughed some time later when she and Tristan, followed by Tristan's trio of friends were tagging along in their cars.

"Think of it as an entourage," he joked while fiddling with the radio. "This way, it's like you're some major bigshot and you have a crew that'll protect you."

"Yes sure," she chuckled, at the same time thinking of how much she had always thought she wasn't worth protecting. "What are you looking for on the radio?"

"Something that... ah-ha, here we go," he grinned as a familiar song came on. "Nice driving music, wouldn't you say?"

Not very familiar with contemporary music, Gwyn just smiled and nodded in return as the music filled the small space of her car. "Quite, quite. Is it something you generally like?"

"I like all kinds... but jazz would be my favorite. Though when traveling, listening to all the locals play their music was incredible. A lot of talented people out there that never get recognized outside of their area, but at least they enjoy playing."

"You know what... maybe we should take a trip somewhere in the coming weeks."

"Oh yeah? Where would you like to go? Either way, I've got a lot of vacation time that I need to use up before the year's out..."

"I barely ever use that."

Laughing, he patted her thigh. "Somehow, that doesn't surprise me in the slightest. How long do you want to go out for? Surely more than two days..."

"A week?" she smiled. "I'm pretty sure you wouldn't say no to that. And you also get to choose the destination..."

"How about two weeks? And maybe someplace tropical?"

"That would mean staying away from work for two whole weeks?!"

"Hard to do, I know, but I think you'll survive Baby," he teased.

"I don't even want to know what I'd find in my inbox when we get back," she sighed, as she waited for the lights to turn green at an intersection. 

"Honey, a vacation is where you don't _think about_ or _do_ any work. Just enjoy the time off and de-stress a little."

"In a month's time? That would give me time to plan ahead..." she told him, after assessing the situation for a short while. Maybe staying away from their homes and from work, would make her stall on Fred and the Council's order even more. "How about you and me taking vacation leave at the same time?"

"Since you're my _oh so lovely boss_ and you're the one that has to approve my time off... I think that would be doable."

"And mine has to be approved by CEO," she muttered, rolling her eyes. "But it could work out," she thought out aloud, thinking that it could actually work in her favour. She could easily tell that she'd be taking leave to work on her _special assignment_...

"Oh I'm sure he'll do it. You've been working so hard at this... you need a break too, Sweetheart. Think about it: by day we can enjoy the sun and sand while taking in the sights, by night we can enjoy the local food and party scene. Anything in between is totally up to you."

"Forget the party stuff," she laughed. "I'd only want quality time with you..." she smiled, meaning every word.

"You'd get that too, believe me. Some of the dances in the more tropical places would probably get you in the mood _really quickly_ ," he laughed.

"We'll see," she chuckled. "I'll leave everything up to you then... then just brief me on all the costs and stuff."

"I can do that. I'll contact my friends and see how things are... Costs will be much cheaper there than here, and you'll get a lot more out of it. Plus, taking advantage of the local places rather than the stuff that caters to tourists, you save a ton of cash that way too."

"You're the expert," she grinned. "Whatever you say it's fine."

"Awesome. Trust me, it'll be great."

Smiling, Gwyn realised that they had almost arrived and after checking that Cynthia, Cole and James were still driving behind her, swerved to park the car not far from where the restaurant actually was. Once she switched off the engine, she turned to grin at Tristan who was stretching out in the passenger's seat by her side.

"And you're here," she winked back. "Think I should wait here for Anne..."

"Want me to go get her? Plus, at least your umbrella isn't broken... Can't believe that mine broke or that the stupid truck actually splashed me with that puddle..."

"Yes please, and keep the umbrella for later - ah listen, will you be asking one of your friends to drop you off at my place later?"

"Most likely Cyn. She's still kinda on edge methinks, so I'll ask her to drop me off." Leaning over, he gave her a quick kiss. "Don't work too hard, otherwise I'm dragging you to bed."

"Take care of her a bit and don't worry about me, I'll be fine," she smiled back, as he got out of the car. "And have a lovely evening..."

"Actually, it'll be a lovelier evening with you later," he grinned before closing the door and walking towards the restaurant. As he began walking to the entrance, the others got out of their cars and caught up with him.

"So, this is the place? Looks lovely..." Cynthia asked him.

"I like the location, I'd imagine that they serve seafood here?" James asked while wiping the rain off of his glasses.

"Yes and yes. You okay Cole?"

"I'm good... though at times I hate being the tallest one out of all of us... always get stuck with holding the umbrella..." he joked while Cynthia gave him a hug.

"That means you're quite useful," she grinned as Tristan got on the porch and opened the door. 

"Neville?" called Tristan as he closed the umbrella.

Rather than Neville, it was Lisa that greeted the four friends at the entrance of the restaurant. "Guess who's here?!" she smiled enthusiastically. "Come in, come in... we kept one of the best places free for you - and you can leave your umbrellas in that little bin behind the door."

"Hi Lisa and thanks. By the way, is Anne around? Gwyn's outside in the car." Tristan asked as he placed the umbrella in the bin before hearing a familiar bark and felt a tug on his pant leg. Picking Jasper up, he was immediately greeted with several licks. "And my puppy missed me too."

"She's in the kitchens helping Neville out, she couldn't resist... I'll go call her, do you mind waiting for a very short while? I'll be back soon," she smiled, as she walked back slowly inside.

"Not a problem." Looking over at his friends, he saw them putting their umbrellas and coats away. "Go on ahead, I'll catch up."

"How sweet, who's that woman Tris, one of the owners?" Cynthia asked, after moving next to Tristan's side and giving a quck pat on his head.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, that's Lisa, she's the owner's wife and a good friend of Gwyn and Anne's." Smiling, he gave Jasper a kiss on his head before setting him down. "My puppy's so awesome."

Laughing, Cole looked at the puppy and grinned. "Tris, care to explain to me exactly who Anne is? Last time I couldn't decipher who she really was, I know she helped us loads but with all the panic, I just couldn't get it."

"Oh yeah, you didn't really get to talk to her at the bonfire that one night... but she's Gwyn's housekeeper - and fellow dog-watcher to Jasper. Here she comes now," he smiled as Anne approached them with a few bags in hand.

"I just thought she was a friend of yours and didn't mind to ask..."

"Not like I could talk at the time to tell you... Hey Anne, everything alright?" he asked while taking the bags from her.

"Thanks Tristan... and good evening to all of you," she smiled back. "Is Gwyn alright?"

"She's good, just outside in the car. Wanted to work at home tonight. I can take Jasper with me later, not a problem."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. Oh hey Cole, since you still have your umbrella, mind walking with me and Anne?"

"I... sure no problem," he muttered, realising he was still with the umbrella in his hands.

"Cool. Cyn, Jamie, see you two in a bit. Ready Anne?"

"Yes," she replied, as Neville and Lisa walked back to the entrance to meet them. 

"See you soon Anne, and thanks for the help," Lisa told her, smiling. 

"Kid, you're leaving already? Jeez," he laughed out, grinning back at Tristan. "Anne, take care of this idiot for me too please."

"Oh I will and, thanks for helping out both him, and the little Miss... thank you," she repeated, as she stood at the door.

Smiling at Neville, Tristan then stuck his tongue out at him, "Not leaving, just escorting her to the car - Gwyn's orders. I'll be right back to devour the rest of the profiteroles."

"Oh alright, whatever you say, and pleased to meet you, I'm Neville, and this is my wife Lisa," Neville introduced himself to Cynthia and James while Tristan, accompanied by Anne and Cole, headed out of the restaurant.

"So Anne, how long have you been working for the AD?" asked Cole while Tristan was carrying the bags and avoiding getting wet a second time that day.

"Since I was a ch-well, let's say many... years," she stuttered, realising that she was going to say something inconvenient both to her and to Gwyn. "For a very long time."

"That's nice. You like working for her? Outside of work, she seems quite nice if she's able to deal with the brat here."

"Hey!" 

"She's really sweet... and helped me through many tough times... you had a bad perception of her since you'd only see her in her official work version..." she remarked with a smile.

"Somewhat - but then again I don't directly work for her. Cyn and the Kid do, James and I see her in passing."

"I'm still here y'know!"

Looking over at Tristan, who still had a knowing smile on his face, Cole rolled his eyes as they stopped at Gwyn's car. "Yeah yeah, can't exactly forget about you, now can I?"

"Nope! Hi, as promised," he chuckled before opening the rear passenger door and placed the bags inside. "I'll take Jasper with me later, okay Gwyn?"

"Sure no problem, thanks Tris," Gwyn smiled as Anne got inside the car next to her. "Enjoy it! And don't eat too many sweets," she chuckled as she started the car.

"Not a problem either. Bye guys!" waved Tristan, before elbowing Cole slightly.

"Huh-oh! See you guys, we'll make sure the brat gets back to you safely - as well as try to reduce his sugar intake."

"Dood... shut up..."

"Brat." 

"Get back inside you two, it's getting cold," Gwyn chided them gently. "Take care."

"Will do. And you too."

"Evening AD, Anne," Cole smiled while dragging Tristan away towards the restaurant.

As they walked back, Tristan continued to smile at Cole. "You like her," he replied in a sing-song voice. 

"If you can say that... maybe."

"She's single if you're wondering..."

"I haven't asked you about that."

"But you were _thinking_ it," he continued to grin while Cole gently whacked him on the head.

"Shut up brat and don't assume stuff. I must admit, she is pretty cute, but... I don't think she's even mildly interested..."

"You never know..." smirked Tristan as he opened the door to the restaurant. "Best go check on the other two... maybe they're making out or something..."

"Man, you're really getting fuckin' obsessed - they're not like you, y'know."

"What? He likes her... and I think she likes him... And I'm not obsessed... just observant, my good man.“

"You're still obsessed anyway."

"Pfff... whatever," he laughed while entering the dinning room, which was full of other groups of people. Much to his surprise, there were several appetizers out on the table as he and Cole took their seats. "You ordered already?"

"Nope... Neville and Lisa brought these along with them, now Neville's getting the drinks," Cynthia grinned as she watched the other two sitting down. "I already love this place."

"Because of the decorum? The people? The profiteroles?" Tristan asked while buttering a piece of bread and eating it.

"That. And the owners, they're lovely people," James replied, chugging down an onion ring after having it drowned in barbeque sauce.

"All good reasons," he grinned before stealing a piece of fried zucchini off of Cynthia's plate.

"Yep," she echoed back, grinning as she smacked Tristan's hand playfully. "Put the nice ocean view into the list too."

"Sure," he smirked as he took the fried mushroom off her plate and ate it before grabbing more zucchini for himself.

"Kid... knock it off or I'll tell Gwyn," laughed Neville as he arrived with their drinks. "I swear your stomach's a bottomless pit or something."

"Correction - it's a black hole," Cynthia snickered.

Stopping as he was about to stick an onion ring in his mouth, Tristan gave them a wry grin before eying the glass of milk next to his lemonade. "Shut up... And what's with the milk _Mr. Neville_?"

"Nah, you know why he's eating that much? He needs to gather energies for the coming night," James grinned mischievously. "He's been burning too many calories lately."

"You're still growing Kid - and don't call me Mister. But James, how can you tell the difference in food intake from the kid? When I first met him, he still ate like this..."

"Mmmh... it was his constant thinking about Gwyn which made him burn the calories."

"Maybe...but I remember Gwyn telling me that he's always eaten like this, as Cynthia told her."

"Hey! She was _tolerant_ of me when I first met Neville..."

"You were already doomed by then," James grinned back, teasing him.

"Oh yes, I remember that..." Cynthia mused while munching one of the small bruschetta Neville had brought with the drinks. "Well, he's always been like this... maybe his appetite's grown with time."

"It's grown exponentially of late," Cole continued.

"At least I'm getting some action, unlike you guys..." Tristan grinned back while drinking his milk.

"Shut up," both of them replied, making Neville and Lisa laugh.

"But it's _true..._ Who knows, maybe you two'll find someone - then I can tease you about your sex life. For now, let me enjoy mine - it's been a while for me."

After giving a look at Neville, Lisa chuckled as she gazed back at Tristan. "I would have strangled you if you'd ever talk about it so openly."

"Well... I never did. Plus, Gwyn would kill him if she'd hear him," he laughed. "Kid, you're making me want to tell Gwyn what you have just said."

"I've already admitted certain truths - one of them being that I haven't been in a relationship for a _really_ long time. Never had the time as I was more focused on work. I also admitted that yeah, I had my fair share of fun while I was younger - they all ended on good terms so I don't have any crazy stalker girlfriends out there to get me. Besides, I've never openly talked about what Gwyn and I do."

"You do have crazy stalker fangirls though," Cynthia commented, having a sip from her drink. "And I don't want to know what Gwyn and you do, I can just imagine."

"But, you've finally found your true love I suppose," Lisa told him, smiling after she ruffled his hair lightly. "I'll go back in the kitchens for now... see you later. Nev will take your orders if you're ready."

"I have and I never want to let her go. Guess we're both kinda possessive of one another," he replied somewhat cryptically - which made Cynthia remember something she noticed on his neck earlier.

"Yeah... and it's pretty _evident_ that you are," she replied, rubbing that same area around her neck in response for only Tristan to understand.

Smirking mischievously back at Cynthia, Tristan drank the rest of his milk before eating the last fried mushroom. "So... what do you recommend this evening, Mr. Neville?"

"Well, Lisa has prepared some really good pesto this evening, for who of you that's wondering, it's a basil based sauce/paste... which you can take with any kind of pasta..." he grinned. "Then there ravioli with a mushroom or artichoke-based filling... mmm... I really love those, and... there also should be the fish of the day cooked in herbs and white wine."

"That sounds great! I think I'll have the artichoke ravioli," Cynthia smiled. "And maybe the fish too..."

"And I think I'll have the fish of the day," replied James, "And some white wine to go with it."

"Make mine the mushroom ravioli please, and a nice red wine," answered Cole while snagging the last few onion rings.

"What about you Kiddo?"

"Um... could I have... both the mushroom and artichoke ravioli... with the pesto sauce?"

Staring back at him, the three friends including Neville, burst in a fit of hearty laughter, with Cynthia being the one grinning back at Tristan, satisfied.

"At least I'm not the only one taking two plates but... the pesto sauce with the ravioli? That's too rich!" she exclaimed. 

"In a way she's right..." Neville remarked. "Those are generally served with a light, cream-based sauce... and parmesan cheese for garnish."

"Then... can I have some pesto on the side to dip them in it?"

"Oh sure," Neville chuckled. "So... artichoke ravioli and fish for Cynthia, fish and white wine for James, mushroom ravioli and red wine... and... all the rest to Tristan. It shouldn't take long... and want anything else to drink? I'll bring you a jug of water to share too."

"More lemonade please?"

"No problem... see you in a bit," Neville replied as he walked away with the orders, stopping at another couple of tables on the way back to the kitchens. 

"Be right back..." Tristan muttered as he got up from his seat and followed Neville into the kitchens. "Hey Mr. Neville?"

"Yes? What's up Kid?" he asked, as he handed the paper with the orders to Lisa. 

"When I ordered... I just wanted some of each ravioli on one plate... that's all. Thanks." Tristan nodded before leaving but Neville stopped him.

"Oh I got that, don't worry!" Neville laughed out, patting him slightly on his shoulder. "I was just teasing you a bit... technically, it's your friend Cynthia who's going to eat most out of you four... I'll just keep the portions slightly smaller for her. She needs to keep some place for dessert."

"Right..." he murmured quietly as he walked back to the table, leaving Neville staring at him with a curious smile on his face.

"What's the matter Love?" Lisa asked, while she was checking the water for the pasta.

"I suspect he got slightly embarrassed," he chuckled, as he moved by her side to start preparing the fish. "It just makes me confirm why Gwyn loves him so much. Kid's definitely adorable in a little boy kinda way."

"Are you alright Tris?" Cynthia asked, as Tristan got back to his seat. 

"Yeah... never better," he replied with a small grin. "Say, I know that I should've asked earlier but... able to give me a lift back to Gwyn's place? If you can't, then it's cool - I'll just grab a taxi."

"Forget the taxi - you didn't even need to ask, I know that you're without your bike, plus it's late... not a problem at all," Cynthia smiled back, not noticing Cole and James making faces at the two of them.

"Can it Peanut Gallery. At this rate you guys'll never land anyone..." sighed Tristan as he rolled his eyes.

"Shut it, we were just enjoying your lovable exchange, you kno-ouch! Cyn, what the hell was that for?!" James gasped as Cynthia elbowed him slightly at his stomach.

"And what does this have to do with landing anyone, anyway... told you, you're obsessed," Cole replied, as he finished off his drink.

"You deserved it. You're being kids," Cynthia chided him, as she grinned back at Tristan.

"Just looking out for you idiots... otherwise you'll all be alone while your friends are getting married and having kids..." he grinned at Cynthia.

"Aw shut up, brat," both of them mumbled in unison.

Shrugging his shoulders, Tristan went back to looking out the window while Jasper had come back into the dinning room and proceeded to sleep on Tristan's feet.

"Boys, I was thinking... should we organise something for this coming weekend? I really feel like something adventurous," she chuckled, as the three of them stared back at her. 

"Huh?" came the bewildered response from the three.

"Oh come on, you usually have loads of ideas..."

"How so?"

"Why don't you ask... AD and Anne too? I mean... I really feel like going around together somewhere... well, as long as you don't want to spend the weekend just with her Tris..."

"Uhhh... okay. I'll do that when I go there later... Anywhere you have in mind?"

"Cyn, you were thinking of sports? Going somewhere hiking? What are you thinking about?" James asked her, as Cynthia turned her head to look at the sea.

"Dunno... I just want us to be together for a while..."

"We could go... Tristan, help me out here..."

"Uhh... sorry, drawing a blank Cole. Jamie?"

"Picnic somewhere out in the country?" Cynthia suggested, still looking away.

"Picnic might work. At least my dog will be able to run around in the open air."

"Considering that you and AD are still, undercover so to speak... wouldn't be a bad idea... I suppose."

"That too... Cole?"

"Can't really think of something... or else... boat ride? But that would be cool enough in the summer months, not now..."

"Provided the weather holds, a picnic sounds like a plan for the weekend. Barbeque for lunch?"

"Heck yes, I could bring over my barbeque set and stuff... then we could also get a ball to play a three-a-side game or men against women or... I like the idea - count me in," James concluded, grinning.

"Or what Jamie?" Tristan asked earnestly.

"Dunno, was just coming up with ideas."

"Sounds good to me anyways. Should be fun. Cyn? Cole?"

"Count me in," Cole grinned, as Cynthia nodded back in response.

"First ask AD and Anne, then we can start organising."

"Will do." Reaching under the table, Tristan picked up Jasper and set the little puppy on his lap, gently stroking his furry back.

The conversations between the friends continued to be playful and amiable, making it clear to the other patrons of the restaurant that the four had been friends for years. Once their dinner arrived, the three guys held back their snickers as they saw Cynthia's plate but then the tables were turned when everyone saw Tristan's plate.

"Hope everything is to your liking everyone and enjoy. And Kiddo, I'll get that lemonade for ya - also have you seen Jasper?"

"Okay and Jas is with me," grinned Tristan as he backed his seat up slightly to reveal the black and white fluffball on his lap.

"Good to know that he knows where his Daddy is. Be back in a bit, guys."

"You know... you're actually making me feel like getting a puppy," Cynthia commented, as she started eating from her first plate.

"Well... you could've been his owner, but you said you couldn't take him. But at least you can visit him whenever."

"Cyn, it could actually help you with your PMS," James snickered.

"What? That again?!" she glared back at him. "If you all have a problem with that... stay away from me during those days, full stop."

"Aww, c'mon guys... that's when Cyn needs us the most. If anything, I don't mind those particular weeks - more sweets around on her desk," replied Tristan as he spooned some pesto into the sauce that dressed his ravioli.

"That's the point - Cyn would end up giving the pup chocolate," Cole grinned back as Cynthia stuck her tongue out at the two of them.

"No way... Jasper can serve as therapy. Whenever Gwyn or Anne are in their moods... all Jasper does is settle onto their laps and stays with them. He's very observant as well as protective."

"That's because he's a bundle of cute, just like his owner," Cynthia chuckled, as she continued eating.

Grinning, Tristan continued to eat while absently petting Jasper under the table. "Which owner? He has my last name, Gwyn's address for his home, and Anne watches him during the day."

"Oh, all three of them then..." she laughed, grinning at the same time.

"Fair enough. He sure does love my t-shirts though... I always seem to find one of my shirts in his dog bed - he likes using them as a blanket..."

"That's because it makes him feel more at home, and those shirts would have your smell on them... he'd find them pretty useful when you're not around," Cole commented. "That's what our dog used to do when I was still a kid."

"I remember that. My dogs and cat just seem to sleep in my room - according to my mom. Whenever I visit her, I always end up waking up surrounded by my dogs and my cat sleeping on my stomach."

"Oh yes I remember that, from the few times I slept at your place," Cynthia smiled.

"My pets use me as their personal stuffed animal, bed, and playmate... And Jasper will be no exception."

"Probably not only your pets," James snickered, giving a wicked look to Cole.

"Oh yeah... I'm sure that there're more than a few people who wouldn't mind treating you like that either," Cole snickered back.

Nearly choking on his water, Tristan shot them a withering glare. "...Shut up..."

"Hey, you said that... I mean, come on... I can get 'stuffed animal' and 'bed' to a certain extent... but Tris, _playmate_?" James told him, stifling a laugh.

Laughing, Tristan realized just how awkward the word sounded. "Well, my pets end up seeing me as someone that'll always run around with them and play with them. Now I know that in your sick and twisted mind, 'play' has different connotations, but for me, it didn't seem that bad of a word to use."

"It wasn't bad, it's just those two who need to get the minds out of the gutter... really, you're getting worse by the minute," Cynthia mumbled as she continued eating.

"Hey!" came their indignant shout while both Tristan and Cynthia simply continued eat quietly.

"Oh come on we're joking... right Cole?" James grinned a few seconds, as he took a sip from his wine.

"Totally. Come on guys, no need to give us the cold shoulder..." smiled Cole while continuing with his dinner.

"Men's minds are weird... do you always function like that way? I mean... you're always thinking something related to _that_?" she muttered as she finished up her plate of pasta and turned to start having her portion of fish.

"I think guys are just more open in their thinking like that. You think like that too, but you never really talk about it in a larger group... just around me," Tristan replied sagely.

"Maybe..."

"Ah well, we all think weird stuff anyways, so shouldn't really be that much of a thing."

As their dinner continued in the most relaxed way imaginable, Neville and Lisa came to check out on them from time to time, asking them whether they needed anything else or whether their food was to their satisfaction. After an hour of eating and chatting their hearts out, Cynthia gave a satisfied grin at Tristan, who ended up laughing. 

"I've never ever felt this full," she told him, really feeling full to the brim.

"That's because you actually didn't have me mooching off your plate - so there was actually food on your plate. Anyways, hope you guys have room for dessert," he smirked.

"Of course!" the two boys replied, grinning in unison.

"You know what? You're really looking like mischievous twins tonight," Cynthia commented, having the two almost choke in their respective wine glasses.

Tristan simply kept quiet while the others continued to tease one another.

"Cyn, another one like that and I'll give Tristan a red wine shower," Cole chuckled.

"Hey now - my stuff just came back from the cleaners... no need to have it go back tomorrow already..."

"Tell her not to come up with that sort of stuff," James laughed out. "I must tell you guys, this has been one of our best dinners out ever."

"True, how about we go somewhere afterwards... we're next to the coast after all!" Cole grinned, earning himself being elbowed playfully by James. "What was that for?"

"And you think the brat will come along? He's got his girl to attend to, right Tris?" he smiled back at him genuinely.

"I don't think you guys would blame me for ditching you, but... I'm at Cyn's beck and call so it's up to her. Also, it's still raining..."

"A little rain isn't going to kill you Kiddo - though the fact that you spent most of the day half-naked would be a mild deterrent in you wanting to stay out. But still..."

"Yeah - what Cole said. Let's make the most of this night."

Reaching over to ruffle Tristan's hair, Cynthia just grinned at 'her boys'. "You guys... I think it'll be safe to keep the Little One out for a little bit longer. Besides, if anything should happen to our 'little baby', AD knows where to look. But since it's AD, best not keep him out too late - she'll be missing _her_ baby."

Blushing, Tristan sat silently but inwardly, he was grinning as he felt nothing but love from his friends. He knew that one day he and his friends would be able to spend less time together due to getting married, starting families, and just time overall but for now, he wanted to spend as much time as he could with them.

"And dessert is served," Neville arrived with a huge plateful of profiteroles for the friends while Lisa had refilled their glasses of water, though she swapped out Tristan's glass of lemonade with another glass of milk. "Enjoy guys, hope you like them."

"Thank you!!!" exclaimed Cynthia, Cole, and James while Tristan continued to smile at them.

Patting Tristan's shoulder, Neville and Lisa left the four friends to enjoy themselves. Kissing Lisa's cheek, he watched as they continued to talk and tease one another - Tristan often being the focus of their teasing. "He's such a great kid... I'd hate for him to be taken away from these guys as well as Gwyn and Anne."

"I know Honey... When I was talking with Anne, it was apparent that she has a fondness for the boy - as he somehow always manages to make their days a little brighter, as well as provide a calming influence. And it's obvious that he makes Gwyn happy - in more ways than one." Patting her stomach, she continued to smile towards Tristan's direction. "Did I tell you that after he placed his hand on my stomach, the baby started settling down immediately? Actually, since Tris' been here, the baby's been quite relaxed."

"You didn't tell me that..." Placing a hand on Lisa's stomach, Neville could feel the baby move, but for the most part the baby was calm and relaxed. "Now if only the baby could be like this at night..."

"That would require Tristan to be in our room...and I doubt that Gwyn would want to share him..."

Laughing, Neville simply shook his head as he led Lisa back towards the kitchens so that he could tend to the other guests. "I doubt that too. She's quite... _possessive_ of him so guess we'll just have to have him around after the baby's born so that we can sleep."

"There's that option too, Dear."

-

"Are you sure that you don't want anything for dinner?"

"No no, I'm fine," Gwyn replied, with a smiled on her face. "You and Tristan are becoming pretty pushy on wanting me to eat... I'm fine as I am, plus I managed to get a snack from Fred's place today."

Anne gave Gwyn a strange look when she mentioned Fred. "You talked to him today?"

"Not too much," she promptly replied, as she turned to face the large windows in her office. "He wanted to talk to me after all - I just went to his office, gave him the reports I had due to hand in for that day, then... I just took my food and headed back to my office. And anyway, Anne, he's thinking I was in a foul mood when I talked to him because I was hungry, not because of anything else."

"I see... so no mention of that..."

"Neville told you, hasn't he?"

"Well yes... I mean..." Anne stuttered, as it was the first time, after all that had happened during the previous day that they had actually found time to discuss matters together.

"Don't worry... I don't mind that. Thing is, I just want you to know that I'll try and make the most out of this time... I know that he hasn't given me a timeframe to carry out what he's ordered... yet. But he will. I know he will, and it'll be sudden, that's for sure. So... I actually still need time to assess all the possibilities and scenarios," Gwyn told her, open heartedly. "And sorry for all of yesterday's panic, Anne... you're one of the few persons I really didn't apologize to as I should have."

"I think Tristan's right when he chides you into not apologizing. You did nothing wrong, you just reacted in the way any normal person would have. If that would have happened to me, I would have made the same... things you did, maybe even worse. You merely got overwhelmed by your emotions, those same emotions intertwined with Tristan's and hence why you and him felt sick simultaneously. Then you know what happened... and Neville thinks of that just like I do. You did nothing wrong."

"Mmm-hmm..."

"And you should stop feeling guilty about it once and for all, or you might end up having Tristan feel it, even though you're far away."

"I know, I know..."

"Now I'll leave you to your work... if you need anything, I'll be in the kitchen... I'm going to leave some cookies and some tea for you and Tristan should you feel like having some later on... you might actually get some appetite later," she smiled, as she walked towards the door.

Turning, Gwyn looked back at Anne and smiled. "Thanks Anne for your support... always."

"Thanks to you for saving me... I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you," she whispered, exiting the office.

"You're very welcome," Gwyn whispered back as she stood up to place a record on her stereo with some relaxing classical music. "Now... let's get this finished..."

-

"Tris, I'm thinking from now on, we're making you in charge of finding restaurants to eat at," Cole replied contently as he patted his stomach.

Pausing from the umpteenth profiterole he was in the middle of eating, the younger man grinned. "That's what Gwyn told me - said that whenever we go out to eat - it's my job to find a place to eat..."

"Well, we gotta thank her for bringing you here initially. This place is amazing..." hiccuped James as he took a swig of water from his glass.

"Sure thing! I'll be the first to thank her tomorrow morning as soon as she arrives at the office," Cynthia grinned back at the three of them.

The other two nodded while Tristan finished off his plate, much to the amusement of the others.

"Exactly how many servings did you have Shrimp?"

"Uh... I lost count?"

"You two _really_ aren't used to that, yet?" laughed Cynthia.

"Black hole would definitely be the apt description for Tristan's stomach..." joked Neville as he began busing their dishes. "I made enough profiteroles to feed at least seven to eight people - Tristan alone polished off enough to feed those remainder people."

"But they're soooooooooo good..."

Shaking his head, Cole just laughed. "And the sad thing is, all those calories don't show up anywhere... as he's burning them off as we speak."

"Don't. Remind. Me. I mean, I'm all diets and weight watching and what have you... then _he_ comes along, eats for an army, and... he's still status quo!" she exclaimed. "And even AD is very careful of what to eat and what not."

"That's because my metabolism's _awesome,_ " smirked the boy.

"Give _me_ a piece of that," she sighed, rolling her eyes.

"No can do... it's all me. Not sure who I inherited it from - either my mom or my dad - but whoever it was, I'm very thankful for them."

"Lucky you."

"How Anne manages to keep you from eating her and Gwyn out of house and home, I'll never know. And you are as skinny as a rake...but you're all muscle. Either way, any coffee for you guys or you all set?"

"I'm fine from my end, thank you," Cynthia smiled as she stretched her arms slightly. "Best dinner I've ever had for ages."

"Same for me."

"Me too."

"You guys kept giving me milk, so I'm good too," smiled Tristan.

"Gotta keep you growing - though I doubt you'll get any bigger... or taller for that matter."

"I'm not that short... I'm taller than James..."

"And you come up to my ear," teased Cole.

"Yeah! I'm a little above average..."

"True," Lisa smiled as she took some of the plates from the table. "He's taller than Gwyn after all, and she's on the tall side."

"Thank you. Though maybe a few inches more for me would be much appreciated," he smiled.

"I think you're way past your growth spurt, Kid," James laughed as he saw Tristan pull a face at him.

"I have potential to grow more..."

Cynthia stared at him for a short while, then placed a hand on her lips to stifle a laugh. "Yeah, sure..."

"Easy there Kiddo, you probably do have some room left to grow. Anyways guys, whenever you're ready," smiled Neville as he placed the check on the table.

"So," James mused, grabbing the check first out of the four. "Divide as always?"

"As always," sighed Cole as he removed his wallet.

"Lemme see," Tristan leaned over and saw the check - only to shoot his gaze over at Neville's retreating back. "Huh..." Shrugging his shoulders, Tristan withdrew a few bills from his wallet - far less than he was expecting to pay.

"What is it?" Cynthia asked, moving closer to Tristan to have a look.

"Just... nothing really. Hang out for a bit, gotta help them with a few things." Giving them a grin, Tristan set off for the kitchens, though being careful to set Jasper's sleeping form on his chair.

"And the bill?"

"I paid mine and Cynthia's share already!" he called back before disappearing behind a door, leaving the three of them staring at each other incredulously.

Inside the kitchens, Lisa was already finished with stacking the dirty crockery next to the sink, while she moved by Neville's side to help him with the cooking. "Tristan? What are you doing here?"

Pulling both her and Neville into a hug, he simply whispered, "Thank you."

"Oh, you're welcome," Lisa smiled, placing a kiss on the younger one's forehead.

"Yeah, don't worry about it. You're practically family now. And as family, we'll take care of each other - and I'm counting on you to take care of Gwyn and Anne, got it Kiddo?"

"Got it. Which reminds me, where are your teas? - preferably loose leaf."

"In the cupboards next to the fridge," Lisa indicated. "How come you suddenly thought of tea?"

"Gotta look out for _family_ , don't I? Need to make sure that you two get all the sleep you can," he grinned as he began gathering all of the teas, as well as an empty container, and began scooping out different amounts of teas and pouring them into the container. Once he was satisfied, he shut the container's lid and shook it in order to incorporate the different teas together before scooping out a small amount and made Lisa a cup. "This should help you feel better."

"What's it for?" she asked, as she took the cup from Tristan's hands.

"It'll help with the soreness from being on your feet - as well as help you sleep." 

"Wow, that might be pretty useful, thank you!" she smiled back, first at Tristan of course, then at her husband. "Maybe it could calm the little one down too..."

"Might do that too, but try it please, as I'm not sure if you like sweet tea or not," he smiled sheepishly.

"She pretty much likes any type of tea, even the green one which I totally despise," Neville chuckled as he watched his wife take a sip, grinning.

"You don't need to worry, it has a very pleasant taste, and it's not too sweet."

"Great! I'd show you how to pack your bag... but I'd guess my friends want me back as soon as possible. And Mr. Neville, nothing wrong with green tea - it's quite refreshing."

"If you mean... the hospital bag, I've got a lot of help from Anne," Lisa smiled back. "We followed the instructions the doctor gave me, so it should be fine. Thanks a lot for the thought though... much appreciated."

"You're welcome. Thanks again and next time, give me a proper bill - I can pay it," he snickered before heading out the door.

"This one was a present you know," Neville called back. "And you're welcome Kid!"

Waving, he gave the two a wink before he disappeared, leaving the pair smiling. Appearing at the table, he saw that Jasper had woken up and was playing with Cynthia and the others. "You guys ready?"

"Yep..." Cynthia grinned back as she took Jasper in her arms. "You went to talk to Neville and Lisa about the bill?"

"Yeah. 'Twas a gift on their behalf," he grinned while scratching Jasper's head.

"Whoa!" Cole exclaimed.

"I mean... they barely even know us..." James chimed in. 

"I've practically been adopted by them - since Neville is like a big brother to Gwyn and Anne," Tristan replied warmly as he continued to play with Jasper. "Plus, Jasper's the most awesome puppy ever since my own pets - so he gets automatic brownie points.

"He is, isn't he? I think I should adopt you too for a couple of days," Cynthia giggled, as she kissed the top of the puppy's head.

"Best ask permission from his other owners beforehand, Cyn."

"I wasn't meaning now, you know... maybe someday," she smiled back at Tristan. "I'd need to ask AD and Anne."

Bending down to face Jasper, Tristan looked the puppy in the eye. "What do you think boy? Wanna spend a mini-vacation with Auntie Cyn?" 

Giving a quick lick to Tristan's cheek, him and Cynthia merely ended up laughing in response. "Maybe he likes the idea."

"Maybe. We'll see what his 'mommies' have to say, but I'm sure it'd be okay," Tristan smiled as he patted Jasper before finding the puppy's leash in his coat pocket. "Huh, must've brought it with me..." Shrugging his shoulders, he clipped the leash to Jasper's collar before putting on his coat while the others stood by.

"If I knew that dogs would be the quickest way to a girl's heart..."

"Save it Jamie..."

"Good," Cynthia grinned, handing him over the puppy. "All yours..." she finished, as she reached over to put on her coat.

"Nah wait, you got it all wrong," James immediately told her, as he helped her out in putting it on.

"Oh, thank you... I just couldn't find the sleeve," she chuckled as Tristan and Cole looked on.

Whistling, Tristan tucked Jasper into his coat while Cole simply rolled his eyes at Tristan, before ruffling the boy's hair.

"Not another word," he whispered while Tristan simply grinned and grabbed Gwyn's umbrella.

"Tris, now you need to remind me where AD's place is... I know we were there the other day but I really don't have a clue on how we got there... I wasn't really taking care of where we were going."

"Sure. Shouldn't be a problem..."

"Of course it shouldn't be - he probably spends more time there than he does at his own place," teased Neville as he came by to see them off. "Lisa's resting due to the tea - nice job with that Kiddo."

"You're welcome and... yeah, it does seem like I do spend more time there than I do at home," laughed Tristan while a blush began to form on his cheeks.

"Thanks for everything Neville, and say thank you to Lisa and the baby too, she's so sweet," Cynthia smiled back as she opened the front door.

"Yeah thank you for the delicious meal, Sir."

"You and your wife run an absolutely wonderful place. Thank you again."

"Not a problem guys, we enjoyed having you 'round. And I'll be sure to pass word on to Lisa when she wakes up. Do me a favour?"

"Yes?" came the simultaneous reply from Cynthia, Cole, and James.

"Keep an eye on the brat. It's pretty clear that Gwyn's fond of Short Stuff over there with the pup - so keep him safe, alright?"

"Hey! Why does everyone insist that I'm a little kid?" 

"Because you... sort of are," Cynthia chuckled. "And don't worry Neville, we will."

"Jeez you guys..." came the playful whine from Tristan, which caused Jasper to whine alongside his 'Daddy'.

"Come on, bundle of cuteness, let's get going," Cynthia told them, as she gave Tristan a little push outside. "See you!"

"Wha-Bye!" waved Tristan as Jasper barked his farewell as well at Neville before opening the umbrella in his hand.

"Will this rain stop?" James grumbled as he moved to open his umbrella. "It's been over two whole days now."

"Means fall's coming James. Can't be summer forever... And be thankful that you don't look like a wet cat - say like the brat does..."

"I do not look like a wet cat!"

"Whatever you look like, I just don't want you to catch a cold, so, inside the car, now."

Shaking the rain droplets from his hair, which caused Jasper to do the same, as the rain was blowing into their faces, both the boy and his dog wordlessly climbed into Cynthia's car as she held the passenger's door open.

"Good now?" she smiled, as the two of them were cozily inside her car.

"Yes ma'am..."

"Cyn, no wreckless driving!"

"Yeah, we actually want you two to arrive safely to work in the morning," called Cole before climbing into his own car.

"Look who's talking - Cole I never got a driving ticket you know!"

Laughing, James got inside his car and opened the window to say something to Cynthia. "Cyn, just drive safely and slowly. Kid might be in a hurry, we all know that, but roads will be slippery for sure, so... just keep a good eye and everything and that's it."

"Says Daddy."

"Shut up Cole!"

"Just take it easy Cyn. I'll get us there safely and am in no rush, really."

"Alright," she winked back at him. "And you two just drive safely!"

"We will mom!" James and Cole replied in unison.

A bark and yawn from Jasper made Tristan smile. "Seems like our littlest passenger is ready to go to bed."

"Let's get going then..." Cynthia grinned at the two, as she started the car's engine. 

"Alright then," Tristan smiled back as he began directing Cynthia towards Gwyn's house while both James and Cole headed back to their respective homes.

Except for him giving directions to Cynthia, their drive towards Gwyn's apartment was relatively silent, with only the patter of the rain against the windscreen breaking that silence.

"Tris..."

"Yeah Cyn? You okay?"

"Yes yes... just, I'm really happy you're alright."

"Aww, thanks Beautiful. Sorry for scaring you yesterday..."

"Scaring? I thought I died when I saw you like that in your office."

"Didn't mean to make you cry... I don't really know what happened, but I'll tell you someday. I promise."

"As long as you're alright... it's fine for me..."

"And as long as you're okay, then we're good."

"And Gwyn's alright now, isn't she?" she asked, almost to reassure herself.

"Yeah, spent last night re-assuring her that I was okay - as well as this afternoon," he smiled.

"Good... listen, if you ever need anything, both of you, you know I'm always available for help..."

As they were stopped at an intersection, Tristan leaned over and gently brushed his lips over hers chastely. "I know, Sweetheart, I know. You've always been there for me, and I love you dearly - even though I don't always say it. Thanks."

"You're very welcome..." she smiled back, placing a hand over her lips. "You know... I actually miss that sensation," she chuckled.

"Well, I'm not going to start making out with you or anything, but I think I should be okay with that - and Gwyn knows that we've been close our entire lives."

"I know you wouldn't," she laughed lightly. "Now let's get you to Gwyn's place as soon as possible. She must be waiting for you."

"Most probably. Either that or she's buried herself under work work work. How I landed such a workaholic, I'll never know," he sighed playfully.

"That's because you're exact opposites," she grinned.

"Guess so - but at least we agree on the important things..."

"You wouldn't have fallen so hard if you didn't," Cynthia commented, as she turned in the direction of Gwyn's street, just as Tristan had indicated.

"Yeah... And hopefully you'll find your true love sometime soon..."

"Nah, don't mind me... I actually don't bother much, I've told you a million times that I don't."

"Cyn, I know you... no need to hide from your best friend. You'll find that person when you least expect it. Trust me on that."

"Maybe... maybe."

"Oh come on, when have I ever been wrong on these things?" teased Tristan as Jasper began stirring from his brief nap. "Oh oh, someone's awake... and he probably won't sleep tonight."

"Since he overslept now," she chuckled, glad Tristan had changed the subject. "Anne will most probably end up babysitting him, rather than you two."

"Knowing Anne, she'll make sure that Gwyn goes to sleep whether Gwyn wants to or not..."

"If you'll manage to... Tris is that the building?" Cynthia exclaimed all of a sudden, somewhat recognizing the place.

"Yes ma'am."

"Good," she replied, as she looked out for a parking spot not far from the entrance. "Oh there... you're mine," she chuckled, as she quickly parked the car in the empty spot without much effort. "Arrived at our destination Sir," she grinned back at Tristan, satisfied.

"Very nice there Superwoman. Do you require a tip for a job well done?"

"Nope, all done free of charge for you."

"Well, I'll give you one anyways," he smiled before kissing her cheek. "Love you."

"Me too, your craziness," she chuckled, as she watched him pop the umbrella and get out of the car. "Have a nice evening."

Holding Jasper out, who shivered slightly from being separated from the warmth, Tristan let Cynthia say good-bye to the puppy. "Say good night, Jas."

"Hey sweetie, good night to you too, and make sure to take care of mommy and daddy," she smiled, placing a kiss on Jasper's nose with the puppy giving her a quick lick in return. "He must have appreciated it."

"Of course, he loves Auntie Cyn. Take care Cyn, and I'll see you in the morning," grinned Tristan as he replaced Jasper inside his coat to keep him warm and dry.

"Off you go now," she chuckled. "See you tomorrow," she replied, as she started the car's engine again. "Run off, it's cold out here."

"Going going," he grinned before unlocking the gate's door and slipping inside to unlock the main door. Once he shook off the excess rain from the umbrella, he closed it and tossed into the bin. Shutting the door quietly, he set Jasper down and removed his coat to hang it on the coat rack. Watching Jasper immediately sniff out Anne, Tristan headed into Gwyn's office and stifled a chuckle as he saw her completely immersed in her work. Wrapping his arms around Gwyn's shoulders, he kissed her temple. "Been productive without me?"

Raising her head from her work to look at him, Gwyn simply smiled and closed her eyes as he kissed her. "Quite... almost managed to finish off everything."

"Give me a timeframe on when you're done or should I just drag you to bed now?" he grinned.

"Mind letting me finish off all so that I don't have anything left pending on my mind? Let's say... another thirty minutes maybe?" she whispered in response.

"Good," he whispered before kissing her one last time. "I'll be taking a nice, luxurious bath. See you in a bit."

"In my tub, right," she laughed. "See you later. And how was your dinner Tris?" she asked as she watched him walk away.

"Dinner was fantastic, Neville and Lisa are total love, and yes, I'll be in the tub with bubbles thank you."

"Is that teasing I sense?" she grinned, sticking her tongue out at him.

"Not at all. I feel chilled to the bone and a hot, relaxing bath with bubbles sound fantastic right now," he teased back as he removed his suit jacket and began unbuttoning his shirt. "Now, since I seem to be taking up your time, bye..." he waved while walking away.

"And what do you call that then?" she chuckled, watching him quite amused at his actions. "Think you'll be taking more than an hour with your relaxing bath?"

"Simply stating fact, Dear, and there might be a chance though I wouldn't totally be sure," he called from the hallway before entering Gwyn's room.

"Well... let's see if I manage to finish these off within the next fifteen minutes," she grinned. "Should be just signing off papers now."

True to her word, and having kept herself totally focused on her work, she managed to finish everything within ten minutes, and then proceeded into rearranging the papers according to subject so that filing them the next day would have been easier. Once satisfied that all of the work had been done, and having crossed out everything from her 'To-Do' list, she stretched out her arms, yawned lightly and headed towards her room. After removing all of her clothes and slipping on the bathrobe she now always kept inside her room, she headed towards the bathroom, chuckling as soon as she caught sight of the bathtub.

In the tub, Tristan was nearly buried under bubbles but was completely relaxed as his eyes were closed. "Done?"

"Yes, all's done," she smiled, as she moved by the bathtub, resting her chin right on the edge while crouching down. 

"Nice," he grinned while letting out a content sigh.

Noticing that he was pretty relaxed, Gwyn got back on her feet and sat on the edge of the tub, picking up some of the bubbles and blowing them towards his face. "I never really used this, where did you find it?"

Instead of answering, he slid under the bubbles and submerged himself under the water before re-emerging again. "Your neglected closet where the bath oils were..."

"Told you, you're more aware of what I have in there than I actually do."

"Seems like it... So, just going to stay there in your bathrobe or...?"

"Well, seems you've declared the bathtub as your territory," she chuckled as she felt Tristan circle his arms around her waist.

"I'm willing to share..." he chuckled before opening her robe.

Turning to face him, Gwyn slid her legs into the water while she was still seated, and ended up laughing as soon as she felt the bubbles across her skin. "You used half a bottle of that stuff?"

"I might have, since it makes it less obvious to see what exactly I'm doing," he whispered before taking her in his arms and kissing her.

"You forgot to take off the robe," she whispered, as she wrapped her arms around him once inside the tub. 

Pushing the wet material off of her shoulders, Tristan unceremoniously dropped the sopping material onto the bath mat. "Guess we'll deal with the mess later," he smirked before kissing his spot.

Nuzzling against his neck as he did so, Gwyn just smiled and let him work on that very spot as much as he liked, making her gasp quite a few times that evening when she felt him biting her lightly. "I missed you while you were away," she muttered, entwining her legs with his.

"Missed you too. Need you now..." he murmured against her skin while pulling her closer.

"There's no need to say that... I know," she whispered back, pulling him closer as he moved to rest on top of her.

"Told you we do pretty good work in the bathroom," he snickered before moving against her and kissing her fully. 

"Now just shut up _Faraday_ and make love to me."

"Yes _Assistant Director_."

-

"I wouldn't have minded a glass of red wine and some candlelight right now," she chuckled, cuddling closer to him some time later.

"I'm not that cheesy..." he laughed while stroking her back.

"Oh I know you aren't... that was just spur-of-the-moment idea, nothing more."

"I could always grab a bottle from the fridge if you want," Tristan whispered back while working on his spot.

"No..." she paused. "Just stay here... I don't care about the wine..."

"I meant I'd grab it before bed... y'know, that other room that exists outside of this room," he teased gently while kissing her cheek.

"Sounds fine," she smiled back, giving him a quick kiss on his lips. 

"The wine part or going to bed part? I mean, we did pretty good here, but I think we can do better in bed, don't you think?"

"Still ready for more?" she gasped playfully, resting her forehead against his. "And I was referring to both."

"When it comes to you, I'm always ready," he smirked before getting out of the tub and drying themselves off with some towels. Once dry, Tristan picked Gwyn up and carried her off to bed, laughing the entire time.

"And now where are you going?" Gwyn asked as she got herself cozy under the bedsheets while Tristan was still standing by the bed.

Wrapping the towel around his hips, he grinned. "I owe you a drink. Be right back."

"Won't move," she grinned, resting her head back against the headrest, while staring at the bedroom's ceiling. "For how much will I manage to stall...."

A few minutes later, Tristan arrived with a half-full bottle of red wine and two glasses. Pouring the wine into the glasses, he set them on the nightstand and removed his towel before settling under the covers. Picking up the glasses, he handed one over to Gwyn. "Anything you want to celebrate right now?"

Smiling, she took the glass in her hand and stared silently at the red liquid, catching Tristan's attention - he wasn't used to her being so silent, except when she was working.

"My, aren't we being rather introspective today. Penny for your thoughts?"

Knowing that she couldn't reveal what she was really thinking about, Gwyn decided to deviate towards another thought - which she would have pretty much avoided but was the first thing that came to her head at the moment. "Tris... just out of curiosity's sake... were you this energetic in the past?"

"Me? Not really to be honest... Granted, most of the women I learned from...they were older than me - usually by a few years, so..." Blushing, Tristan took a sip of wine before continuing with a shy smile on his face, "I've had to build up my endurance more than anything. Believe me, when you have women who were willing to tell you what works and what doesn't? It's really helpful in figuring out how to... _please_ your partner. With you, I just pay attention to what makes you feel good and go with that. Does that answer your question?"

"Sort of..." she nodded, taking a sip from her glass.

"If I were to tell you that you are my first major relationship - ever - then you know that I'm being honest, since you can read me. Now, if I were also to admit that aside from Cynthia, you are the first person that I said 'I love you' to - but in completely different contexts, you would believe me as well, since you know that Cynthia and I have been close my entire life while you and I have a major connection to each other. Finally, the one last thing I'll admit, you are the first woman I've _ever_ made love to - plain and simple. I have fire and passion and desire from you - I've _never_ gotten that from anyone else."

Realising that she actually got an admission she never actually expected, she rested her head against his shoulder and smiled. "Thank you. Probably you sensed it anyway, but I was having... a possessive thought whirling around my head. The thought of other women in the past that held you in their arms and it bothered me all of a sudden. Sorry about that, didn't mean to think about it."

Grabbing their glasses and setting them down on the nightstand, Tristan pulled Gwyn on top of him - letting her straddle his waist as he leaned against the headrest and lightly massaged her lower back. "Don't worry too much about it. And as far as women that I've held after sex... there have been only two others - one of whom is Cynthia. I told you it's been a while for me."

"There was someone else, apart from Cynthia then... and don't feel obliged to reply... really."

"Yeah. Her name was Elizabeth, she was in most of my classes in college.” Chuckling, he held Gwyn close and ran his fingers up and down her back. "We had a lot of the same interests and became really good friends. She snuck me into a few parties, but for the most part, we had fun. One night... we were studying for our midterm and I blurted out that I thought she was beautiful. She called me cute, and thought of me as like a little brother. I don't know why, but I somehow wanted to prove to her that I wasn't some little kid so I kissed her - sound somewhat familiar? Anyways, after the kiss, we agreed that we wouldn't let things get weird between us so we decided to remain friends. After we graduated, Liz was going to head to med school but I wasn't sure as to what I wanted to do, except that I knew I wanted to travel. Since Liz wanted to do something before starting school, I told her we should go together and we did. On the night of her twenty-third birthday, we went to a bar and had a few too many drinks. We both woke up the next morning in bed - realizing that we did sleep together. After that, we decided that since Liz had three more months before school started - let's just make the most of it. Because of her, she taught me more about women, sex, and everything in between. 'Broke up' on good terms and ever since then, I've kept in touch with her - she became a doctor. And that's that. While I was on my own, I mostly ended up talking to women - and the subject of sex usually came up but more often than not, I'd decline sex in favor of just 'dating' and picking their brains. They'd have a nice time out and I'd learn a few more things - win win for both parties. Now, I've used everything I've ever learned on making _you_ happy."

After hearing all that about him, Gwyn merely rested her head against Tristan's shoulder and sighed deeply. That had just confirmed all she had told Fred the other day - he really had lived more than herself and Fred put together - how could she dismantle all of those human memories in a mere blink of an eye? At one single plain order of her higher-ups who knew absolutely nothing about him?

"So now you know the truth about Tristan David Faraday. Cyn - aside from my sisters - know the full truth about me and my travels. I'm not some international playboy or anything, rather, I'm just a guy with a fantasy reputation that his friends had built up for him."

"I'm pathetic in comparison to you," she mumbled, holding him closer to her.

"How so? I don't think you are. I find you extremely interesting. You know more about Victorian history than I'll ever admit. Our interests when we were younger were different, but that doesn't make you any less interesting than me. I love you just as you are, really."

"Maybe I never told you," she whispered, after kissing his shoulder. "But I've always been imposed things upon me by Fred. Except for work where I have free range, I barely ever had the opportunity to make my own decisions when it comes to my private life - I'm completely opposite to you on that matter. Tris, have you ever read history books when nobility used to choose the best suitor for their children in order to have the best of offspring for the perfect continuation of their lineage? Well, Fred has that mentality, and that's what he used with me, but never managed as I always refused up till this very date. Maybe that's why I never actually had any love interest myself. I didn't want to be scrutinized by him, to verify whether the prospective-he would pass the test or not, so I just took that out of my mind and decided not to even consider anyone. And it did work out as I didn't have to go through the headache of his approval every damn time - actually, I never did present anyone to him, because I never had anyone in the first place - no one ever sparked my interest. On the contrary, Fred did have prospective suitors from time to time, to my utter disdain... but I never approved... hence why I was so cold at first, even with you."

Kissing her gently, he held her close. "Approve of me now? Also, think that _Daddy_ would approve of me? Both Val and Cyn love and approve of you, as do Jamie and Cole. I'm sure that my other sisters and mother would love to meet you."

"I don't want to know what Fred thinks of you as my... half, I don't care... But, as an employee he respects you as if you're his own _son_ , Tristan. I think you've noticed that."

"I have. Now, enough about our past loves or lack thereof. I just want to look to what I have right now. And right now, you look quite... _delectable_ ," he teased before resting his hands on her butt. "Didn't answer my previous question though... do you approve of me now?"

"I've approved of you since day one... you wouldn't be in my bed if I didn't," she smiled back at him.

"Fair enough, _Gwendalynn_ ," he whispered before kissing her. "Oh and, I love you." 

"Mmh?" she blinked back at him, raising an eyebrow. "I've never heard you call me in my full name."

"Just waiting for the right moment... and that seemed as good a time as any."

"Love you too... Tristan David... though I love using Tris more than anything," she whispered, kissing him back.

"Better than James, he insists on calling me 'Tristi' at times."

"That sounds feminine," she chuckled. "And my baby's nothing but feminine..."

"I think it's to get back at me calling him Jamie, but the thing is at least Jamie is an honest derivative of his name. Mine is just to spite me. As for being feminine... I think some guys would disagree with you," he joked.

"How so?"

"The fact that I've had more than a few guys hit on me too? I think look-wise, I probably have some feminine qualities to my features - though it's mostly looking like my mom that does it for me."

"Dearest, there's nothing feminine in your features. You're simply good looking."

"And you're obviously drop-dead sexy, Sweetheart."

"Thank you."

"I mean it, and not just because I want you right now," he smirked before rolling Gwyn onto her back.

"Didn't have a doubt," she smiled as he gently placed himself over her. 

"Just making sure... as I'm methodical like that," snickered Tristan as he shifted his hips slowly and worked on his spot.

"Oh really?" she whispered back, placing her arms at the lower part of his back, pulling him closer to her as she slightly shifted her legs. 

"Yeah really," he whispered before rolling his hips forward and kissing her senseless.

-

"So... any preferences for our vacation?" smiled Tristan a few hours later while cuddling close to Gwyn.

"Anywhere far away from here - with lots of sun, sand... sea... tranquility, not too many people..." she replied, as she started playing with the loose strands of his hair.

Combing his fingers through her damp hair, he kissed her temple. "I think I can manage something."

"That's the preferred scenario, then if you have other options in mind, I'm open for discussion and assessment of alternatives," she giggled lightly.

"Well, I'm perfectly happy with that criteria. And will there be spicy food and equally hot dancing in our future as well?"

"Still thinking of that tango?"

"There's that... but there are a few more dances that are equally hot like that..."

"More than what we danced this evening?" she grinned as she kissed his forehead. "I'm at your mercy in that regard, master of dances."

"Well, that would be dancing that's exclusively meant between us. And you're proving to be quite my favorite dance partner..." he grinned back before kissing his spot. "Feeling better?"

"Mmh? I would be mad if I wouldn't be," she smiled back. "I still have to teach you the correct way to master the waltz... I'm pretty nitpicky when it comes to that."

"Now would that be the waltz standing up or our own variation of the waltz here in bed?"

Laughing, Gwyn gave Tristan a slight smack on his chest and then rested her head against him. "The proper way I meant, standing up... as for our variation, I don't have to teach you anything, that's for sure."

"Fine fine," he laughed as he felt Gwyn's breathing slow. "Tired?"

"Just a little bit... but maybe we should have some sleep since we have to wake up for work tomorrow morning."

"Fair enough. By the time we're ready to leave for vacation, maybe I'll be able to up your endurance a bit," he teased while hugging her tightly.

"You win at that for sure," she chuckled, slowly dozing off. "As for the vacation... I'm already happy... that I'll be there... with you," she muttered, closing her eyes.

"Same goes for me," he whispered while kissing her forehead before falling asleep after her.

-

"Now... Jasper... you need to go wake up Gwyn and Tristan since it's getting late," Anne chuckled as she looked inside the room from the door opened slightly ajar. "I'll go finish up breakfast, and I'll leave the waking up to you." Letting the puppy on the ground into the bedroom, Anne silently locked the door and backed away, heading back to the kitchen with a grin on her lips...

Jasper, on the other hand, looked up at the bed, wagging his tail happily. Knowing it was devious fun being let loose in that room all on his own, Jasper hobbled next to Tristan's side of the bed and started tugging with his teeth and front paws at the bedsheets hanging by the side. After braving his way up the side, the puppy found himself resting on bed right next to Tristan's back. Seeing that he was still asleep, he slowly walked his way by side side, quickly jumping his legs, ending up between his two sleepy masters. Wagging his tail again, but without barking, Jasper simply moved up between them, lying low by their side, placing random licks on both of their cheeks. Just like a wake-up call.

"Ngh... stop..." murmured Tristan as he rolled over while Jasper was trying to regain his footing. 

Seeing that Tristan wasn't waking up easily, he tried to wake his mommy by licking her cheek then nuzzling his head under her chin.

"Mmh, already?" Gwyn mumbled, slowly opening her eyes to find the small furry form of Jasper by their side. "Good morning little one," she chuckled, as Jasper raised his head and started licking her cheek in response. 

Letting out a bark, Jasper then pressed his nose against Tristan's back, which made him twitch, but not wake up. Whining, the puppy looked up at Gwyn for help.

"Let's try this Jas," she grinned as she sat up and scooted closer to Tristan, while placing a hand on one of his sides. "Now, just don't get frightened," she whispered as she started tickling Tristan's side.

"Stoooopppp," came the pitiful whine as Tristan began giggling. Opening his eyes, he was greeted by the grinning pair of Jasper and Gwyn. "You two are sooo _mean_..." he yawned before sitting up. Picking up Jasper and setting him on his lap, Tristan then leaned over and kissed Gwyn. "Morning."

"Good morning," she smiled back at him, resting her head on his shoulder. "Anne must have let Jasper in."

"Probably," he yawned back. Looking down, he saw Jasper sitting patiently while staring up at him. "And good morning to you, Mister," he smiled before kissing Jasper on the head. Moving his legs to stand up, Jasper moved around the bed before jumping down onto the floor while Tristan stood up and opened the door for him. "Go stay with Auntie, Mommy and I will be out soon."

Barking an affirmative, Jasper headed out the door as Tristan closed it and looked over at Gwyn.

"Interesting way of getting woken up, wouldn't you say?"

"Very effective, I must admit," she chuckled, patting the empty side of the bed next to her.

Crossing the room, Tristan settled himself on the empty space next to Gwyn before taking her in his arms. "You first or me first? Or do we conserve water and both go at the same time?"

"Since when you've become an environmentalist?" she chuckled, placing a quick kiss on his lips. "I'd say... both."

"Since forever. I do bike, remember? And...I think we have just enough time..." Smirking, he dragged her out of bed and into the bathroom, locking the door behind them so they wouldn't be interrupted.

-

"I swear, I will start getting to work late because of you," she chuckled as they walked towards the dining room together, already changed for work - as Anne looked on with an amused look.

"Oh sure, blame me for everything..." he teased as he pulled the chair out for Gwyn before settling into his own. "And since when have I ever been late, or you for that matter, hmm?"

"Good morning you two," Anne greeted them, as she placed a teapot and two glasses of milk on the table. "Seems you slept well..."

"Quite well actually. Yourself?"

"Quite alright, thank ... by the way, enjoyed the little surprise?" she grinned back at the two.

"Yes, it was quite pleasant. I can only imagine if my kids will ever wake me up like that - well, not the licking or the barking, but rather the tugging on the blankets and whining," smiled Tristan as he began eating his cereal.

Smiling, Gwyn didn't reply at that, but had a quick bite at her toast and sipped her cup of tea in silence while Anne went back inside the kitchen to get the rest of the food.

Glancing at Gwyn, Tristan reached over and placed his hand over hers, giving it a gentle squeeze, before turning back to Anne. "So, what were you up to at Neville's place yesterday?" 

"Mmmh? Well, helping Miss Lisa with preparing her hospital bag most of the time... then helping a bit with the cleaning around the restaurant... and lending a hand in the kitchen. That's about it I suppose," she replied, as she placed the cooked breakfast in front of Tristan.

"Hmm... guess there isn't much to do on rainy days I suppose... So when is Lisa due?" asked Tristan before digging into the plate that Anne set down in front of him.

"Should be a couple of months, if I'm not mistaken, but doctor's orders are to have that bag ready way before due date..." Anne replied, as Gwyn remained silent while continuing to eat.

"Yeah, I remember going through that with my older sister. We were all pretty much on-call for any moment during that time. Anyways, so...Gwyn was thinking of taking a vacation sometime before the year's up... and I think that she's dragging me along to go with her."

"I wasn't the only one thining of that... it was an idea from both of us," she corrected him, grinning. 

"That's nice!" Anne nodded in approval. "Miss Gwyn definitely needs a break from everything here, especially from work."

"Wait, do I look that overstressed?" Gwyn blinked back at the two of them.

"YES!" exclaimed the pair while Jasper barked in agreement. 

"Alright, alright, point taken..."

Grinning, Tristan finished up his breakfast and placed the dirty dishes in the sink before grabbing his bag. "At least it's not raining today. Anne, Jas, I'll see you guys later, okay?" Turning to Gwyn, he gave her a hug before whispering, "Don't feel bad about the baby or kid thing, it's way down the line anyways. And I'll see you soon."

"Mmm-hmm, see you!" Anne exclaimed in response.

"Tris, want me to drive you to work?"

"Nah, I need some exercise," he teased before letting her go and giving them all one last wave before heading out the door.

"Oh alright," she chuckled, smiling as she recalled the words he had just whispered to her. "See you later then..."

"Bye!"

-

Walking into his office, Tristan took a glance at his desk and started laughing as he found a joke certificate on his desk. Picking the certificate up, he saw the various signatures on it - one of which made him grin. Picking up his receiver, he dialed Cynthia's number. "So, 'Award for Best Male Model' huh? When did you have time to have this done up for me? Also, it goes great with the fanmail I received..."

"Liked it?" she chuckled. "Good morning handsome. Already here?"

"Yep. Left before AD as usual. And yeah I do. Should I go buy a frame for it or will you be sending me one for it? Also, do you want a picture for your troubles?"

"Mmh, come to think of it... I actually want a photo with all three of you on my desk," she chuckled. "But do keep it, it's funny. Also, you got more fanmail?!"

"Which three of us? I'll be sure to attach a photo in the spot indicated before framing it and yes, I got more fanmail."

"You, Cole and James," she grinned. "Make sure to get rid of them before AD arrives."

"In boxers or in our swim trunks? And...oh-ho, I'll be bringing this stuff over - maybe I can convince AD to have another bonfire..."

"You could. And no! I meant in normal clothing you dork," she laughed.

"Aww, but then what about my picture that goes with the certificate? I mean, it's awarded to _me_ after all, so what photo should go with it? As for the photo with the two and a half Musketeers, we could take one together before lunch? Also, aren't those football guys playing today?"

"Can we just go for a walk in the park for lunch break today? I'm not really into football today..." she told him.

"The four of us? Sure, I'll ask the others." 

"As for your photo, anything that doesn't make AD angry should be fine."

"So that means the water polo picture is out of the running... As is the one of me naked, right?"

"Tris, of course you cannot use a picture of you naked!"

"What's with Faraday getting naked?" Gwyn smirked, passing next to Cynthia's desk as she got inside her office.

Over the phone, Tristan began laughing loudly as Cynthia tried to cover up the receiver. 

"Ah uhm... 'morning AD."

"Good morning," she smiled back. "And tell Tristan I'll need to talk to him soon," she finished, as she closed her office's door.

"Heard that?"

"Going going..." he snickered. "I have some leftover photos from when we took the team photos earlier this year, I'll let you choose - and I'm bringing my certificate with me." Hanging up, Tristan took the certificate and three new reports off his desk before reaching into a drawer and withdrawing a packet full of photos before leaving his office. As he approached Cynthia's desk, he placed the photos and certificate on her desk. "Have fun. Enjoy," he grinned before knocking and entering Gwyn's office.

"What the- Tristan, I need to talk to you about something, wait!" Cynthia called back, while he was still at Gwyn's door.

"Huh? Sure..." Poking his head inside Gwyn's office, he gave her a grin, "Be right back - Cyn needs me."

"Oh, sure, no problem."

"Sorry about that Tris. Now, two things. First, have you told AD and Anne about this weekend? And second, why don't you ask her to come for the walk with us, it won't be just you two, it'll be a group of people... shouldn't be a problem, plus, you'd manage to stay with her for lunch break. And get her out of her office for some minutes."

"No, I didn't get a chance to tell them about this weekend - I'll ask during dinner tonight and I'll be sure to ask if they would like to join us. I was a bit more _preoccupied_ with other things last night," he smirked. "Anything else, Beautiful?"

"The walk today?"

"Want me to call them or you call them? I can do it once I get back to my desk."

"Who Cole and James, leave that to me. You ask Gwyn now," she grinned, winking back at him.

"Fine. See ya," he grinned before re-entering Gwyn's office, locking the door behind him. "So, I received some interesting gifts this morning, wanna hear about them?" Tristan asked as he got comfortable in his chair - though sitting properly.

"What are they this time?" she told him, as he handed her over the reports.

"I got a joke certificate from Cynthia - that's what the naked comment was about. And secondly, do we have time to have bonfire today?" 

"Joke what?" she chuckled. "And if it because of the fanmail, definitely."

"Joke certificate for 'Best Male Model' and it has a spot on the certificate to attach a photo, hence the naked comment. And yes, I gots ze fanmail." Scratching his cheek, he continued. "Also, Cyn and the guys want to spend the weekend together - just for like a picnic and such and were wondering if A, it'd be okay for me to go and B, if you and Anne would like to go. Plus, Jasper will now have room to run around and meet new people. What do you think?”

"You got that pseudo-certificate with you by any chance?" she chuckled. "As for the rest... could be an option... I wouldn't mind, say... going for a park on the outskirts of the city... and we'd be all together so, not too much of a problem if we're spotted.

"Cyn has it - I'm letting her pick a photo for it, had some leftovers from the intramural league team photos we took earlier this year. Also, I'll let the others know and it should be fun letting Jasper meeting more and more people and dogs. I know Anne takes him on walks and lets him play with other dogs, but it'll be nice to let him just run around off-leash." 

"Should be fine, I see no problem with that. And yes, Anne will definitely like that."

"Good. So... obviously you got here on time, told you that we wouldn't be late."

"No, you were right on that," Gwyn replied, smiling back at him. "Something else you wanted to tell me before we get down to business?"

"You look great," he smiled sincerely.

"You too," she grinned back. "And did Cynthia tell you anything else you needed to talk to me about?"

"Nope, she seems to be good right now and she was the one who wanted to get you away from the office for the weekend - well rather all of us, but you would be included in that." Thinking for a second, he held up his finger as he remembered. "Oh yeah...we're going for a walk during lunch. Planning on staying here or would you like to join us? Could be business-oriented, as Cole and James are now senior members of Advertising."

"Could actually be interesting, without being strictly work oriented... I'm quite up-to-date now with work so... might as well come with you."

"Goodie. Now, anything _you_ wanted to tell _me_?" he grinned.

"That I love you?" she grinned back in response.

"I love you too. Do we have to do work now?"

"Yes we have," she chuckled. "We need to establish date and time when we're going to carry out the interviews with the designated employees before we get the new department up and running - just to confirm whether we've done the right choices."

Wordlessly, he took the reports from her hands and made himself comfortable on her carpet as he worked while Gwyn chuckled quietly to herself.

"Tris, find me a number of time-slots when you're available next week and we'll tell Cynthia to organise everything."

"Sure thing AD," he replied with a yawn as he continued thumbing through the various papers.

"Then we have to think of the questions we'd want to ask to each and one of them. And no need to make it formal, we can do the interviews here, you, me and whoever is involved."

"Mm-hmm." 

"Good..."

A few hours later, a knock on Gwyn's door broke the comfortable silence that had enveloped the room. Yawning, Tristan got up and unlocked the door, looking slightly rumpled as he was lying on the floor. "Hey Cyn."

"It's time for lunch break... you're both so quiet, what's up?"

"Sleepy from working?" he yawned again, making both Gwyn and Cynthia laugh.

"Cynthia listen," Gwyn told her, handing her a paper. "That's a list of my available slots next week. Once Tristan gives you his, please arrange a thirty-minute meeting with each of the persons listed below that time-schedule."

"Right," she nodded. "So now, are you two coming? I've already called Cole and James and they'll be waiting for us outside. We could grab something to eat on the way too..."

Nodding and yawning, Tristan gave them a sleepy smile. "We go?"

"Let's get going," Gwyn grinned as she got up from her desk and winked back at Cynthia. "Tris, are you going to get up from there?"

Picking up his jacket, he unrolled his shirtsleeves and buttoned the cuffs before shrugging on his jacket, yawning all the while. "Yeah yeah... I'll get you my timetable after lunch - though I'm pretty sure that I'm free when AD's free..."

Gwyn furrowed her eyebrows and chuckled when she saw him yawn again. "Is it me or you're really sleepy?"

"I'm sleepy - you got to sleep more than I did this past weekend... plus all the rich food I've been eating the past few days... makes me tired..."

Chuckling, Gwyn moves by his side, placing a quick kiss on Tristan's cheek, then walks off with Cynthia, grinning. "Coming?"

"Coming..." he grinned as he followed them to meet the others.

"Good afternoon AD," James smiled, as soon as he saw Gwyn by Tristan's side. "Good to see you."

"Thank you, and same to you both," she promptly greeted back, smiling once they had gotten out of the building.

Waving, Tristan yawned again before he started leaning against Cole's shoulder.

Moving slightly, Cole grabbed a hold of Tristan's arms and supported him. "Why's he tired? Wait don't tell me... diet right? I knew those profiteroles would come back to haunt him..." 

"No no," Gwyn laughed. "I just think he's tired from all that happened these days... in a way, I might have a part in that..." she blushed slightly, leaving the two boys gaping back at her.

"Wow..." Shaking Tristan slightly, Cole patted the younger man's shoulder. "Guess that wild weekend of yours finally caught up to you, hmm?"

"She gets tired before me, and yes, I think it has," came the satisfied reply. 

Chuckling, Cynthia looked back at a blushing Gwyn and smiled. "Now enough of that you, let's get going. And Cole, stop thinking about that."

"I'm just looking out for him - y'know like I always do," smiled Cole, "And I'm not thinking about that. Let's go Buddy, you need some fresh air."

"Yes Dad..." murmured Tristan as Cole let go of him and started walking next to Gwyn.

Shaking his head, Cole turned to James as the pair began talking - until Cynthia cuffed them both on the back of their heads.

"Tris... you sure you're feeling alright?" Gwyn whispered as she moved close to him.

"Yep. Though I think feeling your emotions sometimes makes me tired - I feel like I've been put through the wringer. Kinda drained when you start feeling kinda down on yourself - which you shouldn't even be doing in the first place. Don't worry, I just need to rest up a bit more - and make sure that you stay happy," he grinned. 

"Down on yourself? Something's bothering you?" she replied, as they started walking at a short distance behind the trio.

"This morning's conversation, but like I said, don't worry too much about it, okay? One day at a time, Gwyn, one day at a time."

"My thoughts about children you mean?"

"Yep."

"Don't worry Dearest, I'm not thinking about it any longer, trust me."

"Good, guess it's just the residual feelings then - plus my lack of sleep, which I totally don't mind but feel kinda guilty for you not sleeping much."

"You're seeing me sleepy?" she chuckled. "Nope, so... no guilty feelings please."

"Okay then." Smiling at her, he then turned his attention to the others. "Where are we going? I'm hungry!"

"Ask the leader," Cynthia grinned, pointing at James.

"What?! Why am I in charge today?"

"It's your turn, you always leave the deciding to us," Cynthia nodded.

"You're the one setting the rather brisk pace, mate."

"Shut up Cole..."

"Well, there might be a place you'd like... I went there once during break, it's within the park grounds themselves," Gwyn suggested.

"I'm in."

"Same. See Jamie, some leader you turned out to be," teased Cole.

"Well, I-nevermind, I'm in. Cyn?"

"All in. Must be somewhere worthwhile since it's AD suggesting it," Cynthia told them, grinning back at Gwyn.

"You'll see it when we get there. You'll probably find something you like since they have main courses, sandwiches, salads... pasta, if I remember well. Special drinks and loads of different cakes," she chuckled, giving a quick look at Tristan.

"Cake! Well then, let's go let's go let's go!" grinned a much-more awake Tristan, causing the others to laugh.

"Now we'll have to run, Tristan wait!" Cynthia called out as he walked straight up in front of them. 

"Guess I shouldn't have mentioned that," Gwyn chuckled as she reached the other three.

"He'll never change. Even when he's eighty... mention anything sweet around him and he's all for it," chuckled James.

"I honestly think if you cut him open, he bleeds chocolate and sugar..." laughed Cole as he grabbed Tristan's collar. "Whoa there Kiddo, don't make your boss mad now."

"I'm not..." came the expected whine.

"No, don't worry about that," Gwyn grinned. "After all, he needed to come back anyway - since only I know about the place."

"There's that too..." laughed Tristan as he offered his arm out to Gwyn, then to Cynthia.

"Thank you," both women replied in unison as they started walking by his side.

"Hey! What's with us being left out now?!" Cole and James whined playfully right behind the three. 

"Care if we grab a foot?" James asked teasingly.

"You could give me a piggy-back ride if you want to Cole. And James can carry their purses."

"Ah shut up."

"You both asked," smirked Tristan as Gwyn led them to the place.

"Wow," Cynthia was the first to ask as soon as she got the first glimpse of the building. "What is it?"

"It was a glasshouse for orange trees once, in fact the structure itself is more than two-hundred years old and went through a lot of architectural modifications... till what you see today, a modern cafe-restaurant," she smiled back at them, as Tristan grinned back at her. "Oops, sorry about the lecture."

"She's a history buff, you get used to it-hey!" laughed Tristan as Gwyn ruffled his hair lightly. 

"You were expecting that, you should have warned them," she chuckled in return. "Finding a table shouldn't be a problem anyway..."

"They need to learn how to be around Gwyn Coulston, not AD Coulston," he grinned back.

"Shall we get inside, I'm starving," James grinned as Cole walked inside while Cynthia waited for Gwyn and Tristan.

"Coming," he smiled while leading the three of them inside.

"There's the cakes," she giggled, pointing one particular counter to Tristan. "I'm having a salad and a traditional lemonade."

"I'll have a roast beef sandwich, and chips, and a banana, and a salad, and lemon iced tea, and that dark chocolate and raspberry cake..."

Upon hearing that, Cynthia, Cole, and James sighed while Gwyn simply laughed.

"I knew it," she smiled as she watched Tristan and the salesman at the counter interact as the salesman took their food order. "You decided?" she asked, looking at the three of them.

"Probably a sandwich, chips, and a drink for me."

"Same as James, but a soup and salad instead of chips." 

"Well, I might have that roast ham and cheddar cheese wholemeal sandwich there... sparkling water... and... that blueberry muffin! I haven't had one for ages," Cynthia smiled at the salesgirl serving them.

"Yay! Cyn's ordering _real food_!" cheered Tristan, as both Cole and James began golf-clapping at Cynthia's direction.

"Oh stop it you three," she chuckled, as Gwyn grinned back at her. "It's still wholemeal you know, and all three of you _hate_ wholemeal with a passion."

"So? You got roast ham and cheddar on that sandwich," grinned James.

"Not to mention the blueberry muffin - which is humongous I must say," smirked Cole.

"Like I said, haven't had one for ages, so quit that," she replied, sticking her tongue out at the three of them.

"You're always this entertaining during lunch breaks?" Gwyn commented, as she sat beside Tristan.

"Not always, but today's special as Cyn ordered _real food_ instead of her usual, 'salad, wholemeal bread slices, and sparkling water with a touch of lemon'," grinned Tristan. 

"Blueberry muffin's epic, too bad I don't have a camera with me," James grinned, as Cynthia nudged him with her elbow in response.

"I think it's the roast ham and cheddar cheese that makes it even better - all the other stuff...classic," laughed Cole.

Hoisting his glass of iced lemon tea (after dumping several spoonfuls of sugar), Tristan grinned. "To Cynthia, for ordering real food for today!"

"Will you stop teasing her?" Gwyn chuckled as she lifted her glass next to Tristan's.

"Uhh... Nope!" came the reply from the three males, as everyone clinked their glasses and laughed.

"Now I'll be having non-diet stuff from time to time just to tick you off," Cynthia chuckled in response. "Or to make the three of you happy anyway."

"Believe me when I say that it makes us happy, Cyn. Same goes for you to Gwyn - you both are perfect the way you are. Stop worrying so much about it," smiled Tristan as he began to pour dressing onto his salad.

"We love our girls the way they are," Cole grinned, nudging James playfully.

"Uh-yeah, we do. What the Kid said - you guys are already perfect as you are, so stop with the diet stuff already."

"Lately I haven't actually... ate too much light stuff," mused Gwyn, looking up at Tristan. "I didn't have much time to think about it anyway." 

"That's because I've taken you to different restaurants - that way you have a variety and all the portions were big enough to share. Plus I'm a good influence."

"Probably," she whispered, placing a kiss on his cheek, while the other three observed with a grin on their faces.

"Most likely," he snickered before eating his salad.

"So... A-Gwyn," Cynthia smiled as Gwyn turned to look at her. "Enjoying your break?" 

"Quite, I must admit," she grinned. "Probably I might need this more often these days... as someone's told me that I look pretty stressed out."

Schooling his expression to be that of an innocent one, Tristan simply gave them a boyish grin. "Well, to be honest, Anne agreed with my assessment."

"It's a conspiracy I say," she giggled back as she finished off her drink.

"Yes, we need you to relax a little..." mused Tristan as he finished his salad and began eating his sandwich and chips.

"Right," she chuckled, as she stole of couple of his chips and placed them into her plate. 

"I think she's following your suggestion," Cynthia grinned, as she started eating her sandwich.

"Told you guys I'm a good influence."

"Sure you are..." snickered James and Cole.

"Well, I avoided most of your guys' advice while growing up and I turned out pretty well," smirked the younger man.

Chuckling, Gwyn placed a hand on Tristan's back and rubbed it gently. "Very _well_ indeed." 

Grinning, Tristan turned to Cynthia while resting his head on Gwyn's shoulder, "What do you think Cyn? Did I grow up pretty well without their advice?"

"Definitely dear, it's not like you needed those two crazy bums for advice," she laughed as she finished her sandwich.

"Such a cheap shot... why are we being picked on today?" whined Cole.

"Yeah Cyn, I thought you loved us?"

"Oh I do you know," she replied, giving them a mischievous grin. "Let's just say it's payback time."

"Well... crap..."

"See, this is why I don't bug her about 'her time of the month'... I had four women, not including Cyn, to deal with while growing up. There are things you just don't tease them about," Tristan replied sagely as he ate the remnants of his sandwich and chips before splitting his cake with Gwyn. "Right Cyn? Gwyn?"

"You'd better," they nodded in approval.

Sighing, both James and Cole silently ate the rest of their food while the other three had their desserts.

"Cake is fantastic - though I think Anne could make a better one," came Tristan's thoughtful response while licking the chocolate ganache off of his fork.

"Most probably - but it's quite good anyway," she smiled as she sneaked the fork from Tristan's hand and took a bite off the dessert.

"Thief..." he replied before tearing off a piece of the muffin top from Cynthia's dessert and ate it.

"Hey!"

"She took my fork and the muffin's pretty good. Wanna try my cake?" Tristan asked innocently as he drank the rest of his tea.

"Here," Gwyn grinned mischievously moving the fork with some chocolate cake next to his lips.

Taking a bite, Tristan grinned as he ate the cake before leaning over and giving Gwyn a quick kiss.

"Whoa you two," James smirked, grinning back at Cynthia. "Relaxed aren't we?" he whispered as he watched Gwyn return the kiss.

Placing a hand over James' eyes, Cole simply laughed while sharing a mischievous grin with Cynthia. "Let them be, Jamie."

"Cole!"

"Love you," whispered Tristan as he pulled away from the kiss.

"Me too," she giggled lightly. "Now, finish off your dessert, I'm full now..."

"Yes ma'am," smirked Tristan as he turned to Cynthia and Cole, who still had his hand over James' eyes. "Wanna try it? This includes you too Jamie."

"What? The kiss?" snickered James, as Cynthia smacked his head lightly.

"I'm not kissing _you_ nor do I think Gwyn wants to share... so nyah," came the childish reply from Tristan as both Cynthia and Cole began eating the cake.

"I wasn't referring to you anyway..." guffawed James, as he took the opportunity to take a piece of muffin from Cynthia's plate.

"Oh of course not... Cyn, you're just gonna let Jamie take your muffin?"

"What?! Hey! Listen James, if you wanted dessert, go get it from the counter," she growled, taking the plate away from him.

"Wha-hey!"

Eating the cake, Cole turned to Tristan while clamping a hand over James' mouth. "And he complains when you act up...anyways, nice choice with the cake Kiddo."

"Thank you. It's good, but you should try Anne's desserts - she's amazing at making sweets." Laughing, he saw that Cynthia was quite enjoying the cake. "Like the cake, Cyn?" 

Thinking quietly, Gwyn looked up at the group of friends and smiled. "If you like... you could come over at my house for dinner one of these evenings, Anne would be absolutely thrilled at the idea." 

"Yeah! It'll be great. Hey-maybe this weekend Anne can make some food for our little picnic? She could definitely make some killer desserts."

"True, but she'd also enjoy cooking for you all," mused Gwyn in return. "What do you say - dinner, at my house, Friday night?" she smiled, feeling Tristan place a hand on her lap, patting her gently.

"Sounds like a great idea, then we can just go to the picnic grounds afterwards. Thank you Gwyn, it's very kind of you," smiled Cole, who had long since removed his hand from James' mouth.

"How about you two?" asked Tristan as he gave Cynthia the 'puppy dog eyes'.

"Immediately afterwards no, I don't think Tristan would appreciate us staying on his territory after a certain time," chuckled Cynthia, sticking her tongue out at him. "Thanks Gwyn."

As Tristan made faces at Cynthia, Cole simply chuckled. "I meant the next day, as my place isn't terribly far from where Gwyn's place is - you and the four-eyed idiot can stay over if you want. Then we can meet up with the Kid and AD in the morning." 

"Jeez you guys are being way harsh on me today..." muttered James before turning to Gwyn. "I'm in for sure. Thank you for the invitation, Gwyn."

"Shrimp, you gonna keep making faces at Spitfire all day?"

"She started it, Papa Cole..."

Stifling a laugh, Gwyn merely nodded and smiled at the four of them. "It's settled then. I'll tell Anne about next Friday and the picnic and all should be fine."

"Cool," grinned Tristan as he pushed the rest of his cake over to Cynthia and stole her muffin instead.

"Tris, not aga-ah well, chocolate cake!" she grinned, eating it off.

Staring back at her, studying her reaction, Cole and James looked at each other, and after a short while, both burst in a fit of laughter.

"Wait wait wait... _he_ can get away with stealing your muffin, but _I_ can't? Now _that's_ a conspiracy..." chuckled James.

"Well it was a fair deal, muffin with chocolate cake - you just stole it without equivalent exchange," Cynthia commented, finishing off the dessert with a grin on her lips.

"It's favoritism..."

"No... not my fault you didn't get dessert, but if you're gonna be a baby about it, _here,_ " Tristan said triumphantly as he split the rest of the muffin with James.

"Now's he's a happy baby, right Jamie?" Cole teased him as he finished off his drink. "That was lovely."

"Shut up Cole," James mumbled as he ate his part of the muffin.

"Waaaaaaah," teased Tristan after he finished his muffin portion.

Feeling relaxed, Gwyn rested her head against Tristan's shoulder and smiled, realizing that she was actually feeling happy that she had joined them for lunch.

Resting his head against hers, he simply smiled. "Should we get going soon?" 

"Mmm-hmm, break's almost over and we need to finish up a lot of pending items before we get back home. And you need to check out that schedule for me to hand over to Cynthia."

"Fair enough. Should I get my timetable and then head over to your office?" 

"Yes please."

"Off we go then?" Cynthia grinned, as she got up from the table, followed by James and Cole. "Coming?"

"Yes..." came the 'enthusiastic' reply, particularly for Cole, who still had to work under Black until the Advertising division was up and running.

"It's okay... the day's almost over at least," replied Tristan as he began busing some of the plates onto the tray.

"Cole, we'll be talking to you about the new post early next week so... no need to put on that frown for now. I'll see that you move from Black's section as soon as possible," she smiled back at him sincerely, in reassurance.

Sighing, he gave Gwyn and Tristan a bright smile. "Thank you so much. I hate working for that asshole. He doesn't do shit and passes off all of my work as his... Can't wait to get away from him..."

"You will soon, you have my word," Gwyn repeated, getting back on her feet.

"Looking forward to it. Thanks again. C'mon Kiddo, time to go back to work," smiled Cole as he hauled Tristan away from the table.

"But I wasn't done-"

"Tris, they have workers that do that, and we have to go."

"Okay, but I don't mind helping them out a little..."

"It's their work Tris, come on!" Cynthia invited him, as Gwyn was already out of the building before the others, gazing at the intricate glass and steel work found outside of the orangery.

Following the others out, he grinned as he saw Gwyn's expression. "It's a really neat place. Thanks for showing it to us."

"Mmm-hmm, you're welcome," she nodded in return. "I'm glad you enjoyed it.

"Of course. And you're glad that you came with us, aren't you?"

"Yes, you felt that haven't you?" she said, briefly placing her hand in his.

"Mm-hmm. It's a nice, sunny feeling," Tristan replied brightly while squeezing her hand gently.

"Let's get back now..." she winked back at him, as she gave a look at his other three friends. "They're waiting for you."

"Fair enough." Giving her a kiss on the back of her hand, Tristan let go and wrapped a friendly arm around her shoulders as they walked to meet the others.

"Thought you were going to make out in the middle of the par-ouch dammit!" James muttered as he got a smack on the head from Cynthia and a light punch in the stomach from Cole.

Rolling his eyes, Tristan just shook his head. "And _that's_ why we've been giving you a hard time today. Keep it up and you'll probably remain single for a good long while, pal." 

"Maybe if you stop making these stupid comments someone might get a little interested," Cynthia scolded him.

"Right sorry," James murmured while rubbing the back of his head. "Cole, did you have to hit so hard? We just ate after all..."

"Jamie, that was like a love tap more than anything to your stomach... you definitely need to get back into shape..."

"Maybe I should start going to the gym again..." he muttered as he walked by Cole and Cynthia's side, while Gwyn and Tristan followed suit. 

"Could be something," called Tristan with an amused smile on his face.

"Can it Twerp."

Laughing, the group continued to playfully banter amongst themselves until they reached the office in a great mood. Unbeknownst to the group, they were being observed from several floors up of their office building.

-

"Well well, seems that AD Coulston is now fraternizing with her subordinates. Tsk tsk... I thought more of her managerial style, apparently, I was wrong," smirked Black as he took a sip of red wine from his glass.

"You tend to do that with us though, Ryan," a female voice grinned in the shadows, as she reached his side.

Sliding his arm around her waist, Black continued to drink. "Yes, but never so openly, my dear. Still though, I wonder why she's now aligning herself with the boy and his friends?"

"Because you were right in the first place."

"That she's sleeping with him? Oh that's rich... I only said that to trigger her anger... Still, I wonder what _Daddy_ would say if he found out about his precious _daughter_ really _was_ sleeping with her subordinate? Not to mention the fact that the Brat has managed to take away one of my best employees."

"Think he'd mind?" the woman replied, as she snaked her arms round his neck, grinning all the while. "As for your subordinate, you'll find someone else more worthy of that position..."

"I doubt that he'd mind, but since it's his _favourite._.. He might have some concern. As for Thompson... perhaps, but he was a damn good employee. It'll be hard to replace him."

"Especially since he was helping you so much with your work... Anyway, maybe you should give more attention to _your_ favorite right now, Ry." 

Draining his glass, he threw it onto the ground, shattering it as he took her in his arms. Grinning wolfishly, he looked her in the eye as he closed his blinds. "Perhaps I should, my _dear_..."

"Thought you'd never say that..." she whispered back in response.

"And since you two are totally ignoring my presence here, I think I'll go back to my desk while you engage into a more _intimate_ conversation," another voice came from the far end of the room. "See you later," he mumbled, exiting the room in a blink.

"Damn, I had totally forgotten he was still in here.."

"Well he's gone now... and I'm _ordering_ you to continue as to where you left off, as you'll look so stunning after I'm through with you," smirked Black.

"Mmm... desk... Ryan?" she whispered, giving him a wicked grin while sitting up at the edge of his desk.

"Actually, I was thinking the floor, as a little carpet burn never hurt anyone... on the contrary, I believe the pain should add a little more _excitement_..."

"Whatever you want. I'm at your mercy."

-

"And here's my timetable!" grinned Tristan as he handed the sheet of paper over to Cynthia.

"Good! Now if you're going back to AD's office, tell her that I'll bring this over as soon as possible, with all the names of the interviewees duty noted down. And... what's in your hands?" Cynthia asked curiously as she placed the sheet on her desk. "Oh by the way, here's this morning certificate," she grinned, handing it over.

"Fanmail. And lemme see... And interesting compromise of going with the candid shirtless football pic... you would happen to pick the one where I wore the girls' shorts as a dare..."

"I love that one, you look... quite _dashing_ ," she chuckled, stifling a laugh. "I mean, talk about... _tight_."

"Or is it because of me wearing the short shorts?" he laughed.

"Gwyn will be proud, shows all of your _assets_ ," she snorted, before laughing out loud.

"If you only knew how hard it was to tuck..." he trailed off as he took the certificate in his arms and knocked on Gwyn's door. 

"Yes. Come in."

Slipping inside the office, Tristan automatically locked the door and headed over to his seat in front of Gwyn's desk. "I've left my timetable with Cynthia and she told me to tell you that she'll bring over the interview list as soon as possible. Also, here's the certificate," he replied with a wry grin as he handed it over, "not to mention a few examples of fanmail that I know you're just _dying_ to look at."

"Are they that bad this time?" she asked, as she took the certificate in her hands. "Oh God," she chuckled, placing a hand in front of her mouth. "What on Earth were you doing here?"

"Not really bad - more like just complimenting me. As for the certificate... It was a dare that earned me nearly three hundred bucks... my teammates and the coaches threw down the challenge that no man was man enough to not only just wear a pair of women's football shorts, but to also workout and practice in them. The pot was initially $50, but everyone kept throwing in money... I took the bet, stripped off my uniform and put on the girl's shorts - which were like a small or an extra small - I can't remember. I couldn't wear them as we practiced because the girls kept trying to pull them off me - Cyn included - but I got to keep the money anyways. I think the most awkward part about the entire thing was having to tuck... since I didn't exactly have enough room or coverage..." he blushed while grinning.

"You're fuckin' crazy, you know that!" she exclaimed, leaving Tristan slightly surprised but pleased at the same time.

"I've been told that many a time, Sweetheart."

"Oh I'm sure..." she grinned.

"Well, Cynthia picked that particular picture because she thinks it shows off all of my assets, so to speak. I was planning on having it framed and hanging it in my office..."

"Go ahead, but first," Gwyn grinned as she took a pen in one hand, and the certificate in the other. Turning it face down, she chuckled, and wrote something in very small script at the bottom right corner of the sheet, had a good look at it for a short while and then handed the paper back over to Tristan. "Now you can frame it."

"What th-Now it's official, hmm?" he grinned. "Any reason as to why you chose to write _that_?"

"Well, you are my sole property after all," she grinned back at him.

"True true... not gonna lie, but I like the sound of that."

"What's exactly wrong in writing - _Please find overleaf one truthful image of Tristan Faraday, friend, soulmate, lover, boyfriend, one heck of a man and sole property of Gwendalynn Coulston..._ " she smiled back. "Accurate reflection of the truth."

"Absolutely nothing. Now, what does Gwendaylnn Coulston require of me this afternoon, hmm?" 

"Not much really. Mind if we go through the list of staff to be moved to Advertising and see what questions we would like to ask them during the interviews?"

"Not at all. Shall we stay here or move to the couch? I think we should move so that it's easier to see and compare notes."

"As long as you don't end up doing something else, yes," she giggled, sticking out her tongue at him.

"Well, I'd rather be doing _you_ , but that's another story..."

"Tristan, no," Gwyn stood up looking at him sternly but sweetly at the same time. "Let's get this done."

"Fine..." Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, he began discussing their work while holding her close.

-

"So, it all sums up to the fact that the person we're mostly certain about is Cole... oh someone's going to be so pleased," she looked up at Tristan, with a wicked grin, a couple of hours later.

"I'm sure I'm going to earn points from the douchebag..." Tristan smirked back. "He's so going to love me even more after this. But, it was HR that approved of the request..."

"Yes I know, but I'm sure he'll associate that move with both of us. I can already see him with a picture of the two of us and a lovely dartboard."

"Maybe, but do you honestly care about what _he_ thinks? After all, we were just picking the best and the brightest to overhaul Advertising - Cole just happens to fit the criteria. Also, you can't exactly argue when the CEO tells you that everything's all good."

"No, and that's what gives me such a wicked pleasure, I must admit."

"Mm-hmm. So, what else does my AD require of me?"

"That is it for now I suppose," she smiled back. "Thank you for your help," Gwyn whispered, standing up from the couch to walk back to her desk.

"Not a problem. So I should probably mosey back to my office for a while. Checking out early or should I just meet you at home?"

"Meet me at home, probably you'll be there before I do - actually would be better, see if Anne's alright and talk to her about this weekend..."

"I can do that." After getting up from the couch, he walked over to Gwyn's desk to pick up his stuff. "See you at home then," he whispered before kissing her.

"See you," she whispered, as their kiss ended.

"Love you," he smiled back as he left the office. Passing Cynthia, he handed her the certificate, "See if you don't agree with that."

"What am I-oh God..." snickers Cynthia as looks at Gwyn's addition. "Oh I totally agree with that. Did you tell her the complete story behind the pic?"

"Mm-hmm, including how you and the other girls kept trying to pants me... Though I didn't mention that you all were trying to grab me in the _front_ rather than from behind."

"Dumbass..."


	10. X

"You must admit that the phrase that Miss Gwyn wrote is the truth though," Anne chuckled when Tristan showed her the certificate, while they were chatting off, seated at the dining room table. "I'll ignore what you're wearing there, really, but it does look hilarious. Gwyn must have had a good laugh."

"Oh sure she did," Tristan grinned in return. "That's what made her write that, and even Cynthia was amused to tell you the truth. Which reminds me... would you like to join us for a picnic next Saturday? By us I mean, me and Gwyn, you of course, and my crazy trio of best friends."

Anne sat silent for a short while, then looked back up at Tristan with a smile on her face. "If that's alright for the Miss... should be alright with me," she replied. "Plus I think it would be fun... and since it's a picnic, I think I'll prepare some cakes and sweets," she suggested, seeing Tristan's expression lighten up at the mention of dessert.

"Awesome! Oh... yes, and another thing Gwyn told me to talk to you about... she invited all of the group for dinner Friday evening... you'll be working overtime Anne," he chuckled as Anne looked at him with a huge smile on her lips.

"I'd love that! We barely ever have guests... except you of late, so... I'll need help with the grocery shopping though," she thought out aloud.

"Sure, I'd be more than willing to help out. Are there any stores that are open right now and are close by?"

"Yes, but how about we go tomorrow evening? That would give me time to think what I actually need - then I'd make a full list of items that we would need to buy..." Anne grinned as she noticed the look on Tristan's face. "And yes, I can be just like Gwyn," she laughed.

"So I've noticed... I'll say this though, the girls' shorts weren't too bad - just too tight. Maybe if they gave me at least a medium, I would've been more comfortable," snickered Tristan as he got up from the dining table. "I'll just go change and then we can brainstorm some ideas, okay?" 

"Sure, no problem!" Anne replied enthusiastically as Tristan walked away to the bedroom.

Getting out of his work clothes, Tristan changed quickly into a well-worn green t-shirt and his jeans before heading back into the dining room. Hearing a bark behind him, Tristan looked down to see Jasper holding one of his toys in his mouth. "Hey Pal, how are you, hmm?" Sitting on the hardwood floor, Tristan reached over and began playing with the pup by tugging on the end of the rope toy.

"Tristan? Want something to drink while you wait for dinner?" Anne called out from the kitchen.

"Chocolate milk, if there's still any left in the fridge, please?"

In a couple of minutes, Anne got back from the kitchen with a large glass of milk and placed it on the table. "There you go..."

"Thank you Anne. Take a look at Jas, I think he'll be teething soon..."

"Mmh, really?" she replied, walking next to them. "How do you know?" 

"He's definitely mouthing more on everything," Tristan pointed out as he continued to play with Jasper. "After his next appointment, which is in about three months... he'll be right about there..." 

"Oh I see... oh we'll take care of him when the time comes," she smiled. 

"Definitely..." Listening to the ambient sounds of the apartment, a light tapping sound could be heard against the glass. Reaching out to pet Jasper, Tristan got up and walked over to the window and saw raindrops falling against the glass. "Huh, it's raining again... Mind if I play, Anne?"

"I hope the Miss doesn't take too long to be back... weather's getting pretty bad again."

"Me too..." Walking over to the piano, he opened the bench and found several sheets of paper. Closing the lid, Tristan sat down and began tuning the piano slightly. Placing the sheets on the stand, Tristan turned his head to look over at Anne. "Any preferences or requests?" 

"See if there's something from Beethoven," she chuckled. "I think there should be some scores as that the Miss's second favorite," she called back from the kitchen.

Looking through the sheets, he found several Beethoven pieces. Picking one to start with, Tristan began playing while Jasper barked quietly in approval. 

"And it won't stop raining these couple of days..." a familiar voice muttered as she took off her coat and placed it on the clothes hanger by the door.

"Not so bad, at least we had a break today. Finish what you needed too, Sweetheart?" asked Tristan while continuing to play.

"Yes, and managed to do more than that... I'm quite satisfied this evening to tell you the truth... Beethoven?" she whispered, as she walked right behind him, circling her arms round his neck. 

"Mm-hmm, Anne suggested it. And I'm glad that you got what you wanted done." 

"Yes..." Gwyn mused, sitting down by his side and resting her head against his shoulder.

"We still have some time before dinner's ready. Why don't you change into something comfortable and meet me back here? You can pick a song for me to play if you like as well."

"Sounds like a plan," she replied, placing a kiss on his cheek. "I'll be back in a couple of minutes."

"I'll be right here playing."

After greeting Anne who was busy cooking in the kitchen, Gwyn quickly slipped inside her bedroom and proceeded in scanning her wardrobe to find a pair of grey sports pants and a dark purple top. Putting them on in a couple of minutes, and gathering her hair in a pony-tail, Gwyn went back to the living room and silently sat by Tristan's side as he continued playing.

Finishing the last few bars, Tristan rested his head against Gwyn's shoulder. "Anything you want me to play?"

"There is something... I was thinking about it when I was driving... blame the rain," she chuckled as she looked through her sheet music. "Vivaldi's Winter..." she smiled, as she placed the score in front of them. "It isn't really meant for the piano but..."

"I could give it a try if you want me too..."

Nodding, Gwyn placed a kiss on Tristan's cheek and smiled. "Give it a try, I love your playing..." 

"Thank you," he leaned over and kissed her before getting up from the bench to grab his glass of milk. Taking a drink, Tristan resumed his place by Gwyn's side and began playing.

Watching and listening to him as he played, with a few corrections here and there, Gwyn smiled as Tristan managed to get that particular piece right. Most of the time, playing those kind of pieces needed hours of training, trials and playing and re-playing each specific section of the piece, however Tristan actually went through the whole thing without much effort, and not too many corrections.

"I really don't know how you manage..."

"Manage what?"

"To get the music right... it's not easy at the first trial."

"But... I didn't really get it all right, screwed up a few times..."

"Not too much," she smiled. "Want me to play it once?"

"Sure, I'd love to hear you play again. Do you want me to swap spots with you?" 

"If you like... but I'm fine here... I can reach the end of the keyboard easily," she chuckled, as she stretched out towards the far end with her right arm.

"Okay. Ready when you are," he smiled back at her.

"Here it goes - remember, this is originally a violin concerto so... that's why it's so fast pacing..." she told him as she started playing, her hands hovering swiftly over the black and white keys of the piano keyboard. Her playing felt almost more than natural, filling the room with a warm aura that was in complete contrast with the storm that was raging out of the apartment's walls. Swinging her head slightly at the change of the movements, Tristan couldn't help but smile and realise how much that music actually absorbed her completely. From her end, Gwyn merely closed her eyes and enjoyed playing every single note, most of the time ending up not following the score considering how she knew that music by heart.

"Now _that_ was amazing..." he whispered once she had finished playing.

"Mmh? Really?" she smiled, once she turned her face to look at him.

"Yeah really. I'll admit that was my first time playing the piece by piano, but you made the music sound absolutely beautiful. Thank you." 

"You're welcome..." Gwyn whispered, as she leant over to place a kiss on Tristan's cheek. "You should be grateful I used to spend a lot of days on my own with the piano when I was younger."

"It shows. I usually played whenever I felt like it - which was actually often. I remember my mom or my older sisters would pick me up from school to go to piano practice then haul me back to practice for whatever sport I was playing for the season. When I was in college, there was an old piano in one of the abandoned classrooms - I spent days tuning and replacing parts until it sounded just right. I usually made it a point to play at least once a day or more. One day I was found out by Liz, but instead of ratting me out, she started coming by - others started coming by too. Then I caught the attention of one of the music teachers - began attending some of their classes whenever I was free since my class load was full."

"Your days at school must have been something pretty hectic," she smiled as she moved closer to him.

"At times. Though if you asked anyone - even the dynamic trio - I made it look too easy," he grinned.

"Why am I not surprised?" she chuckled, circling an arm round his waist.

"No idea. Do I make things look easy?" 

"It's just that you always have a positive outlook at things most of the time, and that makes them look easier."

"Can't go through life being negative all the time. But like I once told you, you can't always stay positive all the time - otherwise it'll feel fake. I usually try to balance things out, but generally, I believe that you can get anything done if you at least believe that you can."

"I know, I know. But sometimes it seems like bad things come one after the other... you know what I'm referring to."

"You can't stop that from happening, but... you also need to realize that you're strong enough to weather anything, but you're even stronger when you have the support of friends and loved ones. As I've told you before, we can't all be strong all the time - that's why we have family, friends, loved ones to fall back on, as they'll provide you with the strength you need to keep going and get through it all. That's why _we're_ here, why _I'm_ here... What's mine is yours, and I mean it."

"And when I think I can't fall in love with you more, you go one step ahead," she chuckled, randomly pressing some of the piano keys as she spoke.

"Just think of it this way, there's a lot left of me for you to love," he smiled before leaning over to kiss her.

Resting her forehead against his, Gwyn merely smiled in response. "I know... and that's what I'm going to do for the rest of my existence."

"Same here. I like finding all these little bits and pieces of the _real you_... but I love the whole package too." 

"You're making me sound like a puzzle," she chuckled.

"Didn't I ever tell you? I love solving puzzles. You have enough of you hidden away that I want to find out for myself... you are quite the enigma."

"Makes me feel guilty I'm still keeping some things from you..."

"Don't. Just because I tell you things about me, it shouldn't make you feel obliged to tell me things about you. When the time comes, I'm sure you'll tell me everything. For now, I'm happy with us as we are." 

Upon hearing that, Gwyn just moved to hug him closer to her, resting her head on his shoulder. "Thank you... for being who you are. You can't imagine how important you are... to me. In every sense."

"And thank you for giving me the chance to not only find you, but to love you as well." 

"And now..." Gwyn grinned, still nuzzling slightly at his neck. "You're too serious..." she whispered as she placed her hands at his sides and tickled him lightly.

Laughing, Tristan hugged Gwyn close as Jasper roused himself from his nap and began barking playfully at them.

After placing a kiss on Tristan's cheek, Gwyn leaned down to take the sleepy puppy on her lap. "Can't ignore our baby for too long, can we, mmh?" she smiled, as Tristan patted Jasper who barked happily in response.

"Nope. Apparently the adage, 'Music soothes the savage beast' is quite apt in regards to Jas," grinned Tristan as he kissed Jasper's head. 

"And dinner's ready if you like," Anne called from the door, smiling. "Even a certain puppy's food..." she grinned, as Jasper quickly hopped off Gwyn's lap and ran off by Anne's side. "Don't take too long, soup will get cold... and come along Jas."

Taking a look at Gwyn, Tristan grinned widely. "He takes after his Daddy."

"Food above everything," she chuckled, standing up.

"Well, not everything, but it's a big thing," he teased while getting up and grabbing his empty glass with him.

"There are a couple of things I think you place above food in your hierarchy," she replied, as the two walked into the dining room, while Jasper was barking at Anne for food.

"Oh definitely - you, Anne, and Jas occupy the top of the hierarchy along with my family and the dynamic trio."

"Thought so," she smiled, sitting down at the table with Tristan following suit. "What's up with Jasper?" she mumbled leaning down to see him sit in front of Anne as she placed his bowl in front of him. "Food."

"Well, he'll be teething in a few months so best get used to him mouthing on everything. Which means we gotta be careful on where we leave things - otherwise once he really starts teething - say good-bye to your stuff. Also, we've been teaching him some new commands." Looking at Jasper, he grinned. "Jasper, good boy."

Perking his ears, Jasper began digging into his food, his dogtag occasionally clinking against the metal part of his collar - as well as his dog bowl.

"He's a happy puppy now," Anne commented, walking towards the dining room table with two bowls of potato and leek soup, and a tray of toasted garlic butter. "There you go."

"Thank you Anne. Any ideas yet as to what you want to make for Friday as well as the picnic?"

"So Tristan told you about Friday Anne... should be alright for you I suppose, mmh?" Gwyn smiled as she took a spoon in her hands and had a taste from the soup. 

"Sure! It's been a while since we had guests so, I'm happy actually," she grinned back at Gwyn. "And Tris, don't know yet... but I'm sure I'll do a baked lemon cheesecake as one of the desserts for the picnic."

Pausing from placing the spoon of soup in his mouth, he grinned. "Should taste delicious. Actually, anything that you make will probably taste phenomenal."

"Thank you," Anne grinned back happily. "And I think I'll make some scones and muffins... maybe some chocolate fudge cake... and mmm... apple pie, and... Tristan have you ever tasted a banoffee cake?"

"A what cake?"

"Bananas, warm toffee, topped with whipped cream on a biscuit base, just like a cheesecake... maybe I'll do that for Friday evening," Anne chuckled, winking at Gwyn who grinned in response as the two women were waiting for Tristan's reaction to that dessert description.

Dropping his spoon, Tristan leaned over and gave Anne a hug and kiss on the cheek. "That sounds _amazing_..."

"It is! I'm sure you'll like it," she laughed as she walked inside the kitchen again. 

Finishing his soup, Tristan silently watched Gwyn eat, smiling the entire time.

"What is it?" she smiled, turning to look at him.

"Nothing, just that you're eating without me or Anne prodding you."

"That's because I'm actually... hungry. And don't tell me it's because of _that_ ," she chuckled. "Most probably it's because I like enjoying a meal with you now - considering it all started with an apple on my desk."

"Well, don't think of it in the sense that I was trying to tempt you or anything," he joked while drinking his water.

"I wasn't thinking about that anyway... but it turned out to be."

"Oh _I_ tempted _you_ ? _Really_?" Sitting back in his seat, Tristan playfully crossed his arms as he studied Gwyn. "Do tell, Miss Gwendalynn."

"Just a little bit. Let's say you picqued my interest Faraday, but as I used to tell you, I couldn't get too involved. I ended up being totally wrong," she smiled.

"What can I say? You found my interest interesting. Quite glad that you did so too, as you are so worth the risk," he grinned back.

"You both like the risk I suppose," Anne mused in, bringing the main dish - cod fillet, covered in a crispy batter of breadcrumbs and lemon, accompanied by chips and stir-fried vegetables. "Hope you like it," she told them as she placed the plates in front of the two of them.

"Probably tastes as fantastic as it looks. Thanks Anne!"

"You're welcome!" she grinned, sitting down at the table with them. "Do you have any idea where the picnic will be?"

"That would be up to Cynthia... though I don't think it'll be too hard to find a place. Heck, if the weather cooperates, maybe we can have it by the beach."

"Puppy would prefer the park though I suspect..." Gwyn commented as she started eating.

"Probably. That way Puppy can meet more dogs and people. The better he is at meeting more and more people and pets, the better he'll be around others. One day, I'll take him with me to see my mom and our pets..." Looking down, he grinned at Jasper's happy expression. "That's right Pal, you'll get to meet your big brothers - one of whom is a cat - sometime soon."

"Think he'd like cats?" asked Gwyn as she continued eating.

"To be honest, my cat Fuery thinks he's a dog. Jasper should get along with him just fine. Fuery would probably see Jas as another dog to play with.”

"Fuery?" she smiled. "What are the names of your other pets?"

"Havoc and... Hawkeye. They were the call names for my dad, and his two best friends - my dad being 'Hawkeye' as he was one of their best sharpshooters."

"Oh, that's interesting... and it's a nice way to remember your father," she smiled. 

"I may not have much of him - since I never met him - but I think it's good to keep his memory alive. My lighter, my pets... and a few odds and ends he left me make me feel closer to him."

"Keep them close to you as much as you can... such memories are really there to be treasured."

"That's what my mom tells me..." he smiled at the two of them while continuing to eat.

"You continue, I'll be back in a minute," Anne smiled, as she stood up and went back into the kitchen.

"I was wondering..."

"What dear?"

"My sister Catherine's twins, Ethan and Claire, are having a birthday dinner at my mom's house next month. I was wondering if you'd like to join me in going?"

"Think it would be alright for me to come with you?" she asked, resting her knife and fork on her plate.

"You're a pretty big part of my life now, so I think it would be more than okay. Also, Val'll be there - so you can count on her blabbing something to my mom and sisters anyway so might as well go," he laughed. 

"Just tell me when... hey, you said next month? Would it be right before we leave then?"

"Yep, just about. We could leave straight from there if you want, the following day. The train station's not too far from there and then we can take a boat to our destination. What do you say?"

"I think it's perfect... you haven't told me where you have in mind of going yet though..." she chuckled as she resumed eating.

"Someplace nice and tropical. Where the weather's warm, the people are friendly, the food is spicy, and the nights are incredible. Trust me."

"Whatever you say," smiles. "I'll trust your choice completely."

"Aww, thanks Sweetheart."

"You're welcome," she winked back as she finished the food off her plate. "That was quite... filling."

"Definitely. That was delicious."

"But maybe someone will enjoy this even more..." Anne grinned as she arrived with two other plates, while removing the other two from the table. 

"Ohmigod..." Tristan murmured as he was practically drooling at the sight of the cake, while the two women watched amusingly his reaction.

"Thought you'd like it," Anne replied. "I could actually prepare a yoghurt cheesecake for Friday, with the banoffee cake."

"Anne dear, you will officially be the death of him," Gwyn laughed out as she observed Tristan eat the dessert in a solemn fashion.

"If I die by eating one of these desserts, I can die a happy man," he replied with a smirk. "It's _heavenly_..." 

"I'm really pleased you like it," Anne grinned, taking the dirty dishes in her hands.

"Oh I more than like it, it's stellar and I love it. Thanks!" 

"I'm starting to feel slightly guilty," Gwyn chuckled. "I've never complimented you as much as Tristan ever did, Anne."

"You don't need to - you do that everyday without saying anything to me," Anne smiled back. 

"Yeah, you say it all by saying nothing at all Gwyn, since all of your actions speak for themselves. It's apparent that you love and care for Anne, and just by saying good morning, eating what she prepares, acknowledging her duties, and saying good night." 

Anne blushed slightly, while Gwyn nodded in response. "She's more than a sister to me... in a way," she smiled back at the two.

"And that's the thing with family - you don't even need to say anything at all. That's how I am with Cyn and the others - just a smile says everything," nodded Tristan as he helped himself to another slice of cake.

"Miss, if you won't stop him, he'll eat the cake up my himself," Anne pointed out as she grinned while Gwyn was half way through her first portion.

"Oh let him be, don't worry about that," she chuckled, as they both ended up observing Tristan as he continued eating his dessert.

Smirking, Tristan continued to eat his cake while stopping occasionally to take a drink of milk while he felt Jasper pawing at his toes.

"Anne, can I ask you for a cup of coffee please?"

"Oh sure, no problem. Tris?" Anne asked as she got up again, and took the rest of the dirty dishes in her hands.

"More milk please?" he giggled slightly as Jasper began licking his toes. "Jas... that tickles..."

"What's the little baby doing?" Gwyn chuckled as she leant to check him out. 

Giggling, "He's licking my toes now..."

"Oh come here you," she chuckled, as she took the puppy in her hands and placed him on her lap. "Now will you be a good boy, mmh? Daddy still needs to finish up his dessert."

"He might be telling me something," grinned Tristan as he finished the rest of his cake and began drinking his milk. "I think he wants me to go to bed soon..."

"Could be," she smiled, as she patted the puppy slowly. "Right boy? We need to rest after all..."

Barking in response, Jasper began mouthing on Gwyn's fingers while she drank her coffee, until she felt his baby teeth gnawing against them.

"Maybe we should get you some toys to gnaw at... you can't really eat us you know," she laughed as she placed a kiss on Jasper's head and noticed that Tristan was finished with his dessert at last.

"He had his rope toy earlier, but maybe something else will be needed..."

"It shouldn't be a problem getting him more toys... I really wouldn't want him gnawing at my furniture to tell you the truth." 

"Or your work for that matter... bed now?"

"Mmm-hmm," she whispered, yawning slightly as she rested her head against his shoulder. "I'm actually tired this evening..." 

"Guess we should be getting you to bed then..." 

"We might," Gwyn replied, as she got back on her feet as Anne got back in the dining room. "Going to bed?" 

"Of course I'm going, gotta make sure that you go to sleep," he grinned while holding her close. "Night Anne.

"We'll be seeing you tomorrow then Anne. Thanks and goodnight," Gwyn smiled, as they started making their way to her bedroom. "Oh, and knock at the door if you see that we're not waking up." 

"Don't worry I will," Anne replied with a small nod. "Have a good night, both of you."

"You too. Night Jas, see you and Auntie in the morning," waved Tristan as he ushered Gwyn into the room, closing the door once they were inside.

"Come on Jas, let's finish off kitchen and go sleep," Anne smiled as she proceeded to finish off her tidying up, while Jasper looked on.

-

"Shower Tris?" 

Grinning, he pulled Gwyn into a hug and slid his hands under her shirt. "And here I thought you wanted a quiet evening... But then again, you're the boss..." 

"Shower then we sleep... we had quite a busy day after all," she suggested, kissing him.

"Mm... and it seems that we be _busy_ in the shower as well," he laughed as he gently dragged her alongside him into the bathroom. 

"You need to burn that chocolate cheesecake someway or another," Gwyn laughed back as Tristan closed the bathroom's door.

Instead of answering, he grabbed the bottom of Gwyn's shirt and removed it before kissing her hard as he wrapped his arms around her tightly. 

Circling her arms around his neck, Gwyn smiled as she felt that Tristan really needed her close to him that evening. "Something's on your mind?" she whispered lovingly. 

"You," he whispered as he felt her shudder slightly as he rubbed her back.

"And nothing else, you sure?" she chuckled, placing a kiss on his forehead.

"There's also the fact that you looked so beautiful when you were playing the piano this evening... I could actually _feel_ the music from you... it was definitely a warm and loving feeling." 

"So pleased you liked it... really. And I hope it made you feel more at home..."

"Loved it honestly... and I feel at home with you..."

"And don't laugh at what I'm going to tell you now please - quite sappy in a way," she smiled as she felt Tristan holding her close. "That's the feeling I get when you're around. Always. It just makes me feel there's no where else I could go to feel that way. Second to you is Neville... in the sense that, staying around him and Lisa makes me feel welcome... and in this same sense, home." 

"You know what feeling I mostly associate with being home? Love."

"That's I feel that way around the two of you I suppose."

"Nice to know." Smirking, Tristan moved his hands and began working on Gwyn's pants. "Another feeling I associate with home is warmth. So... why don't you and I have a nice, _relaxing_ shower on this cold, dreary, and rainy night, hmm?" 

"Why do I have doubts on the _relaxing_ part of it all?" she laughed as Tristan lifted her in his arms.

"Because you _should_ ," he snickered as she pulled off his t-shirt while holding her tightly. "So, just me and Mr. Neville make you feel at home? Where does Frederick fit into the grand scheme of things? Just curious, since it's clear that you love him, but..."

Frowning slightly, Gwyn nuzzled against his neck and sighed. "Rather than love... as you think of it, I think it's respect that I have towards him more than anything. I mean, he picked me from the nothingness I was in... so, I'm more than grateful for everything he did to me. However, I must admit. I don't have the same feelings I have with either you or Neville, far from it."

"Ahh, I get it." Setting her down, he gently kissed her forehead. "Didn't mean to pry, so sorry about that. Can I make it up to you?" 

"There's nothing wrong with that," she smiled, placing her hands on his cheeks. " _You_ did nothing wrong. And yes you can."

"In that case..." Pulling her pants down, Tristan began kissing his way down her neck and chest, before planting kisses all over her stomach while tugging on her underwear.

"Go on," she whispered, as she stretched out to open the water tap. 

Kneeling in front of her (while absently thinking that denim, tile, and a thin bathmat did not work well together), he continued with his kisses as he pulled off her underwear, until he decided to linger in one particular spot.

As a shiver ran through the rest of her body, Gwyn rested her back briefly against the bathroom wall as Tristan continued kissing the rest of her body. Chuckling, she placed a hand on his hair and smiled: "Dearest, if you continue like this I'll melt in your arms this evening," she laughed lightly, as he paused and looked up.

"Well then, I'll be here to put you back together then," he smirked before giving the spot a teasing lick before getting up to his feet and kissing her.

"I'm sure of that," she grinned as she kissed him back. "Now sweet Prince," she chuckled. "If you're feeling what I need right now well..."

"Oh but of course, the thing is, Your Worship, I'm still a bit _overdressed_ and thought you'd like to help with that..." he whispered in a roughened tone.

Laughing lightly, Gwyn crouched down and in a quick movement slid off his belt, then proceeded into sliding down his pants and boxers. "Happy now?" she teased as she stood up to look directly in his eyes.

Changing their positions, Tristan lightly pushed Gwyn into the shower and against the wall before pinning her hard against the wall and kissing her deeply.

"Definitely happy," she grinned, kissing him back in the same way.

-

"I guess the bathtub has finally found its real vocation in life," Gwyn chuckled softly as she cuddled against Tristan once they were in bed together some time later.

"I wouldn't say just the bathtub Sweetheart, since _you_ suggested a shower and luckily you have a separate shower stall. If anything, you learned that making love standing up is just as much fun as laying down - just requires more work on my part in keeping you upright," laughed Tristan as she slapped his chest lightly.

"Thank you for the lessons Sir," she laughed. "You're my favorite tutor you know."

"Oh I'll bet and you are definitely my _favorite student_ ." Smirking, he moved his legs under her so that she was straddling his waist. "Care to earn some _extra credit_ , Miss Gwendalynn?"

"Sir, you're still not tired?!" she gasped, faking surprise while stifling a laugh. "Mmm, I might appreciate _extra_ lessons though..."

Moaning slightly as he felt her move against him, he gave her a cheeky grin. "Thought so and I appreciate you in being such a... _quick_ study..."

"I'm _extremely_ quick learner, as you have witnessed..." she laughed, kissing him as she pulled him closer to her.

"So I have..." he whispered before finding a comfortable pace with her.

"Love you..." she muttered, barely above a whisper. "My sweet teacher..."

"Love you too, Miss Gwendalynn," replied Tristan as he kissed her.

Some time later, Tristan was nuzzling against Gwyn's neck while they were cuddled in each other's arms. "Now dear, think you're ready to sleep?" she chuckled, rubbing his back. "I don't have a clue what time it is... but... I think it's late now."

Lifting his head up momentarily, he smirked as he saw the time. "It's nearly two in the morning, babe. And I think we could do with a little bit of sleep. Night night," he whispered while working on the spot.

"Goodnight," she smiled, giving him two quick kisses on his hair. "And sweet dreams..."

-

The combination of Gwyn's alarm going off and knocking at the door made Tristan roll over onto his stomach and bury himself under the blankets, while still keeping a loose arm around Gwyn's middle.

"Oh... God... already?" Gwyn mumbled, as she slightly opened her eyes as soon as she heard the knocking.

"Noooo... I don't wanna..." came the muffled wail from under the blankets.

"Honey you have to," she grinned as she moved over to place her hands at his side to tickle him slightly.

Giggling, Tristan curled himself into a ball and buried his head under his pillow. "Stooopppp..."

"Nope, not until you wake up," she laughed, as she sat up to rest on his legs.

"But that requires going to work if I do wake up... can't we just stay in bed all day?" 

"We could... but in a couple of weeks not now, come on, come on," Gwyn grinned as she removed the blankets that were covering him up.

Once his blankets were taken away, Tristan lightly tackled Gwyn onto the bed while laughing as they began playfully wrestling with one another. "So not fair..."

Seeing that Tristan was playfully resisting from getting up, Gwyn gave him a mischievous smirk and grabbed one of the pillows that were under their heads and hit him slightly on his chest, laughing in the whole process.

Grabbing his pillow, Tristan hit her back - which instigated a full-on pillow fight between them as they continued laughing. Finally, Gwyn was resting atop of Tristan's chest as feathers from the pillows were floating around them. Stroking her back, he grinned. "Good morning."

"'Morning angel," she grinned. "Shed your feathers all over the bed?"

"Looks like you did too," he whispered before pulling her down for a kiss. 

"Maybe not," she chuckled, as she took a feather in her hands and started tracing random patterns with it on his chest once Tristan finished kissing her.

"You sure love tickling me," he giggled as Gwyn continued with tracing patterns on his chest.

"Oh yes... especially since you're so ticklesome," she grinned, as she moved the feather up to Tristan's neck. "We sure did a mess."

"Speaking of which, do you have any other pillows or were those your only ones?"

"I can easily buy new ones."

"Solves that problem, because, we could always just not sleep..." he laughed as Gwyn began tickling him again. "Okay okay!"

"Now, shall we get up? We're going to arrive later than usual at this rate," she chuckled as she placed a kiss on his cheek and sat up to stretch out.

"We can always blame the rain..." he smiled while pointing at the raindrop-covered window. Yawning, Tristan sat up and rested his head on Gwyn's shoulder. "Separate showers or would you like a repeat of last night?"

"Separate, if you don't mind or at least... without... that. I mean... Prince, you're overtiring me!" she laughed out, tousling his hair slightly.

"Am I really? I wonder about that... Okay-put down the pillow!" laughed Tristan as he kissed her. "Go on. I'll just brush my teeth while waiting, my Queen."

"As you wish," she winked back, as she got off bed and walked towards the bathroom. "See you in a couple of minutes sweetheart."

Plucking the feather that Gwyn was using off of the bed, Tristan studied it briefly before setting it down again and entered the bathroom.

After both were cleaned and dressed, the pair had breakfast with Anne and Jasper - who chose to simply run around the apartment rather than stay around. After talking briefly, Anne handed both Gwyn and Tristan a bag full of snack foods (fruit, yogurt, cereal, and cheese) before seeing them off. Because of the rain (and avoiding another repeat performance of Tuesday), Gwyn just drove the two of them to work without any objection from Tristan. Parting quickly, Tristan set off for his office while Gwyn headed to hers.

-

"Good morning AD... and _wow_."

"'Morning Cynthia," Gwyn smiled back at her, pausing for a brief while from her tune-humming. "What's the wow about?"

"You look... stunning," she smirked as Gwyn stood in front of her desk. "Had a lovely night?"

"Cynthia, you know I did... you'll notice that when Tristan comes along," she winked back at her as she walked inside the office. "And let me know what meetings I've got today please."

"Will do! Nice day!"

"Thank you. And same to you," she greeted as she locked herself inside the office as usual to start working.

Hearing someone whistling the same tune that Gwyn was humming, Cynthia grinned as she saw her best friend carrying several reports and two binders in his hands.

"Lovely tune. And what a coincidence, AD was humming that very same one," she teased him, grinning. "Good morning handsome property of AD."

"Oh-heh... Good morning Beautiful. Spoke to Anne, she's thrilled for Friday and will be making some crazy good desserts for our picnic. And yes, I am quite the handsome piece of property belonging to the AD, aren't I?"

"Definitely! And... desserts you say? I'll be damned and forget all about diet, especially since you said that Anne's food's awesome! As if anyone cares about my figure," she chuckled, rolling her eyes.

"Oh I care, as do the others, but you're perfect already so stop worrying about that and embrace the awesome that is Anne's desserts," he laughed. 

"No worries, I will and won't ponder about that twice dear," she promptly replied.

"Fantastic Babe. So, any words for AD before I enter her office?" 

"Give her this list please... and the incoming post," she told him, handing him the papers over.

"If you would be so kind?" he asked while tapping his chin against the top of the stack he was carrying.

"Pleeeaseee," she grinned back throwing kisses at him. "Love you loads."

"I know. Just put them on top and please get the door for me, pwease?" 

"Oh sure," she replied, getting up from her desk and opening the door in a blink. "And there you go," she chuckled as she placed the additional papers on his stack. "Thank you."

"Thank you kindly, Gorgeous." Grinning back, Tristan slipped inside and kicked the door closed behind him. "Special delivery. It would've been by airmail, but apparently I shed all of the feathers from my wings this morning."

"Ah, too bad, too bad, you would have made quite the entrance from my window," she chuckled, as she took the papers from him and placed them on her desk. "What's with this large stack anyway?"

"But it's raining - lightning would've struck me down for sure... Anyways, the topmost stack is from Cyn - I think it's your availability and mail - while the others are HR reports and some binders containing the newest Advertising materials..."

"Great!" she grinned, taking first the mail and the time-sheet in her hands and placing it on her right hand side. She then took the binders in her hands and sat down, going through them while flipping the pages in silence. "Can you check out the HR reports - they should be alright I suppose. It's just for our information before the interviews."

"Sure thing." Taking the stack with him, Tristan laid out on the carpet and began reading through the reports. Nearly two hours later, he angrily threw one of them at the wall. "Fuck Ryan Black!!! I swear-he so much as touches Cole..."

"What's wrong?" Gwyn asked, standing up to move next to him.

Sighing, he wrapped his arms around Gwyn. "Read at your own risk..." he nodded towards the direction of the report he threw.

"Let me have a look," she told him, placing a kiss on his cheek, then moving to pick up the report. "My, my, talk about putting obstacles in front of employees, that asshole. Did he need to put this in his last performance assessment? What a... Just wanted to mess up his personal file, that bastard."

"To say the least..."

"Tell Cole to ignore him as much as possible. I'll see that he's the first person to move from there."

"Will do."

"And if he's got spies like I think he has, he _will_ know that he's hanging out with us... especially with me. And that will royally piss him off. Trust me."

"Probably has already-sorry for making you feel me being mad right now..."

"Don't worry, you're angry as much as me about this," she told him, as she wrapped her arms around him, and rubbed his back to comfort him. "Listen Tris... will you back me if I do something... it's Thursday today after all... I want to move my pawns before he does."

"Of course. We have the 'OK's from HR and the CEO to do these, so let's do it."

"I want Cole in my office tomorrow morning, and you too. We'll need to brief him on what he needs to start working on and the new temporary office he'll have, in your same corridor. I believe there are a couple of empty offices there right?"

"Yeah... office down three doors from me is empty. Should I get him now?"

"Perfect then. Yes please, can you call him to come over?"

"Cool, I'll have Cyn call him here." Leaning over, he kissed her sweetly. "Thanks."

"You're welcome. Can't have Black win, can we?" she winked back at him as he walked away. "Strictly speaking, I can overthrow whatever that asshole said when I do his appraisal eventually. So don't worry, I won't let that affect his overall performance."

"Not too worried about that, just want to keep everyone safe from the asshole," he smiled as he left the office for a moment and walked over to Cynthia's desk. "Need a favour Beautiful."

"Whatever you like. Tell me."

"Call Cole and tell him to head to AD's office - we'd like to have a word with him. Nothing bad, rather, it's about his _upgrade_ ," he grinned.

"Oh already?! Awesome! Will do that immediately," she grinned back happily at Tristan, as she picked up the receiver and dialled his number. "Cole? It's me... mmm-hmm... yes yes, I'm alright... listen, AD and Tris want to talk to you in her office, now. So get your lovely ass down here this instant and get the hell away from that bastard... it's about your move... shhh... yes yes, coming? See you then."

"Nice and I thought I was the only one with the lovely ass? After all, you've had a piece of it..." he snickered.

"All three of you have quite the lovely one, especially in your sports shorts," she snickered. "Anyways... new Advertising section soon to be up and running?"

"Right, you saw that one too, huh? And...we're getting there. Interviews are set for next week, but I think AD wants to start moving the key players now..."

"Since you're sure about them - better be one step ahead of the douche."

"Pretty much. So, if I ever have to do work around your apartment again, should I wear my football shorts or yours?"

"Oh whatever you want, make sure you bring AD with you so we'd fangirl over you together," she laughed out.

"I can do that... though no grabbing the front of the shorts again like _last_ time..." smiling, he disappeared back into Gwyn's office to wait.

"Only AD can do that now!" she called back, laughing as she sat back at her desk to continue her work.

Shutting the door, Tristan froze as he saw the grin on Gwyn's lips. "So... you heard that, huh?"

"Oh I did... and it sounds interesting," she laughed, handing him over some papers. "I suspect that we could also call Purcell and Jones too... at least Cole would have two other people to start working with. But that's tomorrow... now, have you called?"

"Yep, he's on his way since Cyn made the call."

"Perfect, perfect," she smirked, taking her business-like plotting stance as Tristan looked back at her amused. "What?"

"You sounded like some... supervillain who's plan is coming true for a second - kinda funny actually." 

"Wha-really? Strictly speaking, it's true with respect for the plan, since we'd be a step ahead of Black... but, do I look like a supervillian?" she replied, stifling a laugh.

"I think if you laughed, it would've been perfect," he joked while settling back onto the floor to finish reading the rest of the reports.

"You gotta admit though - I'd be one hell of a sexy villain," she laughed, standing up to look out of the window.

"Mmm... quite sexy. Maybe a skintight black leather outfit and you'd be very, very hot, sexy, and quite fuckable..." he smirked up at her.

"Shhh," she hushed him, blushing slightly. "Tris, behave."

"Fine fine..." he replied as there was a knock on the door.

"Come in."

"AD, there's Cole waiting to come in..." Cynthia asked, poking her head from behind the office door.

"Sure sure, let him in."

"Good luck," Cynthia whispered back as she opened the door to let Cole in, and closed the door after nodding back at Gwyn. 

"Please sit," Gwyn asked him as Tristan looked on. "And no need to be tense, I think you know quite well what we'll be talking to you about."

"You wanted to see-Do you seriously work in this office like that Kid?" laughed Cole as he got settled into his seat.

"What? The rug's nice..."

"Sorry AD, and yes, I think I have an idea about this meeting."

"I let him be as long as he doesn't distract me... he barely says a word when he's all concentrated, so I don't mind much," Gwyn replied, as she walked to her desk to sit down, crossing her arms on her chest as she made herself comfortable on her chair. 

"Ah, gotcha. And to think he's one of the best and brightest," he chuckled at before turning his attention back to Gwyn. "Is there a chance that I can get away from Black as soon as possible? I just caught my current review and I'm pretty close to just strangling his sorry ass..."

"You can get out of there by tomorrow unofficially, official's on Monday. Got all papers set, all approvals done, so... you can easily call yourself head of department, answering directly to me and Tristan."

Gawking slightly, Cole simply shook his head as both a grinning Tristan and a smiling Gwyn looked on. "I-I... Thank you so much. I'll... wow... this is incredible..."

"We'll get someone to pack up your stuff - that way Black can't tell where you're moving, but you'll be three doors down from my office. Door's unmarked so Black won't know which office you're in. It's temporary until we set you guys up in Advertising for real, but that's that. Sound awesome?"

"I swear, when did you become so deviously sneaky... Sounds fantastic Brat. Thank you AD, this is more than I can say..."

"What do you think Cole? Are you ready to take the responsibility? We will be helping you, but I'm relying on your team building skills for this. Even though Black wrote shit about you over the years, I've heard other people commenting on your work. So, I'm aware of what you're worth."

"Oh I'm definitely up to the challenge. And thank for looking past what that stupid shit said about me..."

"For sure. Jamie'll be moving soon too, so you two can bitch to me if you're having issues. Plus Izzy from the Library will be joining you two too."

"Now Cole, tomorrow morning at nine thirty, I want you here so that we brief you out on what we're expecting from you and what needs to be carried out starting as from Monday. Your other two colleagues would join you mid-week. Clear?"

"Crystal." Standing up from his seat, Cole leaned over and shook Gwyn's hand. "I honestly don't know what to say, but thank you for giving me this opportunity. I won't let you guys down. I promise."

"I'm happy to hear that. CEO himself is monitoring these developments closely, so... I can't have _anyone_ of you disappoint me. I think I've been clear enough with you on that issue."

"Definitely. So... where does the Shrimp fit into all of this?"

"Hey!"

"Tristan will be supervising your work - hence why you Cole will be reporting directly to him. From his end, Tristan has to update me constantly on whatever you're all doing and give me a weekly update report that I can refer to CEO. I can't supervise you directly, at least I need some form of delegation - and that's Tristan's role in this."

"At least I know he'll be doing some work..."

"Oh come on... I work! Lots!"

"Kidding kidding. So I'll report to the Brat, got it. Anything else?"

"No, not really for now. Ah, and keep all between us for the time being. I don't want the asshole to get to know about anything," Gwyn commented, giving the two of them a stern look.

"Consider that done with ease. When should I start moving my stuff?" 

"If it's alright with you - I'd prefer if you pack your things after office hours tomorrow, just claim it as overtime and bring it to me for signatures. Everything would be moved to your office Saturday morning."

"So I gotta sit tight for two more days. Okay, at least knowing that I won't have to see his smug face on Monday will be most appreciated. Again, thank you so much for this opportunity."

"No need to thank us, you always did your and unfortunately Black's work impeccably. So, you deserve it."

"Well thanks anyway. I'll leave you and the Brat to your work. Have a good day you two." Bowing slightly, Cole excused himself from Gwyn's office.

Once Cole had left, Tristan rolled onto his back again and stared up at the ceiling with a grin on his face. "Take that, asshole. Told you I'd get you back if you hurt any of my friends..."

"Everything should run smoothly that way, without any setbacks..."

"Definitely... anything else you need from me?"

"Guess not for now sweetheart," she smiled back at him. "Staying here or going back to your office?"

"Depends actually, since my work is both here and there... And in work, I mean _work work_ , not you. No offence."

Laughing, Gwyn looked up and stuck her tongue out at him. "I mean paper work. Wherever you decide staying, I don't mind. You can even stay here if you like, you're collaborating with me on the Advertising project after all so..."

"Let's do that then, I can save my paperwork for the afternoon and bring it over here. Oh yeah, wanna help me pick out a frame for my super-awesome certificate?"

"Frame? Oh so you were serious when you said that you'd frame it," she chuckled, as she crossed her legs and looked over amused.

Placing his hands behind his head, Tristan looked over at Gwyn with a mischievous grin. "Of course I was serious."

"No problem on helping though," she grinned back.

"Fair enough. I could always re-create that photo - in the pleasure of our own privacy of course."

"I really don't want to see you in women's shorts," she smirked. "I actually... have seen better," she grinned back.

"Perhaps. I'm not really one who could pull of women's lingerie - though I think the panties might work in my favor..."

"I prefer you in your own boxers, or better off... without them," she whispered as she stifled a laugh.

"I could do that right now if you want... because, y'know it's considered _research_ for the project: What Women Want: A Practical Guide for Today's Modern Woman and Their Needs."

"Oh that's quite the research project, I may need some detailed briefing in that regard but in _private_ circumstances... you know, I'd need to concentrate to understand the whole concepts in full..." she replied in the same teasing tone.

"But it is _private_ , AD. Rather, I should say that it _is_ private in here. Soundproof walls and such. Even the windows aren't high enough for anyone to see what we're doing..." smirked Tristan as he got to his feet and made his way over to Gwyn, teasingly kissing her neck before unbuttoning the top two buttons of her shirt to gain access to his spot.

"You know I'd love that as much as you do right now... but love, since we're kickstarting our project, it's not like we can be unavailable for too... long-" she gasped as she felt him bite her neck slightly.

"I think we can make an exception... since we'll be extremely _busy_ with all of the separate components, despite our weekly meetings, don't you think?"

"Tris, close the damn blinds."

"Yes ma'am."

-

"Going back to your desk?" Cynthia blinked while she was having her mid-morning snack as she saw Tristan going out of AD's office.

"Yeah, gotta work on the paperwork that's no doubt made its way from all of the other departments, not mention the transfer paperwork from HR..." sighed Tristan as he ran a hand through his hair.

Smiling as she stood up, leaving her strawberry yogurt on the desktop unattended, Cynthia moved over to Tristan and reached for his tie and shirt collar. "You need to look smart when you're out of AD's office too you know... she was pretty busy if she hasn't rearranged this for you."

"I honestly think she had her own matters to take care of, let alone mine," he teased somewhat cryptically as he smoothed his suit jacket and trousers down.

"At least let me know when you don't want to be disturbed," she whispered back, as she placed a kiss on his cheek. "The blush really suits you."

"And your skills of detection are quite becoming of you," whispered Tristan as he placed a kiss on her cheek in return before giving her a mischievous smirk. "Also, it's part of the _thrill_ of it all..."

"Quite, quite. I'm pretty proud of them. Will you be needing to meet someone else or that's it for today?"

"The day's still young... I'll probably visit during the afternoon for a follow-up meeting with AD... No guarantees if we'll need the 'do not disturb' sign up..."

"Well, I wouldn't be lying if I'd say that she's in a meeting. Oh which reminds me, CEO wants a meeting with her tomorrow afternoon."

"Guess I'll stop by afterwards then. See you for lunch, Gorgeous," he waved with a noticeable swagger to his step.

"See you Lover Boy," she smiled as she got back to her desk and finished up her snack.

-

"On the phone again Thompson? My my aren't we wasting time today, mmh?"

Placing a hand over the receiver, Cole simply arched an eyebrow at the speaker. "I'm sorry, I'm fielding an important call with HR at the moment. If you need me to forge another one of your reports, _Sir_ , then just place it in my inbox."

"Here," Black snickered, placing two, probably three, reports on his desktop. "Oh and by the way, I want these ready by this evening, Thompson. I don't care if you stay in late. I need them ready, full-stop."

"Of course Sir. I'll see to it that it's done. By the way, Mr. Evans passed by and has some post for you in your box... Now if you'll excuse me..."

"I'll see to that, and oh, Thompson, say hi to your lovely group of friends for me," he cackled as he made his way towards his office again.

Once back inside, Black noticed that there was someone seated on his desk and grinned.

"You were messing up with Thompson's mind, Ry?" the usual female voice asked him as Black proceeded into locking his office door.

"Oh just the usual. He's close friends with the Faraday Brat... so it's easy to mess with his mind." Walking over to his wall, a dartboard holding the pictures of three individuals caught his attention. Unpinning one of them, he studied the photo carefully. "He's rather beautiful for the most part - all delicate lines and childish mischief. He really is just a little boy..."

"In comparison to you, yes."

"I mean in general. Fred's quite taken with him as well... he wants to prop the boy up as his rising star. Here," he said while handing her the photo, "And be honest, you wouldn't mind having your way with him?"

"Mmh... he's not really my type, too innocent looking for my tastes. I prefer older men," she grinned back.

"Not so much as a preference of taste, my dear, but I'm merely asking a question. I mean, don't you look at that face and ask yourself, how would I corrupt such an innocent-looking boy like that?"

"Technically... I could try and have a go, but, it's pretty evident he's all eyes for Coulston now, he simply _adores_ her. The looks they give each other are a blatant giveaway."

"Oh really? And you've seen them look at one another like that? How would you describe the look?" he smirked while unbuttoning her blouse.

"Possession and adoration."

"'Possession and adoration', hmm?" Unsnapping her bra, he quickly discarded it while she worked on his pants. "Could be useful to use that against them. Now then, if you hypothetically were to try and have a go with the boy, how would you go about doing so, hmm?"

"The only way would be getting him drunk - I don't think he'd be so willing to do something with anyone else if he's sober," she grinned, pulling down his pants while wrapping her legs around his waist. "Plus Ry, I'm not really interested in him, you know..."

Feeling her nails against his skin, he roughly tore off her underwear and thrusted his hips forward as he held her hands above her head. "Clearly you aren't, my Dear."

-

"Cole, calm down. Just have patience for a couple of hours, please," Cynthia pleaded as Cole started kicking everything that came to his vision.

"Cyn, he's a fucking whack-job slave driver. I can't wait to be rid of that asshole," growled Cole as he walked briskly through the city streets while Tristan and Cynthia were struggling to keep up with him.

"Coley, wait up!" grumbled Tristan as he was trying to avoid getting wet from the rain while weaving in and out of foot traffic.

"You'll be your own boss soon," Cynthia told him, reaching his side. "And you'll manage to enjoy your work at last."

"Yeah, and since you're bigger than me, you can blame me for stuff that goes wrong. C'mon Papa, I'm getting drenched out here."

Looking back, he noticed that Tristan did resemble a drowned kitten and stopped his walking to let him catch up while Cynthia stood dry under her umbrella. "Yeah, sorry about that Kid..."

"S'okay," he whispered while chatting his teeth together and rubbing his arms.

"Now, can I have my vanilla latte and brownie and head back to work please?" Cynthia grinned at the two of them. "It's pretty cold out here."

"Sure and here," Cole sighed as he pulled out a few bills. "Get me just a coffee and something hot for the kid - as well as some pastry or something. And if you could get me some napkins, that'd be great. It's on me so don't bother paying with your own cash, Cyn."

"Are you sure?"

Tousling Tristan's wet hair, he gave Cynthia a grin. "Yep. Go on, I'll stay with drowned kitten over here..."

"I wouldn't look like one if someone waited up for me," pouted Tristan.

"Tris want me to get something for AD?"

"Um... probably some tea for her. Anything with cinnamon should be good."

"Go on Cyn, we'll be here."

"See you in a couple of minutes!"

Shivering, despite wearing his coat and suit jacket, Tristan looked absolutely miserable and let out a sneeze.

Letting out a sigh again, Cole wrapped a paternal arm around Tristan's shoulders. "Real sorry about that Kiddo, but at least Gwyn and Anne'll take care of you."

"Probably." Sneezing again, Tristan simply sniffled as he waited for Cynthia to come back.

"Back with goodies!" a grinning Cynthia came back to greet them, with a huge take-away bag under one of her arms. "Got a box of mixed doughnuts to share too - James will love them, I got him a white chocolate-covered one," she laughed, as she placed a kiss on both of the boys' cheeks. "Come on, you're both shivering... oh and Tris, I got a long milk tea and two cinnamon rolls for AD, think that's alright?"

"Should be... ah-choo! Fine," he sneezed and sniffled again.

"We need to get you a towel as soon as we get back to the office," Cynthia nodded as she handed over the umbrella to Cole. "Since you're the tallest..."

"Y'know... yeah yeah, I'll be sure to keep us dry. C'mon Kiddo, let's get you warm and dry... as I'm sure AD would also appreciate a nice afternoon snack," smiled Cole as he took the napkins from Cynthia and proceeded to dry Tristan's hair with them as best he could.

"Come on, come on," Cynthia grinned as the three of them, locking their arms together and heading steadily towards the office building.

"How come James didn't go with us?" sniffled Tristan as both Cynthia and Cole made sure that he was under the umbrella by keeping him in the middle.

"He had stuff to do and decided to stay in..." Cynthia replied. "I almost had a fight with him about it but whatever."

"Huh... okay. And guys? You're squishing me..."

"Oops sorry," both of them replied in unison as they stepped slightly away.

"Thank you." Yawning, Tristan began rubbing his eyes before sneezing three times in succession.

"Maybe you'll need to have a quick nap when we're back," Cynthia grinned as Cole closed the umbrella once they were at the entrance of the building. "I mean, it just took us a couple of minutes after all... we got out rushing behind you Cole."

"Yeah, sorry about that again. I guess I just wanted to get away as soon as possible...because of that asshole..."

"It's okay, just one more day and you'll be free for good," grinned Tristan, who started coughing before letting out another sneeze.

"Tris, office now, we need you to have something warm and cover you up in a blanket... I think we have one in the office," Cynthia commented, rubbing his back.

"Fine fine fine."

Patting his shoulder, Cole gave him a smile. "If the AD needs to blame anyone, tell her it's my fault that I took off with your umbrella - without making sure that you were under it."

"Ok - ah-choo!"

"Come on, come on," Cynthia told them as she started getting impatient. "Off upstairs now."

"Meanie..." muttered Tristan before coughing.

Laughing, Cole just pushed Tristan along after Cynthia. Once the three arrived, Cole left Tristan in Cynthia's care as he went back to his office to take care of his and Black's work.

After removing his soaked up jacket, Cynthia knocked lightly at Gwyn's door, waiting for a response. In a few seconds, the AD was at the door, hair gathered up in a clip with a smile on her lips. "Got back from lunch break?"

"Mm-hmm," murmured Tristan before sneezing and coughing.

"Yes... and... I think we need to let Tristan on your couch, wrapped in a warm blanket..."

"Mmh, why?" Gwyn asked, tilting her head slightly to look at Tristan who was shivering on Cynthia's seat. "What the..."

Looking up, he waved sheepishly at Gwyn while looking slightly miserable.

"Get him inside Cynthia," she sighed. "I'll go look for the blanket... should be in my cabinet..." she told her, heading back inside. Just like she had thought, a relatively small yet fluffy blanket was lying at the bottom of her cabinet, neatly folded there for cases of emergency - which to her mainly meant staying at the office for long late hours during the evening. Actually now, it was going to finally find another use.

"Thanks... and you can get back to work Cyn, I'll take care of him," Gwyn smiled back as she knelt down by Tristan's side. 

"Oh... you're welcome. And if you need anything, let me know please."

"For sure," Gwyn nodded back, as Cynthia headed out and closed the door behind her. Once she did, Gwyn unfolded the blanket, and wrapped it all around Tristan, rubbing his back in the process and finished by placing a kiss on his forehead. "And why haven't you covered yourself up if you had to go outside, Tris?"

"I did. I had my coat as well as my umbrella. Cole was holding it, since he was taller, but because he was pissed off about Black dumping his work on him, which was on top of his own, he started taking off without me. Cynthia was keeping pace with him as I got stuck trying to get away from the rest of the crowd...and thus I got wet...again for the second time this week..." he managed to get out before coughing.

"You need to rest when we get back home," she chided him with a stern tone of voice. "And no buts, it's an order."

"Okay..." he managed to croak out while toeing off his shoes before walking over to the couch. Stripping off his shirt and belt, Tristan laid down on the couch and promptly passed out.

Shaking her head, Gwyn picked up Tristan's shoes and placed them near the couch before tucking the blanket tightly around him to keep him warm as he continued to shiver while burning up at the same time. Placing a hand on his head, she smoothed away the cold, damp strands of hair that were plastered to his forehead before placing a kiss on his forehead again. Seeing that his breathing had slowed (despite the wheezy, raggedy sound coming from out of his mouth), she gave him one last caress on his warm cheek before heading back to her desk and continued to work while enjoying the snack that Cynthia had left for her and Tristan.

Hearing him groan a few hours later, Gwyn stood up from her desk and moved by his side, sitting on the carpet placed next to the couch. "Hey... how are we doing mmh?" she whispered softly, placing a hand on his forehead.

"I feel terrible..."

"You caught a cold I suppose, Sweetheart," she sighed. "Which means we'll head straight home and me and Anne will take care of you."

"Right now?"

"It's five o'clock Love, time to head back," Gwyn replied as she stood up and placed a kiss on his lips.

"Already?" he sneezed and coughed while shivering as he sat up. "Ugh..."

"I think I'll need Cynthia's help to get you downstairs, just stay here, don't move," she told him, as she hurriedly got out of the office to talk to her secretary. A few minutes later, Cynthia came back inside following Gwyn, and the two women slung one of Tristan's arms over their shoulders and without too much effort carried him downstairs.

"Lift is handy when it comes to these things..." Gwyn smiled, placing a kiss on Tristan's cheek from time to time. 

"Oh sure it... and Tris, don't you dare stay out of bed this evening," Cynthia ordered. "And I think Gwyn feels the same way too."

"Indeed," she nodded back. "I'll take care of him, not to worry. And please, tell Cole not to worry too."

"I will, I will."

"My stuff's still in the offices..." coughed Tristan once he was secured in the backseat of Gwyn's car. "Shirt, shoes..." he trailed off as he started dozing off again.

"I'll bring them over myself later Tris," Cynthia smiled as she looked inside the car from the passenger's window. "Just rest...well, I think he's following my suggestion already."

"Cynthia, can you do me a favour?" Gwyn asked once she got inside the driver's seat. "Can you phone Anne up and tell her that I'm coming? I'd like her to be ready for when I arrive."

"Yes, will do immediately as I get back to the office AD. Have a good evening. Or at least try to."

"I will. Thanks Cynthia," Gwyn greeted as she started the car's engine off.

-

"Anne, bring me a small bowl with some cold water and a facecloth please..." Gwyn ordered once the two women had got Tristan tucked comfortably inside her bed. "I want to get the fever down as soon as possible."

"Yes, will bring that immediately. You need anything else?"

"No no, nothing for now, thank you Anne."

"You're welcome," Anne nodded, heading off towards the bathroom as Gwyn sat next to Tristan's side, taking his hands in hers.

"Gw...yn?"

"Mmm-hmm, yes honey?" she smiled, as she caressed one of his hands with her thumb.

"Where we?"

"At home in my bed," she whispered back. "You'll be fine soon."

"I think I wanna throw up..."

"What?! Oh alright, wait!" she told him, rushing to the bathroom to get him a small washbasin which could easily serve the purpose. "Here."

Turning his head, Tristan promptly threw up his breakfast and lunch...as well as anything else that was still in his stomach.

"Better?" she whispered soothingly as she sat on a sliver of bed by his side, rubbing his back gently.

Nodding, he stayed hunched over the basin, just in case he had to throw up again for several minutes.

"I got you the... stomach's not good either? Mmm... I'll be back," Anne nodded again, as she walked out of the room after leaving the bowl with the water and the cloth. Letting go for a short while, Gwyn moved over to place the cloth in the water, and rinse it lightly before wiping the sweat off Tristan's face. 

"Water? Please?"

"Here, take this," Anne came back in perfect timing, as she handed him over a glass. "Should make your stomach feel better."

"What is it?" whispered Tristan as he began sipping from the glass.

"Water, and some salts - you won't taste them, but you need them. We don't want you to get dehydrated now."

"Anne's right. Just drink it all and lie down again, I won't move, I promise."

Downing the rest of the contents of the glass, Tristan blinked tiredly before easily falling asleep again.

"Thanks Anne."

"You're most welcome... now as soon as he gets up again, call me. I'll bring him over something light to eat and the cold remedy. Works wonders on you the rare times you catch a cold so... it should work on Tris just the same. Probably, it'll be more... efficient."

"Good idea," Gwyn replied, as she placed the damp cloth on Tristan's forehead.

"Are you hungry?"

"No no... not really. I might have something later, but not for now Anne, thank you."

"Call me if you need anything, I'll leave you alone for now..." she smiled. "But someone's come to check out on you," she crouched down, taking Jasper in her arms. "I guess he wants to cuddle up next to his daddy. Is that alright for you Miss?"

"Sure sure... Jas seems to sense Tristan's mood. He must have noticed," she smiled, as Anne rested Jasper on bed, who in return immediately walked up to Tristan's side, curling up next to his arm and falling asleep just like him. "He would have done that even if we hadn't ordered him to," Gwyn chuckled.

"True true... so I'll leave you now, see you soon..." Anne bowed as she headed out of the room.

"You really are a troublesome baby... you know that?" Gwyn whispered, with a smile on her lips as she reached for the nearby chair and sat down by Tristan's side.

-

Twitching slightly, Tristan's hand brushed against something warm and fuzzy, causing him to start petting it. Opening his eyes, Tristan found Gwyn sitting next to him on the bed, reading a book. "How long I sleeping?" he whispered hoarsely.

"Three hours... even Cynthia came along while you were asleep and you didn't even stir," she smiled back.

"When Cyn stop by?"

"About an hour or so ago..."

Blearily, he tried to focus on Gwyn but fell back against the pillow. "Sleepy but hungry..."

"Anne will bring you something, baby," she whispered as she placed the book on the bedside table and lied down by his side to face him. "I asked her a couple of minutes ago while you were stirring."

"Okay. Thank you," he whispered while still petting Jasper and reaching over to hold her hand.

"Fever's a bit better now," she told him, as she rested her forehead against his.

"Fever? I has one?"

"You're speaking like someone with a fever dear," she chuckled as Anne got inside the room with a small tray. "And Anne's here, so... will you please sit up and eat something mmh?"

Feeling something wet against his hand, Tristan looked down to see Jasper pressing his nose against his hand. Smiling as he heard the pup bark, he sat up as Anne placed the tray onto his lap.

"Jasper's ordering you to eat Tristan, you need to gather some strength now..." Anne smiled back as she sat at the edge of the bed. "There's a few slices of toast, some tea and a couple of lemon cookies. See what you manage to eat - then take that glass with the cold remedy. It'll make you feel better soon."

"Why does the cold remedy look all goopy like that?"

"Tristan, it looks as it should. Now eat, then medicine, then sleep. Got it?" she told him sternly, as Gwyn looked on entertained. 

"Anne's right Tris," she echoed back as she placed the puppy on her lap as Tristan took a slice of toast in his hands.

Pushing the medicine away, he began slowly eating his food silently while also eyeing the medicine suspiciously.

"I've had that myself Tris when I was sick, so no objections. You have to take it and that's final."

"Eww..." Pinching his nose, Tristan downed the medicine in one gulp followed by a glass of water.

"That's my boy," Gwyn chuckled, placing a kiss on his cheek as Anne looked over with a grin.

"That tastes HORRIBLE!" he wailed.

"Oh stop it," the two women turned to chide him immediately. 

"It'll make you feel better soon," Anne told him, standing up to take the tray from him. "What it tastes like is of secondary importance."

"Tastes so bad I can't even eat the cookies... ugh..." Tristan continued to whine as he settled back onto his pillow.

Leaning over, Gwyn grabbed a cookie right before Anne lifted up the tray and grinned. "Aw, too bad. So, what does my little one need then, mmh?"

"Some good sleep I suppose," Anne mused, as she walked away from the room. "Jas, come along, food time for you."

Instead of answering both of them, a light snore could be heard from Tristan.

"Anne, guess what?"

"Mmh?" she turned, as she was just exiting the room.

"He's already fallen asleep," Gwyn laughed out lightly as she started running her fingers through Tristan's hair, while she watched the rising and falling of his chest as he slept. 

"Remedy works wonders, always did," Anne grinned, as she picked Jasper from the floor with her free arm. "Shall I bring you something?"

"Just a cup of tea and a dessert. Nothing more, I'm not really hungry."

"Alright, will bring them over in a minute."

-

Waking in the middle of the night, Tristan found Gwyn sleeping soundly under the blankets - using one of his t-shirts as her nightshirt. Chuckling slightly, he groggily stumbled into the bathroom and towards the toilet. After fifteen minutes, he re-emerged from the bathroom a bit more refreshed than before and crawled back into bed, feeling better than he was a few hours ago. Hugging Gwyn tightly, Tristan curled himself around her and fell asleep quickly.

Moments after Tristan was deeply asleep, Gwyn awoke to feeling his breath on her shoulder. Smiling, she turned in his embrace to face him and placed her hands on his waist, before sliding them under the waistband of his boxers and resting her palms on his butt. Chuckling quietly, she recalled his words when he pointed out that there were particular spots on his body that she loved touching - his butt being one of those places. Giving him a light squeeze, Gwyn rested her head against his shoulder and fell asleep within a matter of minutes.

It was thanks to a few stray rays of sunshine coming from the bedroom window that made Gwyn stir in her sleep, making her open her eyes wearily. Still in Tristan's embrace, she noticed that the fever had gone down significantly and his breathing pace had reverted back to normal. 

"Guess Anne's remedy did its wonders again," she chuckled, placing small kisses over his cheek. Seeing that he wouldn't be waking up so easily and realising at the same time that it was still early for work, Gwyn just remained by his side and watched over him as he slumbered contentedly. Work could wait for another hour or so...

"I know Jas, I know..." Gwyn mumbled, as a certain puppy of theirs had got inside the bedroom after noticing that they would usually be waking up by that time. Feeling Jasper licking her arm from the edge of the bed, Gwyn leaned over, took the puppy in her arms and sat up to rest him on her lap. "Since your our special wake up call... go get daddy up," she chuckled, as she placed Jasper next to Tristan's face. 

Feeling something cold and wet on his nose and cheeks, Tristan began batting away whatever was near his face. "Nnnghh... I stay home... no work..."

"Come on Jas," Gwyn chuckled. "Get on his chest."

Wobbly, Jasper climbed onto Tristan's chest and began pawing at the flat, smooth surface that obviously wasn't the hardwood floor. Leaning forward, he licked Tristan's nose.

Feeling the weight on his chest, Tristan finally opened his eyes, making Gwyn sigh in relief quietly as she missed seeing the clear blues in Tristan's eyes.

"Hey angel, good morning..." she smiled back.

"Morning?" he whispered groggily as he gave her a tentative smile.

"Yes..." Gwyn replied, placing a hand on his forehead. "Fever's gone."

"Really? Neat." Yawning, he sat up and picked Jasper up before giving the puppy a hug. "Morning to you too Puppy. Daddy's feeling a lot better, but he's still sick so he can't give you a kiss. But Mommy can," he grinned as he handed Jasper over to Gwyn.

"Not too sick," she replied, leaning over to kiss him as Jasper watched the two silently. "Think you'll stay home sick?"

"Can I? Please? My stomach still feels crappy since I woke up last night to puke some more..."

"Yes, it's alright," she sighed, getting up from bed. "I'll let Anne know about that."

"And I'm not just saying this to get out of interviewing Cole... I really was puking last night... might have actually missed the toilet bowl once or twice," he sighed as Gwyn studied his pallor and saw that Tristan did look slightly green still.

"I'll take care of everything at work, don't worry. You just stay here and rest... and I'll tell Anne about the bathroom too."

"You sure?"

"Of course," she replied, walking up to her wardrobe to see what to wear that morning. "I'll have the talk with Cole this morning, then the rest of the day would be pure paperwork." 

Rather than answering, Tristan had already rolled over and was already fast asleep, clutching Gwyn's pillow in his arms. 

"Guess I'll need your help here Anne..." she commented, as she opened the bathroom door and sighed.

-

"So, if you need help, call me whenever you like... and tell that to Tristan too," Gwyn said as Anne helped her put on her overall. 

"Yes, ma'am, will do that too. Have a nice day," she told her, as Gwyn grabbed her bag and her documents and left.

"I'll be seeing both of you later..." 

-

Staring at the bowl in front of him, Tristan arched an eyebrow at Anne. "What is this stuff?"

"Chicken broth," she smiled back at him. 

"Why's it green?"

"There are vegetables in there Tris," she chuckled. "Hence the green."

Picking up his spoon, he listlessly stirred the bowl before heading straight to the bathroom in a rush. Several minutes later, Tristan had reappeared dressed in a white t-shirt and navy pajama bottoms - as well as his hair damp - and sat back down at the table. Picking up his spoon again, he slowly sipped the soup, while making a face at the taste of the bitter greens.

"I know they're not the best thing you've tasted but it'll make your stomach get better, plus you need to eat something."

Nodding slowly, he continued eating until the bowl was half-full then he sat quietly while nursing the glass of water next to him. 

"I think we should postpone this evening's dinner Tris, what do you think?" Anne told him, while seated at the opposite side of the table.

"Mm-hmm..." Placing his arms on the table, he rested his chin atop them - reminding Anne of a little boy.

"Tris, want to phone Gwyn to tell her that you woke up?" she replied.

Blinking, he nodded again while drinking from his glass before slumping his head on his arms again.

"You won't be feeling better if you continue letting yourself down," she commented as she got back on her feet. "I'm going to phone the Miss up if you want," she finished, heading over to the living room where the telephone set was.

Dragging himself from the table, Tristan quietly followed Anne into the living room.

"Hopefully she's there and not in a- hi, good morning Cynthia, it's Anne... mmm-hmm," she nodded with the handset in her hands as Tristan looked on. "Yes please... thank you..." she paused as she waited for Cynthia to pass the call. "Hi Miss it's me," she smiled. "Yes... he's right next to me and wants to talk to you..." she told her, passing the telephone to Tristan.

"Thanks Anne," Gwyn responded from the other end. "Tris?"

"Hi."

"Someone's still sick isn't he?" Gwyn smiled, resting her head back on her chair.

"I ate... some? Yeah, I ended up puking again - but that was before I ate. Think you can tell if we can postpone everything by a day? Dinner tomorrow night and picnic on Sunday?"

"I'll tell Cynthia to tell your friends if you like... I don't mind anyway."

"Coming home early?"

"I don't know baby, depends when my meeting with CEO finishes. And speaking of meetings, all went well with Cole this morning - he looked pretty happy of the outcome."

"That's good at least. Hope your meeting goes well too... You busy?"

"Preparing an update report hand over to CEO this afternoon. Not too bad though," she smiled. "I'm missing you here."

"I miss you too. Sorry for getting sick..."

"And why on earth are you apologizing for being sick now?" she chuckled. "Go back to bed sweetheart."

"Because I'm here puking my guts out instead of at work trying to proposition you in your office?" he teased lightly before coughing.

"Would you believe I'm actually missing that?"

"Really? Well, how's the view of the couch from your desk? And the carpet's very comfy too..."

"Empty."

"Well, think back to yesterday. I'll try to make it up to you when I feel better. Come Monday, I'm sure we can put your chair to another use..."

"Oh I'm sure you will," she laughed. "And I prefer having my Tris in his full energies."

Yawning, Tristan let out a few more sneezes and coughs, which made Gwyn chuckle over the line.

"Tris... go to bed," she smiled. "Please."

"Okay. Wanna talk to Anne?”

"Don't really need to. Just tell her that it's fine for me to postpone... oh by the way, want to tell Cynthia yourself?"

"Is she there?"

"Of course."

Speaking loud enough for both to hear, "So yeah Cyn, on Monday morning, if you could let others know that I'll be in a rather _long_ meeting with AD - we'd really appreciate that."

"Oh really?" Cynthia grinned as she was seated in front of Gwyn's desk, after she had invited her to come in realising that she wanted to have news from Tristan. "I'll block you two hours if you like..." she smirked back at Gwyn, who was rolling her eyes amused.

"Perfect. I'll be sure to completely utilize those two hours, though if you hear a knock from our end, pencil in another half hour please," he grinned before coughing again.

"See that you get well first... idiot," Cynthia laughed out. "And go rest on that blessed bed now."

"Bathroom first - then bed... my stomach's been crappy... So dinner tomorrow night and picnic on Sunday?"

"Yeps, I'll tell Jamie and Cole about that too, don't worry."

"Putting Anne on - see you guys later!" Tristan replied in a rush as he handed the receiver over to Anne and ran to the bathroom.

"Bathroom again," Anne sighed as she took back the receiver. "I don't have a clue what's wrong with his stomach..."

"He had that once, spent a day puking his guts out, then he was as fit as a fiddle the next day... that boy's weird," Cynthia laughed winking back at Gwyn. "So Anne, take care of the little one and I'll be seeing you tomorrow."

"Sure, thanks Cynthia... Miss?"

"Yes yes, tell me Anne," Gwyn replied, as Cynthia handed her over the receiver and went back to her desk. "See that Tris is alright for the rest of the day and try and make him eat something as much as possible, even if he complains."

"I will. And Miss... any idea when you'll be back this evening?"

"I don't know Anne," she whispered. "I have a meeting with Fred this afternoon..."

"You'll be feeding?" Anne whispered making sure that Tristan was still in the bathroom when she said that.

"Yes. Most likely."

"Just make sure you take care of yourself."

"I will. Tell the crazy boy there that I love him and I'll be seeing the two of you later."

"Have a good afternoon Gwyn."

"You too..." the AD smiled back, placing the receiver back in its place and sighing, resuming her report writing.

-

"Ahh, punctual as usual, my Dear. Tell me, is everything alright?" Fred asked amiably as he sipped his coffee.

"Here, your update on Advertising, Fred," she told him as she placed the documents on Fred's desk and removed her suit's jacket. "I'm alright, thank you."

"Good good. Now, why don't you have some lunch and we can discuss some internal matters, hmm?"

"Internal as in company matters, or Clan matters?" Gwyn replied, crossing her legs to make herself comfortable.

"Both actually, though the Clan matters will definitely be more of the issue. Now, off you go, I'll be right here."

Lowering her head slightly, Gwyn silently made her way towards the backroom of the office and closing the door behind her. It had never felt that difficult... it was as if her system was suddenly battling against her instincts, her thoughts and her feelings... but she didn't want to give in... at least, for Tristan. Leaning for a brief while against the wooden frame of the backroom's door, Gwyn heaved a heavy sigh and switched on the dim lights, to find six humans lying one next to the other on a crimson carpet. Gwyn found herself pushing back a brief whiff of nausea that took her by complete surprise, which, however was attributable to the intake of human food over the past days. She had been pretty sure Tristan had noticed the dark rings under her eyes, and often wondered why he had never actually commented what was wrong with her. Tristan had most probably associated that to her lack of eating. Yet, her attention turned to the bodies again - still alive and asleep - and that second look made her mind travel to a future when a dark haired and dark blue-eyed man looked back at her with a hungry look on his face... and a trickle of blood alongside his mouth, while hovering over his human prey.

"God... no."

Feeling her legs wobble for an instant, Gwyn quickly rested against the desk that was standing in the middle of the room, while placing a hand on her forehead, trying to get that image out of her mind.

"The earlier I get out of here, the goddamn better," she muttered, as she leaned down to move her mouth towards the pulse point of one of those humans.

"I'll be damned..."

A few minutes later, a flustered Gwyn came out of the room, wiping off the blood residue off her lips, while walking back to Fred's desk once again. 

"Have a nice lunch there, my Dear?"

"Oh lovely..." she remarked, as she sat down. "You're really spoiling me silly Fred, you shouldn't," she pointed out. "So, how's the report?"

"Lovely as usual. Your style and the Faraday boy's mesh together quite well that it's almost difficult to tell who's writing what." Closing the report, Fred placed it on his desk and held his hands in front of him, threading his fingers together. "Now that we're done with that, I'm aware that we're almost set for the re-launch of the Advertising department. To when do you expect to be up and running and when will you be moving in your key personnel?"

"I'll have the Head of Department Thompson starting his work on Monday, then Purcell and Jones, who will be his second in line, will follow suit during the rest of the week."

"Thompson and Purcell - they were personally recommended by the boy, yes?"

"Yes, but I had noticed them beforehand myself. Thompson needs free range to express himself and his talents to the full. I needed to get him away from Black's section."

"Ahhh, Mr. Black... I've seen some of his reports and Thompson's, would I be correct in assuming that Thompson is the one doing the work for the both of them?"

"So you've noticed it."

Sighing, Fred took another sip of his coffee. "I have. And it's another reason as to why I was impressed with the boy's audacity to be able to 'swoop and capture' Thompson from Black. Quite bold I must admit. As for your timetable, it looks good and I'll see to the re-arrangement of the department according to Faraday's layout suggestion - as it seems that it's the most dynamic for being able to openly discuss various projects."

"I would have done that myself anyway, without Faraday's intervention."

"Of course, I know you all to well my Dear. But of course, you've trained him well - so any praise I bestow on him, it's equally yours."

"Thank you."

"Hopefully now, Black should be able to demonstrate some form of skill once Thompson's gone. Now... I want to let you in on a little secret, should Advertising be up and running without any problems in a month and half's time - which shouldn't be too difficult as you and the boy have so nicely thought of every scenario - I will be promoting you to Director of Operations while the boy will be receiving his long overdue promotion to Assistant Director of Operations effective immediately. He will still answer to you, but you will both be in constantly working together - which is why I'm considering having adjoining offices for the two of you, which will be connected by a meeting room in the middle. And yes, the walls to both offices will be sound-proof, as I'm sure you've had your famous rants every now and then, hmm?" 

"I've thrown quite a number of things at him yes," she lied, smirking. "And Fred, seems you're absolutely set about the promotions then..."

"I am indeed. Don't think I haven't been keeping up with the work that you two are constantly producing - after all, I've OK'ed every single one of Faraday's, some of which occurred twice in the matter of months last year. And that would be that for business. Now, onto Clan matters... what _is_ your progress with the boy?"

Knowing that he'd come up with that dreaded question, Gwyn merely took the approved report in her hand and absently started to flip through the pages. "I'm working on it."

"Working on it? Very well. I imagine a boy like him wouldn't be so easy to turn... How is your personal relationship with him - he still questioning you?" 

"Maybe there's the risk he could _die_ in the process Fred? Have you even considered that?" she shuddered.

"I have considered it, but there's something about him that makes me doubt that he would," Fred replied absolutely. "He seems quite strong, both physically and mentally - he should be fine."

"I hate it when you assume things out of the blue."

"Years of experience, my Dear. The boy's a rare breed of human - he'll be quite the asset - for both the Clan and to you as well, though I suspect that already recognize that fact. You've been meeting with him daily, yes?"

"Yes."

"Meetings are well? Bonding with him, I suppose. Perhaps seeing if he's a potential mate for you?"

Rolling her eyes, Gwyn looked Fred straight in the eye and replied: "Starting with this issue again Fred? I don't need a mate."

"And what's wrong with me looking out for you? I thought that perhaps you'd be able to produce an heir to the Clan - and Faraday seems to fit the bill perfectly in what I would want in a future leader. If anything, the children would be absolutely beautiful."

"What _you_ would want?" she hissed, her eyes narrowed into slits.

"Oh come now Gwyn, it's simply wishful thinking on my part - rather, what any proud father would want for his daughter. As for the boy, do you need more time? And in time, I mean personal time?"

"Can you tell me what the hell's all this goddamn hurry about?" she snapped.

"Calm down, my Dear. There are rumblings within the Council for him to be inducted before the Winter Solstice, but we still have a long time before that. Also, I thought maybe you would appreciate a break from work - the two of you really as you both have quite the amount of accrued vacation time."

"I was going to do that in a couple of weeks, and heard Faraday say the same when he was talking to my PA. Probably I'll be taking two weeks off..." she replied. "And... what _fun._.. Clan's rumbling about me and the Faraday kid, how charming."

"Merely musings of old men. You have my permission to take the time off, just forward the dates to Lara, she'll let me know. Now, is there anything you have to ask me?"

"Nothing Fred. Now if you'll excuse me..."

Nodding, Fred waved her off. "Have a good day, Gwyn. And should I note that you'll be using your vacation time to work on the boy?"

Scowling in response, Gwyn randomly grabbed her jacket and her documents and headed off straight towards the door. "I'll be seeing you."

-

Hearing AD's door slam violently, leaving her stunned, Cynthia realised that Gwyn was back from her meeting with the CEO, and probably wouldn't want to be disturbed at all. 

-

"I swear, I should just stay hovered over this for the rest of the day," groaned Tristan while Anne was rubbing his back as he was clutching the toilet bowl again.

"Oh you'll be alright soon, you'll see," Anne whispered back. "Stomach aside, you look better, and the important thing is that the fever's gone."

"Most probably, but my head is _killing me_..." he wailed before vomiting one more time and slumping against the door that led to the toilet.

"I'll prepare you some warm lemon tea, then back to bed."

"Didn't Gwyn have a meeting around this time?"

"I think so... I think she mentioned something anyway. Why?"

"My head was hurting pretty badly before I started puking - though it wasn't the reason why I threw up... that was probably the other thing..."

"Maybe she got annoyed by something and you felt it."

"Probably. Also, thanks for buying me the pajamas... and the t-shirts."

"You're most welcome," she smiled back at him. "Now, ready for bed?"

"Think I need to brush my teeth and take another shower... I feel gross. Plus the taste in my mouth is truly horrific. Give me five minutes? I'll be back in bed by that time." 

"As long as you go to bed, it's alright with me," she chuckled. "Jasper's on the bed waiting for you by the way."

"Fine fine." Flushing the toilet, Tristan wobbly stood up (with Anne's help) and made his way over to the sink and began brushing his teeth. Once he was finished, he stumbled over to the shower and started getting undressed as Anne turned on the taps. "Thank you. I'll take it from here," smiled Tristan as he stood in his boxers.

Blushing slightly, Anne helped Tristan inside and smiled, checking however that he was safely inside without feeling she was peaking in too much. She didn't want to invade his privacy, she had always hated that. 

"Tris, are you alright?"

"I'm fine... though it's probably best if you hang around - I might fall asleep," he replied with an easy smile as he grabbed the soap and began himself cleaning up.

"I'll be waiting," she replied, sitting on the floor right outside of the shower stall.

Shrugging his shoulders, Tristan rinsed off and began washing his hair. Once he was finished, he simply stood under the hot water and began relaxing - nearly falling asleep when Anne tapped on the glass.

"Tris? Don't sleep in there."

Shaking himself awake, though still feeling nauseous, Tristan took the towel that Anne was holding (though completely avoiding looking at him) and began drying off before wrapping the towel around his hips. "You can look now," he laughed.

"Sure?" she chuckled, opening one eye.

"I has a towel on..." he joked slightly.

"Have, Tris, have... watch your grammar," she chided him, grinning. "Gwyn wouldn't like that."

"Meh, not like I haven't been using more colourful words around her," snickered Tristan as he got out of the shower and headed into the bedroom to get dressed. "Words of which she has been using herself as of late..."

"Oh I've got no doubt about that... wait... what is she using?" she laughed lightly, walking behind him. "Feeling better?"

"Stomach is still somewhat crap, but it seems a little better. Really sleepy and achy though..." he mumbled while pulling on the pajama bottoms over his boxers before grabbing his t-shirt. "As for the words... you might be able to pry it from her when she's in a better mood."

"Good to know," she smiled, as she watched Tristan get back in bed. "Will you sleep now please?"

"Yes other mommy..." grinned Tristan as he pulled the blankets over him and settled back down before falling asleep quickly while Jasper stood guard for a few moments before crawling into a ball besides Tristan.

"Sleep tight... I'll see you later."

-

It was when the AD was angry that it happened - whenever she would be angry at something, or pissed off at someone, Gwyn would storm out of the office, greet no one on the way, not even Cynthia and hurry up outside towards her car. Cynthia had been used to her behaviour, especially after working with her for all of that time, but she had never expected that it could have happened on a day when Tristan was sick back home. It couldn't have been a phone call... and most probably couldn't have been a crappy report either... so, it could only be attributable yet again to a meeting with Fred, which of late were becoming pretty problematic. Watching her walk away so angrily, Cynthia hoped that at least Tristan would manage to calm her... maybe.

"The hell..." she slammed her car's door close once she got inside. "The hell with everything..." she cursed, while starting up her car and driving off. She knew quite well that she should have phoned Anne and Tristan that she'd be late. But she didn't feel like it. As egoistic as it felt, all she wanted to do was to head off to a bar and order a strong drink - alcohol had the tendency to calm her, or act the reverse way. Once again, as truthful as Fred's words had been, he had managed to strike every single sore point in her existance: the Clan's orders, her work, her future mate... her children. It was the last point that had unsettled her mostly, especially in the way Fred had mentioned them - she knew, she was almost certain that in the eventuality of that happening, the Clan would have used her children for their own pleasure and use. 

_I thought that perhaps you'd be able to produce an heir to the Clan... If anything, the children would be absolutely beautiful._

"I wouldn't even have a week with them! They'd snatch them away from me immediately," she shouted out in the silence of her car's space. "Just like a Queen with her children..." she mumbled as she rested her head against the wheel once she slowed down the car to a halt. Then, chuckling bitterly, Gwyn gave out an empty laugh and got out of her car, head lowered down. "As if I'll have them anyway..."

Her driving had led her to a not-too crowded bar not far from where Tristan lived - it was warm, comfortable, and had all the blessed alcohol she wanted. Once inside, her step gaining the attention of all the male frequenters of the place, Gwyn sat on one of the high-stools at the bar and called for the barman.

"Just give me whatever strong you... a straight double whiskey please."

The barman blinked back at her astounded, he was actually expecting the woman to order something significantly lighter, but simply nodded and after a few minutes placed a glass with the amber liquid in front of her. 

"Thank you."

Gwyn raised the glass in her hands, staring back at its content with almost a disgusted look.

"AD? Is that you?" asked James upon entering the bar. Turning his head, he called out, "Cole! Over here!"

Inwardly hoping that the voice wasn't the one she thought it'll be, Gwyn turned to face the person and silently sighed. She actually wasn't hoping to meet anyone she knew...

"Hi James."

Seeing that she was somewhat morose, James (followed by Cole) stood a bit aways from her. "Sorry, just thought that you'd like to join us. But if you want to be alone, we'll understand. Also, when you see the Kid, tell him that we said to get better soon."

"I will," she mumbled, looking back at them with half a smile.

"Evening Gwyn," waved Cole as he and James found an unoccupied booth to sit in that was far from the rest of the crowd.

Turning back to her drink, Gwyn sighed as she clutched tightly at the glass then chugged down the drink in one go, enjoying the burning sensation that the alcohol gave her. Noticing that it wasn't enough, she gestured for the barman to bring her another glass who stared back at her with the same shocked expression.

"There you go," the barman told her as she took the glass in her hands. "Miss... I think you're going heavy on..."

"I do what I please. Thank you," she replied, earning a frown from the barman as he walked away to attend to another customer. Looking back at the glass in her hands, Gwyn felt the urge to smash it against the opposite wall, but restrained herself from doing so in view of the number of people that were inside the bar.

After watching from afar (as well as arguing between themselves), Cole got up from his seat and gently tapped Gwyn on the shoulder. "Are you okay...? I mean, you're knocking those drinks back pretty fast."

"I'm fine."

Running a hand through his blond hair, he let out a sigh. "I'm sure you are, but... look, whatever you're pissed off about, drinking isn't going to help. I mean, at this point I'm being quite hypocritical about it - since I often drank to not think about...work - but at least you have some people - and dog, waiting for you back home. If anything, they can probably help you more than the booze is gonna do for you. Just... take care Gwyn and know that we'll be looking out for you too." Patting her shoulder, Cole grabbed his and James' drinks (beer on tap) and made his way back to their table.

"I will..." she mumbled, as she drank her second glass of whiskey and slammed the glass against the counter. Leaving more than the two glasses actually costed, Gwyn placed two bills next to the empty glass and stood up, slipping on her coat to head outside. Waving a hand back at Cole and James, Gwyn merely nodded and got out of the bar, not knowing where she'll be heading next...

-

Yawning, Tristan sleepily rubbed his eyes and looked down to see Jasper yawn as well. Rolling to his side, he reached out and pet Jasper for a few minutes before slowly getting out of bed. The familiar sound of rain hitting the window told him that it was raining hard again. Though not quite pitch black outside, the dark gray clouds looked fairly ominous as the street lamps below began to turn on. Hearing Jasper whine quietly, the pup jumped off the bed and tugged on Tristan's pant leg towards the door.

"Okay okay... don't be pushy, Puppy."

Opening the door, Jasper quickly ran outside while Tristan followed at a slower pace. Instead of heading over to the kitchen to check in on Anne, he decided to walk over to the piano and sat down. Picking up the sheet music, Tristan did a quick scan of the complete four piece suite that both he and Gwyn had played pieces from a few days ago and began to play - beginning with, _Winter_.

Hearing the music coming from the living room, Anne came out of the kitchen still with a towel in her hands, and rested against the door frame, listening to Tristan playing. Smiling, she actually realised that he was feeling better... and was hoping for Gwyn to be back home as soon as possible.

As soon as she finished her thought, Anne heard the apartment door open quietly, knowing that it was Gwyn who had arrived. However, noticing that she made no particular sound whatsoever, without even greeting them both, she went to check out on her, seeing the bedroom door close and lock quietly. Sighing, she knew that something was wrong and that she'd have to vent out all of her frustration in peace - but hoped that it wouldn't have its toll on Tristan's system, now that it was getting better...

"She's home, isn't she?" Tristan asked quietly while continuing to play - having moved onto _Spring_ by that point.

"Yes," Anne frowned, as she went back to the dining room. "But I'm pretty sure something's wrong. She acts that way when she wants to vent out her anger on something."

"I know. It kinda hurts all over right now, but I can't make her worry anymore. But the playing's helping."

"You're feeling sore again?"

“Mm-hmm,” he nodded, but continued to focus on playing. 

"I'll go in the kitchen for now Tris, need anything call me."

"Could, wait... _May_ I have some of that tea you promised to make me earlier?"

Smiling, Anne nodded and replied. "I will, give me a couple of minutes and I'll bring it over."

"Thank you."

-

Stopping to catch her breath, Gwyn didn't know what else was left to shove across the room - pillows, bedsheets, a small vase, her hairbrushes and combs, the coat she was wearing, a small empty jewel box, random pairs of shoes that were lying across the room - she had practically trashed the entire room. Recalling what Fred had told her that afternoon, about Tris, about the Clan, about her future, and at the same time thinking of when the time will come for her to take the decision to turn him into a vampire just made her react violently.

As she walked towards her wardrobe to fetch some clean underwear and a black nightdress, the mirror on the dresser caught her attention. Staring back at her reflection, Gwyn sat down and continued looking straight into the eyes of her image - dark circles under her eyes evident, smudged make-up, her hair sticking out in ways unimaginable - however, at that same moment, while she was intently studying herself, that same vision she saw in Fred's backroom when she was feeding, came leering behind her back. As tears started running down her cheeks, Gwyn closed her eyes and started sobbing uncontrollably, leaning down to rest her head against the edge of the dresser, hoping that the tears would take away that picture of her future out of her mind.

After a long while, Gwyn decides to get away from the dresser, and heads towards the bathroom for a long, warm shower. At least, no one could hear her sobbing from inside...

-

Pausing from playing, Tristan looked up from the sheet music and rubbed his temples. Having finished playing _Spring_ , he took a sip of his now lukewarm tea and got up from the bench. Walking over to the door to the bedroom, Tristan tried to turn the knob, but found it locked.

"Anne? Is there a key for the door?"

"A spare? I should have one somewhere... let me go check in my room... she's locked it right?"

"Yeah..." he replied with a slightly pained expression. _What's wrong now?_

"What is it?" Anne promptly asked, noticing the change in his expression.

"It's her... I have to help her..."

"Give me a minute, I hope I find it," Anne told him, running off to her room, followed by Jasper who obviously didn't have a clue on what was happening.

Nodding, Tristan leaned his weight against the doorframe, absently pounding on the door as he waited for Anne.

Once inside her room, Anne frantically looked around each and every drawer that was in the room. Anything came up to her attention, even things she barely ever used for years, except that bedroom's key. Sitting down as Jasper tugged at her skirt, she tried to recall where she had placed the copy of the spare keys for every room of the house - she was pretty sure she had placed them in a secure... place.

"The bedside drawer!" she exclaimed, making the puppy startle surprised, as Anne opened the drawer to find the whole set of spare keys. Grabbing the one leading to the bedroom, Anne rushed off next to Tristan again and handed him the key over. "Sorry it took me so long."

Grimacing, he took the key gratefully. "Not a problem - wait here, we'll be back soon I hope." Unlocking the door, he handed the key back to Anne before shutting and locking the door again. Once inside, Tristan shook his head at the carnage that lay in his wake as he made his way over to the bathroom. Upon entering, he saw Gwyn sitting on the floor of the shower, clutching her knees to her chest and crying. Slowly sitting down next to the door, Tristan tapped the glass of the shower door and waited for a response.

Realising that Tristan had managed to get inside the bedroom, in spite of it being locked, Gwyn stretched out one of her arms and opened the shower door. 

"Hey..."

"Party of one or do you have room for one more?"

"You feeling better?" she sniffled, her hair still dripping from the warm water.

"I was... up until you started going into rage-mode..." he whispered quietly while hugging his knees. "Now I just ache."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. Look at me please? I'd go in there and give you a hug, but since you didn't answer my earlier question... I'm debating if I should just wait out here until you come out or not," he smiled. "And it's simply because I don't want to get wet again unless you want me to."

"No, don't... you're still recovering... I don't want you to get sick again."

"It's just a shower - I took one earlier and I'm okay. If you'd look at me, you'd see that."

Looking up, Gwyn couldn't help not smiling when she saw Tristan's eyes gazing back at her. "I've closed the water a while ago, so... it's relatively dry, except for me..."

"Now there's the smile I've been looking for," he grinned before sniffling slightly. "You sure? Not liking the idea of sitting in a puddle on the shower floor."

Grabbing a towel, Gwyn stood up and wrapped it around her tightly, and stepped out of the shower booth to sit down by Tristan's side, resting her head against his shoulder.

Wrapping his arm around her, he ran his fingers through her damp hair. "Another shitty meeting?"

"Yes," she whispered back, feeling tears welling up in her eyes again. 

Moving around her slightly, Tristan wrapped his legs around her to cuddle her tightly from behind. "I'm sorry, Love."

Sobbing as she felt him so close to her, Gwyn raised both of her hands to her face and started crying out again.

Resting his chin on her shoulder, he held her tightly as she cried. "If I said that I was sorry for saying sorry, would you stop crying?"

Slightly shifting in his embrace, Gwyn turned to wrap her arms around him, burying her head against his chest as she continued crying her heart out. 

"Guess that didn't work," he teased gently as he held her. "We'll be alright, don't worry..."

"I don't know..." she mumbled between tears. "How can we be alright like this?"

"Whatever you're worried about, we'll get through it together. If you're worried about losing me, don't - I swear to you that we'll be together always. If I have to crawl through a river of mud just to be with you, I'll do it no questions asked. You. Will. Not. Lose. Me. Ever. Understand?" he whispered gently, but firmly and resolute.

"Mmm-hmm," she nodded, as she had finally calmed down from both the crying and sobbing. 

"I'm not going to change - I am who I am and that's that. If anyone tries to make me something I'm not, it won't happen - you'll see. I'll still be myself and no one else. So don't worry, we'll be okay. Alright?"

"Yes..."

"Good." Kissing her forehead, he still held her close. "Now though I may not be to totally optimal levels, I'll charm my way to you by finishing the rest of Vivaldi's _Four Seasons -_ I stopped at _Summer._ Next, we'll have dinner with Anne and Jas - who are missing you dearly. And finally, I'll treat you like a Queen. Sound good?"

"Too bad I haven't listened to the rest," she smiled, resting her forehead against his. "And that sounds perfect..."

"Alright then. Get dressed and we can have our little pajama party while listening to some music and eating a nice warm dinner. As for me and you... let's see if we can't put the bedroom in further disarray," he smirked.

"I just want to cuddle up more than anything else this evening... not really in the mood for action," she chuckled lightly, placing a kiss on his chest as she held him closer to her.

"Well, I don't know about you, but Friday evening for me will stop at 12:00AM and it'll be Saturday morning at 12:01AM... so since it's nearly seven-thirty, we don't have much time for cuddling, now do we," laughed Tristan.

"Stop that, you know what I meant," she chuckled, raising her head up to look at him.

"Hey now. I hate being out of commission for too long - I gotta make sure that we both still fit together now don't I?"

"You know we do, and quite well actually," she smiled placing a kiss on his cheek. "But not tonight Tris, please..."

"Fine..." he whined playfully as he helped her up. "You're ruining my fun here..." 

"I promise I'll make up to you when I feel better..."

"Well I was the one aching and puking like crazy this entire day..." he continued to whine, making Gwyn chuckle. "Compensation had better be major league - but I know you're good on it."

"Love you... and sorry for dragging you into all of this mess of mine."

"Love you too and you're worth being dragged through a river of mud for."

Chuckling, Gwyn stood up with Tristan immediately following her. After placing a kiss on her forehead, Tristan moved out of the room to let her finish up and get dressed, which didn't take her too long either. With her hair down and wearing the black nightdress she had taken inside the bathroom with her, Gwyn walked back into the bedroom, sighing when she had a glimpse of Tristan trying to clear up the mess she had caused.

"Now I know what your thinking, but stop. Just making sure we have a place to sleep tonight. It's raining and I'm cold from the... cold... and other cold. So no brooding please, otherwise I'm gonna declare my side of the bed a 'No Brooding' zone."

"Alright," she smiled, avoiding to look into the mirror as much as possible. "I won't do that either."

"Good good." After placing the blankets and pillows in order somewhat, he took Gwyn's hand and unlocked the door, but leaned over and kissed her before opening it.

"I need to say sorry to Anne too... must have worried her."

"I'm sure she understands, but it would probably be a good thing to do, Sweetheart."

"And not only to her... I suppose," she whispered, giving Tristan's hand a slight squeeze.

"By now, I think Cyn knows your moods already. And if you're apologizing to me, save it - you haven't done anything wrong."

"No, Cole and James too... I met them at a bar..." she admitted.

"Ahh... their Friday night tradition. Even if we had dinner here, they would've gone to the bars anyways. But... why'd you end up at a bar?"

"You really don't want to know..." she sighed. "Left work and headed there without realising it..."

"How weird... I don't recall ever taking or showing you the bar over the weekend. Oh well. Dinner?"

"And I drank three straight whiskeys..."

"Remind me to never challenge you to a drinking contest..."

"You're not angry?"

"Why would I be angry? Something bothered you, and you vented. I mean - the bedroom's proof enough that something pissed you off royally. And as far as I'm concerned, I'm already hurting from being sick so... If anything, I'm used to your outbursts too so, whatever it takes for you to calm down, do it." Kissing her shoulder, he rested his head against it while hugging her tight. "Now really, let's move on. Okay?"

"Yes..." she replied, rubbing his back. "Mind you... alcohol wasn't that effective anyway."

"Wait wait wait... the _alcohol_ wasn't _effective_ ?! Holy fuck... yep, I'm never challenging you to a drinking contest... _ever_."

"Well, I came back here and trashed the bedroom... really, I don't consider that as being effective," she replied.

"Point taken. We go? I'm actually hungry now..."

"That's good you are, I'm not really hungry myself, but I'll eat, don't worry," she chuckled. "Oh by the way Tris, I love your hair."

"Huh?" he asked in a confused tone. Blinking, he took Gwyn's hand and walked out of the room with her.


	11. XI

Laughing after making the hair comment, Gwyn followed Tristan into the dining room, finding Anne neatly placing the cutlery in their respective places. Smiling when she saw the two holding each other's hand, Anne moved right next to the couple, enveloping both in a warm embrace.

"I'm really happy to see you back to normal..."

"Sorry Anne... I'm really sorry that I made you worry," Gwyn whispered. "I should have phoned you at least..."

Nodding in return, Anne patted Gwyn's back slightly and smiled. "That's alright. I'm just happy that you're okay now... stop worrying," she chuckled, winking back at Tristan as she let them go. "Now, both of you, sit down - I'll bring over dinner in a minute. Ah Tris? How's your stomach doing right now? Think you can handle a light beef broth?"

"I think so..." 

"You Gwyn?"

"Fine for me too," she replied, as they sat down at the table, while she rested her head against his shoulder.

"I'll be back in a minute."

"What'd you mean about my hair?" 

"Mmh?" she smiled. "Your hair's all tousled up from staying in bed... I like it actually."

"How so?"

"Gives you a boyish look, go have a look at it," Gwyn chuckled, as she placed a kiss on his cheek.

Shrugging his shoulders, Tristan got up from his seat and headed over to the mirror in the hallway. "What the?"

"It's lovely," she grinned back.

"I look like a porcupine..." he muttered while walking back to his seat.

Chuckling, Gwyn leaned closed to him and placed a kiss on his cheek. "I'd say cute." 

Grinning, he leaned over and placed his hands on her cheeks before kissing her back. 

"You're feeling better now, aren't you?"

"A bit. Hopefully I can keep the broth down - I got to keep the toast down during lunch for a good while...then it was around the time you were supposed to go into your meeting I lost it..." 

"Guess you reacted like last time..."

"Guess so. I don't really remember the puking part. But then again, this time can be attributed to my being sick - guess your wave of nausea hit me at the same time too."

Sighing, Gwyn rested against him yet again, but didn't reply - all she felt like was wrapping an arm round his waist and hold him close. "I'm sorry baby..." 

As Gwyn wrapped an arm around his waist, he mirrored her actions and pulled her close. "It's okay. I'm feeling better, so it's fine. We're good, babe, we're good," grinned Tristan.

"Then, hopefully you'll enjoy this," Anne chuckled, placing two bowls in front of them.

"Looks good..." began Tristan before turning his head to see the remedy in another glass. "Noooo... no more, please?"

"Ah, not again," Anne chuckled. "It's the last time though, don't worry. As for you Miss, I've got chamomile tea ready for you after dinner... you need to calm down after this afternoon."

"Thanks Anne, must appreciated..."

"You promise that this is the last time I have to take this stuff today?"

"Yes, promise," Anne winked back as she went back inside the kitchen.

Forcing himself to stare at the bowl of broth, Tristan began to slowly eat while pouting towards the glass. "It's _evil_ I tell you..."

"I've had worse..."

"I mean, I don't doubt that it's been working... I feel better for the most part... but the taste... ugh," sulked Tristan as he visibly shuddered. As he continued to eat, he kept pushing the glass away making Gwyn, who was watching him the entire time, take note that the combination of the hair, the white t-shirt, the navy pajama bottoms, and the pout gave her a good idea of what Tristan probably looked like as a little boy.

"No wonder your sisters loved you," she chuckled as she finished up her broth. 

"How so? I mean aside from being family."

"You must have been a cutie when you were younger if you looked like you do now."

Shooting her a wry grin, he continued to eat slowly as he kept frowning at the bitter greens that Anne had put into his bowl of broth.

"And you have to eat those too," Anne chuckled as she came back to the dining room to take Gwyn's bowl.

"Blech..." came the snarky response as Tristan ate the vegetables too. "I like vegetables, but I hate these..."

"I promise, dessert will be much better," Anne reassured him as she took the bowl and placed a plate with chicken, potatoes and mixed vegetables. "I know it's nothing much, but... hopefully it'll do you good, especially with your stomach."

"Should be good. Well, anything that seems to resemble food right now is good to be honest." Though the portion of food for Tristan was on the meager side (for him at least since it was the same amount as Gwyn's) it was quite satisfying.

Gwyn, on the other hand, simply nibbled at the food (considering she was still full from her other 'meal', despite the nausea that it had caused her) as she wasn't too hungry that evening.

Yawning, Tristan rubbed his eyes as he started at the still full glass before closing his eyes briefly.

"Maybe someone needs to go rest..." Gwyn smiled giving a slight nudge at Tristan's side.

"Dessert is the only thing that can save me from the evil evil thing..."

"Why don't you have the evil thing before dessert?" Gwyn suggested, as Anne looked on. 

"The evil thing makes me sleepy right afterwards..." 

"That's the whole purpose of it all, or else," Anne mused, looking at Gwyn. "Just make sure he takes it before he goes to sleep... technically it could be a better idea since I think you won't be sleeping too soon."

Looking back at Tristan, Gwyn nodded in agreement to what Anne had just said. "I will, don't worry..."

"Great now, bringing you some fruit salad with chocolate and cream - not too heavy I hope," Anne smiled, heading back into the kitchen.

"That sounds pretty good..." Tristan trailed off as he pillowed his head on his crossed arms.

"You're feeling tired?"

"Mm-hmm..."

"Knew it," Gwyn replied, resting her head back against the chair. "Off to sleep when we finish?"

Nodding slightly, Tristan's breathing began to slow as he remained still in his seat.

Once Anne got back in the dining room, Gwyn merely shrugged her shoulders back at her as she was slowly passing a hand through Tristan's hair, caressing it slowly. "Maybe we should get him to bed... he was sick, I worsened it and probably the medicine's making him drowsy... mind if you help me out?"

"Of course," she replied, leaving the two small bowls of dessert on the table and moved next to Gwyn as they both lifted Tristan up. 

"At least he's not heavy," joked Anne as they arrived at the bedroom's door in a short time.

"Not at all," Gwyn replied, as they got inside the bedroom and made Tristan lie down on one side and covered him up with the bedsheets and quilt. "It's still early... but I hope he rests for a few hours. Thanks for the help Anne."

"Don't mention it," the maid replied. "You're going to sleep now?"

"No. I think I'm going to play the piano for a while... I need to listen to that Vivaldi again..."

"As you wish... want me to bring you that tea by the piano?"

"Yes please."

Placing a kiss on Tristan's forehead, who was now soundly asleep in bed, Gwyn and Anne sneaked out of the room as quietly as possible, with the first heading towards the living room while the second back to the kitchen to clear up. After having her seat on the piano's bench again, Gwyn picked up the sheet music for _Spring_ , intending to play all the four pieces ones again. With just one quick look at the music, Gwyn closed her eyes and carefully placed her hands on the keyboard, letting herself being transported by the music. Maybe letting herself go would have been the best cure for her anxieties... and most probably... Tristan would have agreed to that.

Barely realising that Anne had brought her the cup of tea and placed it on the piano's edge, Gwyn continued to play, moving from _Spring_ to _Summer_ in quick succession. Anne sat down on the couch at the other side of the room, with Jasper dozing off on her lap, as he had calmed down too, probably sensing that his two masters were now feeling better. It was in the following parts that Gwyn gave her best though. After having her tea, Gwyn started to play _Autumn_ and _Winter_ , with the last being the most powerful of all the pieces she had just played. Turning all of her frustration and anxiety into the music, Gwyn managed to give _Winter_ an unusual twist, so enjoyable that Anne rested her head back against the couch and closed her eyes - making her imagine a raging ocean breaking against the shore in the middle of a storm.

Shuffling into the room while dragging the quilt behind him, Tristan yawned as he made his way over to the piano and sat down next to Gwyn, keeping his eyes closed.

"Up already?" Gwyn smiled, as she continued playing.

"Mmm..."

"You should have remained in bed," Gwyn chuckled, placing a kiss on his cheek as the music continued flowing.

"Music woke me... makes me feel happy."

"I'm glad..."

"Play something else when you're done?"

"You get to choose though..."

Dragging his quilt over, he wrapped it around himself while lightly resting his head on her shoulder. "Nocturne?"

"Chopin? Mmmh... quite soothing," she smiled, leaning her head slightly against his. "I will..."

"Okay," he whispered sleepily.

Once Gwyn finished with the last movement of _Winter_ , she stretched out her arms a little bit to rest them for a short while, then has a quick look through her collection of sheet music and picked up the piece Tristan had requested. It was a slow, reflective piece, brimming with melancholy, which yet, at the same time gave both the person playing it and his audience a sense of peace - till it reaches a passionate like-final part, ending calmly, almost in a whisper. Placing her hands on the keyboard once again, Gwyn first turned her head to kiss Tristan's forehead, then inhaled a deep breath, before starting to play.

"Hope you like it..." she whispered as the slow music filled the room.

"Mm-hmm..." came the sleepy murmur as Tristan began dozing off again.

Letting him rest against her, Gwyn went about playing one of Chopin's most famous piano concertos, with Anne, Tristan and Jasper as her little audience. Just as she had done with the Vivaldi pieces, the woman went about playing her music slowly, enjoying every single note that came out of the piano, almost sounding like a slow lullaby to both Tristan and Anne. In a way, that was Gwyn's apology for her behaviour that day...

"Sorry sweetheart," Gwyn whispered as she realised Tristan was fast asleep by her side. Taking the edge of the quilt from his hand, she wrapped it around the two of them and began to lightly doze next to him, wrapping her free hand around his waist tightly. As she started to fall asleep, she could hear Anne's quiet breathing as well as Jasper's slight snoring coming from the couch and making her grin. Realizing that they were all safe and sound for the time being, Gwyn smiled as she fell asleep.

-

Blinking, Tristan felt something leaning against him as he sat. The last thing he remembered was listening to Gwyn play Chopin's _Nocturne_ , but he couldn't remember how much time had passed. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, the clock made its hourly chime - which this time it chimed twelve times - that told him it was midnight. Looking over to his left, he could make out a bit of something light-colored against his shoulder. The faint whiff of shampoo and soap coming from the person next to him, not to mention the feel of some slippery material against his left hand told Tristan that Gwyn was the one next to him.

Letting out a yawn, Tristan felt much better after some rest - but still feeling the lasting effects of being sick as well as his stomach still on the queasy side. In one smooth motion, Tristan picked Gwyn up and headed back to the bedroom, letting the quilt covering them fall harmlessly to the ground. Once he tucked her back into bed, he made his way back and found both Anne and Jasper fast asleep on the couch. Moving Jasper slightly, he positioned Anne so that she was lying on the couch before replacing Jasper's head on Anne's lap. Picking up the discarded quilt, he covered the pair before finally heading back to the bedroom.

Making out the two glasses on the nightstand, Tristan groaned slightly as he picked up the dark glass, pinched his nose, and downed the contents of the glass before coughing for a few minutes. Grabbing the light glass, the water went down much more smoothly and Tristan climbed into bed quickly as he felt the effects of the remedy take hold immediately. As his eyes began drooping again, he curled himself around Gwyn's form and was asleep within seconds.

Fluttering her eyes slowly open a few hours later, Gwyn realised that she wasn't seated at the piano any longer. Realising, somewhat, she was tucked up, lying down in her bed, Gwyn reached out for the small bedlamp by her side and switched the dim light one, smiling when she saw Tristan's form slowly rising and falling by her side. Sitting up, making sure that she didn't wake him up, Gwyn rested Tristan's head on her lap and proceeded into carressing his hair and face gently. After letting some time pass, she decided to switch off the lights, even though she couldn't get back to sleep, so she leaned her head back against the headrest and gazed at the ceiling, wondering if everything she had would last after all...

Opening his eyes, he felt a slight weight on his head and realized that his head was facing the door. The feel of something running through his hair slowly, caused Tristan to slowly sit up and before Gwyn could say anything, he leaned over and kissed her gently.

"Woke you up..."

"I don't mind. I missed you..." 

"Feeling better now?" 

Wrapping his arms around her, Tristan pulled Gwyn on top of him and smiled. "Definitely, but the question is, do _you_ feel better now?"

"Mmm-hmm, much better now... thank you," she smiled in return. "Meetings with Fred are really turning me into a foul creature of late..."

"It's okay..." Caressing her thigh that was revealed from the nightdress, he slipped a hand underneath and rubbed the small of her back and kissed her shoulder.

"I should try and keep calm though... for both of us."

"You have to remember though, I was already sick beforehand and it was by completely unrelated means." Sliding his other hand under her nightdress, he began massaging her lower back. "It's been a while and you are super-tense. Want me to give you a massage?"

"Oh I know, but still..." she sighed, with half a smile. "And yes, that would be much appreciated..." 

Sliding out from under her, Tristan sat on his knees and removed Gwyn's nightdress before setting by her side. Placing his hands on her shoulders, he began giving her a deep tissue massage as he pressed his thumbs into the muscles of her back and took as much time and care as he needed until he felt satisfied that the knots were gone. Before moving to the next spot, he planted light, fleeting kisses over her skin, though he often lingered on his spot. "Feeling better?" he asked while working on her right shoulder and upper back.

"Yes, and you were right, it's been a while. I think it was that time when I was working in the other room, if I'm not mistaken." 

"Yeah, sounds about right. Granted, I haven't really needed to do this - apparently the lovemaking kept you pretty relaxed for the most part. Seems like you were super-tense for the entire meeting yesterday." Kissing her right shoulder blade, Tristan moved to her mid-back - starting with the left side. 

"Pretty much," she nodded, resting her head against a pillow. "You would be too if you knew what the discussion was about."

"Probably, but I don't so we'll just keep it at that." As he continued to work, Gwyn would giggle slightly as the soft cotton from Tristan's t-shirt kept skirting over her bare skin. "What's so funny?"

"Your shirt's tickling me," she chuckled, evidently more relaxed.

"Guess I should do something about that..." Pausing momentarily, he pulled off the t-shirt and resumed working on Gwyn's back.

"Maybe that's better," she smiled. "Oh by the way, I have a little secret news for you..."

"Hmm? What is it?"

"Once we get Advertising settled... you're going to be Assistant Director, Tris." 

"What?!" he exclaimed in a hushed tone as he finished with her mid-back and nuzzled against her back. "You're kidding... what about you? Gonna be Director?"

"Mmm-hmm." 

"We definitely need to celebrate once that happens..." he whispered as he dotted her lower back with kisses as he sat on the back of her legs before lying on top of her back.

"Soon I suppose, at least that's what I gathered from Fred's words... it's what you've been working hard for after all. You deserve it."

"Wanna celebrate a little early?" he asked mischievously while stroking the sides of her torso. "Since, you know, you've been working equally hard for this too." 

"I'll celebrate that when we're both in our new positions..."

"Or I can put us in a new position now..."

"Stop it," she laughed out, turning her head slightly.

"Can't blame me for trying. I'm feeling better, you're half naked right now, and I want you so very much right now. Simple as that, don't you think?" 

"Will you just rest till you recover completely?" she teased. "I might continue enjoying this for the rest of the night... without what you're thinking about." 

"Should I prove to you that I've recovered significantly?" he whispered while lightly biting and sucking on his spot.

"You're pretty stubborn as always," she sighed, turning in his embrace to face him.

"You know I am," he chuckled before kissing her. 

"Don't blame me if you'll feel tired afterwards..." 

"We have all day to rest, dinner's not until later in the evening," whispered Tristan as he removed her underwear and began planting kisses down her chest and stomach before moving her legs apart to continue kissing his way down.

"If you say so..." she whispered, pulling him close to her.

"I do," he smirked as he felt Gwyn pulling down his pajama pants and boxers. Kicking them off, he pressed himself against her teasingly. "Still want me?" 

"Yes sweetheart," she smiled, kissing him deeply.

Kissing her back, he began to move slowly against her as he kept a tight hold around her.

"I missed you baby..."

"Missed you too. Love you," he murmured back while increasing his pace.

"Love you... too..." she whispered back, holding him closer to her as much as possible... not wanting to let him go, ever...

-

"And you were worried about _me_ being tired," chuckled Tristan as Gwyn was resting her head on his chest as he ran his fingers through her now-damp hair.

"A little bit," she chuckled as she turned to place a kiss on his chest. 

"Told you I was feeling better. So, what's next? I have two days that I have to make up to you..."

"Sleep maybe? Please," she pleaded playfully, looking up at him. "Or else... I'm still waiting to be pampered like a Queen."

"And how would my Queen like to be pampered right now at this very moment?" teased Tristan as he began stroking her back and trailed a foot down one of her calves.

"Some serious cuddling would be nice, without the necessity of it being sexual," she chuckled. "Come on Prince, you can do it," she teased him back.

"Yes I am capable of such...though I enjoy making love to you." Rolling to his side, he hugged her close as she rested her chin on his shoulder.

"I know that," she whispered. "But I enjoy this too you know... you're the only one who ever did that... so," she smiled.

"Guess I'm just greedy then," he whispered while massaging her shoulders. "Yep, definitely more relaxed - though I'd probably go with that it was both the massage and the sex that did it."

"Well, you're greedy for me, so.. there's no harm done there," she smiled. 

"I figured you wouldn't mind. Still amazes me though... that you never found Mr. Right. Even now I doubt that I'm Mr. Right, but you seem to think so. Guess that stands for something at least." 

"You're still doubting?" she stared back at him. "I mean... all of this, and you still doubting?"

"Not in a bad sense, relax. What I meant was that the first time I saw you, it was in my dreams and you were perfect. Now we're here, in _your_ bed, and I guess a part of me still thinks that you are perfect while I'm imperfect. To me, you can do no wrong, but I know that I will probably screw up somehow and make you cry again. Again, I'm not the 'Perfect' Mr. Right, but I'd like to consider myself at least good enough to be your Mr. Right." 

"Might sound sappy - but you _are_ my 'Perfect Mr. Right'," she smiled. "I wouldn't ask for someone else but you, trust me. You're the best man I've ever met in all of my life..."

"Despite the fact you hated my guts in the beginning? I swear you always seemed to have it out for me - since you seemed to be riding me harder than anyone else - and I am aware that was a double entendre considering what happened a few minutes ago..."

"Stop it!" she laughed, smacking his chest slightly with her hand. "Well, I didn't hate you - it's just that I didn't want to admit to myself that you had picqued my interest..."

"Wait - so when did I start piquing your interest? Since I first joined the company or when I joined your team?"

"Team, since that's when I got to know how you actually worked and who you actually were. I'd only heard of you from Fred before that."

"Oh? And what did you hear about me at that point? About how I was actually supposed to have been Assistant Director when I first joined the company but declined in favor of being a junior employee?" he chuckled as he kissed her nose. 

"Amongst other things."

"Any of these 'other things' you care to let me in on?"

"Have you noticed that we're talking work in bed?"

"You won't let me do my other _work_ so I have to settle for the cuddling, which leads to talking and somehow, work work seems to come up when we're talking in bed."

"Right... so, mmm... that you were competent, diligent, hard-working, ambitious..."

"Yes... I think those qualities seem to fit both in and out of bed..."

"So myself and Fred agreed that you'd come and work under me..." she halted as she noticed Tristan smirk. "Oh will you stop that?"

"I will if you would stop saying things like that," he laughed.

"Oh alright," she pouted playfully, as she rested her head against his chest once again. 

"Ahh, it's fine. I enjoy hearing you voice your opinion on my particularly valuable assets..."

"As if you'd need reassurance on that," Gwyn chuckled as she slid her hands towards his sides and tickled him lightly. 

Giggling, he tightened his hold and kissed his spot. "I'm starting to find it interesting that I like biting that spot, but not really sure as to why."

"You have quite the addiction for that," she smiled. "Not that I mind..."

"You tend to bite me there too, so we're even. At least this is one addiction I can get used to." 

"Rarely but I do," she nodded, placing a kiss on his nose. 

"Mm-hmm. Definitely a kink thing though for sure."

"Tris..." she chided him in a mocking tone.

"What? Fine..."

"I need to get your mind off _that_ sometimes, you know? I don't want my future fiancé to be obsessed..." she chuckled, followed by a quick blush in her cheeks when she realised what she had just said.

"Wait - did I just hear Gwendalynn Coulston voice something regarding marriage?" Tristan teased as he kissed her shoulder.

"Seems like it..." she smiled, still blushing while she huddled closer by his side.

"For the record, I'll marry you - but probably when the time's right and we're not super-crazy busy with work. Maybe sometime after Advertising's settled down... we could talk about it..."

At that, Gwyn looked up at him, staring straight into his dark eyes. "A... are you serious... I mean, I just mentioned it in passing and..." she stuttered sincerely taken by surprise, smiling and blushing yet again at the same time.

"Yes I'm serious, no it wasn't a proposal - just more like a pre-proposal, and you are the only woman that I would ever marry."

"I... same here..."

"Last I checked, I wasn't a woman so...you might have to clarify what you meant by your last statement..." he grinned as he continued to cuddle against her.

"You know what I meant... perfectionist," she chuckled. "You're the only man I want to marry."

"Good..." Leaning slightly, he kissed her sweetly.

"Sleep a little bit now?" she whispered as she rested his forehead against his after the kiss.

"By your command." Giving her one last kiss, he held her head against his chest as they slept peacefully.

-

Poking his head through the small crack in the door, Jasper began sniffing around and wagged his tail happily as he grabbed a hold of the pant leg from Tristan's pajama bottoms that were discarded on the floor. Dragging it with him, he looked up at Anne, who had quietly entered the bedroom.

"Now Jas," Anne whispered, as she caught a glimpse of Tristan and Gwyn huddled under the blankets. "You go wake up Tristan, I'll take care of the Miss," she winked back, as the puppy obeyed immediately and headed off for Tristan's side of the bed.

Panting happily, Jasper managed to climb onto the bed (with Anne's help) and began pawing at Tristan's back while occasionally licking him too. On the other hand, Anne merely sat at the edge of the bed, waiting to see Tristan's reaction to her and the puppy's presence inside their room.

Giggling slightly, Tristan felt something batting away at his back, but it was both sharp and fuzzy. It wasn't until he felt something cold that made him yelp slightly. "Whu-huh?"

Chuckling, Anne grinned back at the puppy who continued to moves his paws up against Tristan's back, digging his small paws in his skin to seek his attention.

"Okay okay... Jas? Anne? Wha?" 

"Good morning Tristan... or should I say afternoon," she grinned, as Tristan turned to look at her. "It's thirty minutes past midday already."

Raising an eyebrow at her, he gave her a wry grin. "Really? Hmm, guess I tired her out more than I thought..." Looking down, he kissed her cheek as Jasper had managed to climb over him and wedged himself between Tristan and Gwyn.

"Don't forget it was a tough day for her... her meetings with Fred are becoming pretty stressful lately."

"And yet I was the sick one... C'mon Gwyn, time to get up," he whispered against her ear as Jasper licked her nose.

"Just give me a few more minutes," she grumbled trying to cover herself up with the bedsheets again. "Jas, go to daddy."

"He is with me. Time to get up baby, Jasper wants to play with Mommy now." 

"No," she mumbled, turning to bury her head in the pillow.

Looking over at Anne, he gave her a smile. "If you please?"

"Mmmh, yes?" Anne grinned back, realising that Tristan has something in mind in order to wake Gwyn up.

"Take our fuzzy baby and please wait outside for us? We'll have brunch in a bit," he grinned as he kept his gaze on the bundle of blankets next to him.

"As you wish... Jas, come, mommy and daddy will come to eat soon... come along," Anne called out, as she stood up and walked towards the bedroom's door. "Don't take too long."

"I'll try not too..." he laughed while grasping the bedsheets, once Anne, followed by Jasper, exited the room.

Pulling on the bedsheets as slowly as possible, he planted kisses on any part of Gwyn that became exposed. "I could slow torture you all day with this if you want..."

"I want to sleep Tris, stop it..."

"It's past twelve in the afternoon. And unless you wanna do the dinner party as naked as the day you were born, best be getting up now."

"I'm tired..." she whined as she slowly opened her eyes.

"And... that's my problem how?"

"Huh?" she blinked back, still trying to focus.

"Exactly. Good afternoon, baby." Grinning, he kissed her lingeringly before getting up and picking up his clothes from the floor.

"Give me a valid reason why I need to get up from bed right now," she pouted, as she watched him dress.

"Because if you don't I'm dumping you and the bedsheets into the bathtub that's been filled with cold water," he replied sweetly while pulling on his t-shirt.

"What? No way," she snapped back, sitting up while running a hand through her hair and yawning.

"Come on Sweetheart, food awaits!"

"He's feeling better than me this morning," Gwyn chuckled as she watched Tristan head out of the bedroom before her. "Coming... coming!"

-

"Mmm... scrambled eggs and bacon. Sooo good," grinned Tristan as he devoured part of his meal. Before him, he had managed to grab a muffin, a bowl of fruit salad, some soup, and a simple sandwich while he was currently eating from a plate that was full of pancakes, bacon, and fluffy scrambled eggs.

Stifling a laugh as she saw all of the items on his plate, Gwyn proceeded into slowly drinking her tea and eating the raspberry roll that was in front of her while Anne looked on, grinning happily as she realised that Tristan had regained his full appetite.

"Do you need to go shopping for anything Anne?" Gwyn asked as Tristan continued eating.

"I might, actually... want to come with me?"

"Could be a problem if we go there together, but..."

Sticking the fork in his mouth, Tristan gave the pair a questioning look.

"Want to come with me Tris?" Anne smiled as Gwyn gave her an approving look.

"Sure... I'll go!" he replied with a big smile.

"Oops... just keep in mind that the fridge is not a black hole, Tris," Gwyn chuckled, teasing him at the same time. "I have the suspiscion that my car will be brimming with food when you two will get back..."

"What? No, I wouldn't do that..." Tristan replied innocently as he finished his plate and moved onto the 'lunch' portion of his meal.

"Tris, Anne will have my chequebook with her... so... I know it will happen," she grinned.

"Well, it's us, plus them, and Jasper needs more food anyways. Plus we need lots of drinks..."

"Buy whatever you like," Gwyn told the two as Anne headed back to the kitchen. "The only thing I'd really like you to get me is... chocolate and red wine." 

"Dark, milk, white?" asked Tristan in between bites of his sandwich.

"Dark. See what interests you most and buy it... as for the wine, Anne knows my tastes well by now."

"I know what wine you drink too... actually, it's the same kind that I drink every once in a while."

"Are you sure?" she asked, taken a bit by surprise.

"Ask Anne, I know for sure that the day they did my laundry... I had red wine in my fridge."

"That's a nice coincidence..." she replied, looking over to Anne who was nodding in confirmation. "It's not like it's that common either."

"Really? It was a gift from a friend of mine. Whenever I run out, I tell them and he sends me a few more bottles."

"Maybe you should tell him to send over some here too," she laughed.

"I'll be sure to pass that along to Michael when I send him my next letter." 

"That would be much appreciated, thank you," Gwyn replied, winking back at him.

"Where do you go to get yours? I wasn't aware it was sold in the city..."

"That's the last bottle I got of that particular wine... Fred had given that to me..." she frowned. "Anyway, just have a look at the wine section and see which one you like most... Anne would know whether I'd like it or not, plus, you have an idea too..."

"I could always grab one from home... should have another bottle or two in my little wine cellar. Which is actually a space in my garage," Tristan laughed as he finished his sandwich. 

"Whatever you like, I'd love it anyway," she replied.

"Fair enough. I should probably grab more clothes from home anyways - including my laundry - and do it here."

"You can do it on the way to the store, I'll help you out if you like," Anne suggested.

"Sounds great. Actually, I'll just throw all my laundry into a bag and grab another suit - all my dirty laundry has a sufficient number of clothes that I can use."

"No problem, I don't mind, we'll just wash all the laundry together... might as well do everything in one go."

"I can live with that." Once he finished the last of his soup, he began working on his fruit salad.

Giggling lightly, Gwyn leaned by Tristan's side and stole a piece of melon from his bowl.

"I'm willing to share if you want some..."

"I see a piece of pineapple..." she chuckled, eyeing the contents of the bowl.

"Take it - I'm not a big fan."

"Really?" she gazed back at him, surprised. "I'm waiting..." she whispered, opening her mouth.

Stabbing the piece with his fork, he placed the piece in her mouth. "Yeah, I've had some really sour ones and it killed any interest I had in the fruit. Plus, it just tastes funny overall."

"Wouldn't have expected that from you," she grinned, as she ate up the fruit.

"I have my likes and dislikes regarding food. Just like everyone else."

"Yes I know... sorry if that sounded strange." 

"No, it's fine, you just haven't seen me outright refuse anything yet - and this was your first time." Grinning, he fed her the remaining pieces of pineapple. 

"True... and I remember you not being too fond of coconut either."

"Also grapefruit... hate that stuff. Prunes and raisins can go die in a fire... I much prefer their fresh counterparts..."

"Bet you hate cranberries too," she told him in passing, as she ate the remaining peach slices from her bowl.

"Love 'em dried, not too crazy about them being fresh, but if they're used in desserts I'll eat them."

"I like the juice though..." 

"I'll drink the juice too."

"You know I love you right?" she chuckled, resting her head against his shoulder.

"I do and I love you too," he smiled as he wiped her mouth with his napkin before eating the banana nut muffin.

"Can you get me some good coffee, and cinnamon tea?"

"From the store?" 

"Yes please," she smiled back. 

"So that's coffee, cinnamon tea, red wine, and dark chocolate. Anything else?" 

"Nope, that's all I can think of... Tris? Can I take one of your sweatshirts while you're away?" she asked him, as she placed a kiss on his shoulder and straightened up again. 

"I think there should be one or two in my dirty laundry, I'll keep them here. Deal?" 

"I'll take the navy blue one then."

"Yeah, that one's in the dirty pile - it's yours," he smiled as he finished his glass of apple juice and headed into the bedroom for a quick shower.

Standing up once he left, Gwyn took the rest of the dirty dishes and took them to Anne inside the kitchen. "Make sure you get him some ice-cream and sweets... considering he's so fond of them."

"I'll make sure I don't forget... and I'll get you some chocolate truffles too," Anne winked back at her. 

"Now go get changed, Tristan's already showering. I'll take care of the rest here."

"What? No way!" Anne immediately interjected as Gwyn took one of the rags in her hands and started drying off the plates. 

"Anne, it's an order, go get changed now," she smiled. "Jas will keep me company here, right baby?" she whispered, as the puppy stretched out and rubbed against her legs. 

"As you wish," Anne smiled, lowering her head slightly before running off to her room.

-

Rubbing the towel over his hair, Tristan managed to finally look in the mirror and chuckled. Despite wanting to gag every time he took the remedy that Anne had made, his reflection in the mirror proved to him that it was worth it as one would never had known he was sick a little over two days ago. After brushing his teeth, Tristan washed his face and threw on a pair of dark blue jeans that had seen better days and a light blue t-shirt. Locating his pair of socks, he put them on and left the room.

As soon as he entered the room, he witnessed something he had never seen before: Gwyn cleaning the living room while wearing an apron and gloves. Chuckling, he watched her work. "Would anyone actually believe me if I had said that I witnessed AD Coulston being some sort of domestic goddess of her living domain?"

"I may do that rarely Tristan, when I have the time... like today. Anne's getting dressed," she smiled. "Plus... sometimes, having a closer look at my furniture's nice..."

"Oh yeah, I can see where Jasper's claws have sunk into some of the wood now," he chuckled while pulling on his sneakers.

As if on cue, the puppy sauntered over to Tristan and began nudging his calf with his head. 

"Now you're just being demanding, you spoiled brat," Tristan grinned as he scratched behind Jasper's ears.

"I shall categorically ignore what I've just heard and where the marks are," she told him, as she leant down to reach a far spot. "You really look better now Tris."

"Fine, though I think we should re-seal the wood floors sometime - as well as get Sir Jasper's claws trimmed. Isn't that right, Puppy?" Looking up, he smiled back at her. "Thanks. So do you."

"Now? I could easily pass for a housewife, so... maybe not," she laughed as she stood up and sneezed a couple of times.

"Well, there's that but I meant that you look better when you're not bawling your eyes out." 

"That's true... thank you."

"I mean it and you're welcome." And so that his opinion would be made clear too, Jasper gave Gwyn a happy grin as he barked playfully and ran over to tug on the bottom of her apron. "See, even the baby agrees with me."

"Ready to go?" a casually dressed Anne came back inside the living room, gasping when she saw Gwyn dusting. "What on earth are you doing?!"

"Yeah and... she's never done this around you before either?"

"Dusting," Gwyn grinned back in return, leaning down to take Jasper in her arms. "Don't worry Anne, it's fine... I know it's your job but... let's say it's, yes. Voluntary work..." she chuckled. "And Tris, ever seen our Anne with her hair down?" she smiled as Anne blushed in return.

"Nope and she looks very pretty like that," grinned Tristan as he got up from the couch and wrapped a friendly arm around Anne's shoulders. "You should wear it down for dinner, I think it'd look really nice."

"Stop it you two... really, it's no big deal," she mumbled, still blushing. "Wear it down? This evening you mean?"

"Sure. Me, as well as the others, haven't seen you with your hair down before so it'd be nice if you did, or at least I think so."

"Maybe... but I'd be working in the kitchen this evening, and it gets in the way..." she complained. "Maybe tomorrow morning."

"It's not like you're going to spend the entire night in the kitchen Anne, you'll be eating with us, right?"

"Not too much though," she replied, giving a look at Gwyn. "It's not like I can stay with you and take care of everything."

Laughing, Tristan gave Anne a kiss on the cheek. "Sweetie, you have Gwyn and I around too, you know? I think the two of us are capable of being able to bring out dishes and clearing up the table. Also, I'm fairly competent in the kitchen too, so you'll at least have an extra set of hands."

"Tristan's right Anne... just consider it as a little break from your duties. I know what you're thinking but it's alright, it's not that you're not doing your work or something... it'll be an occasion when you, yes, do your work, but you can manage to enjoy yourself too. Take it as a family event more than anything else."

"Yeah, what she said."

"You're sure?" Anne asked.

"We wouldn't be telling you that if we weren't," Gwyn winked back. 

"So, on that wonderful family moment, shall we?"

Nodding, Anne took the small shoulder bag in her arms and headed towards the entrance door, making sure that she had gotten the cheque book and the full list of items she needed with her. "Coming Tris?" Anne then called, as she waited for him at the door.

"One second," he smiled as he kissed Gwyn's cheek. "See you and Puppy in a bit. I'll grab the wine...and laundry on the way back. Bye Jas, be good for Mommy."

"You know he will, see you later you two."

Waving, Tristan ushered Anne out the door, leaving Gwyn and a barking Jasper behind.

-

"Might as well bring this too," Anne mumbled as she was staring at the shelves containing the fresh vegetables. Tristan had been wandering around with his shopping basket on his own, while she had decided to pick the best preferences from what was available. Aubergines, fresh peppers, mushrooms, carrots, leeks, potatoes amongst others filled to the brim one of her baskets, while the other was filled with some fresh fruit - strawberries and peaches being the best picks. Obviously, milk, fresh cream and all the cheeses she needed followed suit, together with the chicken and fish that she wanted to cook that evening.

"Guess that's all from my end... Tristan should be getting the rest," she said to herself, as she walked towards the bakery and sweet section of the store to find him.

Stuffing another cookie into his mouth, Tristan carried his completely full basket as he continued to look for things on the list.

"Need help?" Anne chuckled, as soon as she met Tristan up, finding him munching something up. "What are you eating?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

Swallowing, he held out a handful of chocolate chip cookies. "Cookie?"

"Where did you get those from?" she blinked.

"The ladies at the bakery gave them to me... Why?"

Stifling a laugh, Anne took one of the cookies in her hand and took a bite. "That explains it then."

"Huh?"

"You must have made a hit with them," she grinned. "Got everything?"

"I guess, since all I did was smile as I walked past them. And I have almost everything except - eww... cinnamon raisin bread..."

"That's one of Gwyn's requests," Anne smiled. "Did you get her the chocolate she mentioned?"

"Right here," he pointed to a box towards the bottom of the basket. "Cinnamon raisin bread... I like the cinnamon bread, but hate the raisins... oh cruel cruel world..."

"Good... which means we're done I suppose..." she told him as they walked towards the bakery section again. "Did they have the bread though?"

"Looks like it," he smiled before eating another cookie. "And... I didn't see it but maybe you can find it?"

"I'll go have a look myself," she smiled back, as she headed straight to one of the shelves, as the ladies started eyeing Tristan again.

Smiling at the bakery ladies again, he dutifully trailed after Anne.

"They won't stop flirting with you, isn't it?" she whispered back, with an amused grin on her lips. "And just for the record, I found it," she told him, holding out the bread at him triumphantly.

"I get it all the time... the looks I mean. And that's it? Huh, I thought it was something else by the name of it..."

"What were you thinking?" she chuckled. "And yes I've noticed... don't tell the Miss though, she might get slightly jealous..."

"I won't and my French is a bit rusty...so I didn't recognize it as raisin bread."

"Not that difficult, trust me... and... we're done," she concluded happily. "Guess we can leave now."

"Okay. And... can we take the long way over to the check counter... Please?" 

"Yes sure, any problem?"

Making sure the women weren't looking at them, he nudged his head towards their direction. "To avoid them..."

"Bothering you aren't they?" she chuckled. "Come on, let's leave then," she smiled, as the two walked the long way towards the counter just like Tristan had requested her.

"Not so much... but just ever so slightly. Cyn once commented that she couldn't take me anywhere without women flirting with me...and now you've witnessed for yourself."

"Wait until you'll have Gwyn clutched at your arm and they'll stop it," she whispered back. "One good look from her and work's done."

"She did glare at a few women last weekend when we went out... but they still were eying me when her back was turned and I was usually busy looking for our waiter..." he chuckled as they rounded the corner of the aisle to stand in line. 

"That's the curse of the good looking boy," she joked.

"Apparently," he grinned as he snagged a small juice bottle from a display stand. 

"What did you get now?" she chuckled as she took out the cheque book from her bag.

"Apple juice and don't worry, I'll pay for it on my own. I was just thirsty."

"Better just make one whole bill, really," she suggested. "Plus, Gwyn had already warned me about that."

"About what?" he asked while placing the items from the baskets on the counter.

"You snagging things because you're hungry," she grinned.

"At least I'm back to normal for the most part..."

"Yes, and that's good to see, trust me, much better - I hate you seeing both like that."

"Like what?"

"In the state you were in yesterday I mean," she told him, as they finished placing the items on the counter.

"Ooooh, the sick part, yeah I agree."

"Pretty obvious," she replied, as the cashier told her the grand total. "Tris, have a pen handy by any chance?"

"Um..." he muttered as he started patting his pockets before reaching into his pants pocket and pulls out a pen. "Here you go." 

"Thank you," she thanked him, as she wrote off the total on the cheque and handed it over to the cashier.

"Have a good day and thanks."

"You're welcome," replied Tristan as he picked up the bags of groceries and followed Anne. "So where to next?"

"You needed to go to your place right... but I need to get the bag with the ice-cream and the perishables with us and place them in your fridge while we're there..." Anne replied, as they both walked out of the store, to Gwyn's car that was parked just outside. "Then you get what you need and we're off to get back home, especially since we'd need to start working at the dinner... what time is it?" she queried, as Tristan opened the car's boot.

"Yep, but don't we need more drinks or should this be enough? I mean aside from the wine... And it's nearly two-forty-five."

"There's water, a couple of kinds of juice and lemonade back home for sure. Think they'd like something else aside from those?"

"Hmm...you're right, guess I was overestimating a bit. Anyways, time go to my place," he smiled as he shut the door and made his way over to the passenger door and opened it for Anne. "After you."

"Thank you Sir," she giggled as she got inside.

Closing the door, Tristan got to the driver's side and climbed in before they headed off to his house for a brief spell. Once there, the pair climbed out of the car and opened the door to look at the groceries. "So...which ones do you want to put in the chiller?"

"Mmh, this if I'm not mistaken," she pointed out, taking one of the bags in her hands. Confirming that it was the one from the cold feeling she got as soon as she touched it, Anne nodded and reassured Tristan that he could close the car's boot and head inside.

Shutting the door, he led them inside the apartment - looking exactly as it had when he was there the previous Sunday. Smiling, he opened the vacant fridge and placed the bag inside. "I'll just go grab my laundry, and then we can head over to the ice cream place. Sound good?"

"Yep... need any help now?"

"It's not as bad as last time, believe me. But if you want, you can pick out a suit and some shirts for me in my closet. You remember where it is?"

"I think I do," she replied, heading towards the bedroom after him. "Just those? Need any ties and shoes?"

"Good." As he led them through his room, Tristan located his large hamper and cinched off the top of the bag. "Ties, surprise me. Shoes, I'll grab on the way out."

"Yes Sir," she smiled as she opened the wardrobe and had a good look inside while Tristan left to fetch his laundry.

While Anne was in the closet, Tristan headed over to the toilet, shutting the door behind him.

Once satisfied of her choices, which she neatly placed on Tristan's bed to show to him, Anne walked out of the bedroom and went to check on Tristan, trying to understand what he was up to. "Tris, ready from the laundry?"

The sound of the flushing toilet told Anne that he was fine. Opening the door, he found Anne grinning back at him. "Had to go use the toilet... and yes, all set with the laundry." Making his way over to the sink, he washed his hands quickly and followed Anne into the main bedroom. "So what's up?"

"See if you like my choices... should be pretty close to what Gwyn would like," she grinned back.

After a quick scan of Anne's choices, he gave her a friendly hug. "Awesome taste as usual, Annie. So, ice cream first then leave or get everything, then ice cream, and then leave for home from there?"

"Second option sounds better... ah Tris... just out of curiosity... are you feeling Gwyn's good mood today?"

"I am, actually. Hopefully, this will last longer than a week..." Hefting the bag of laundry, he gestured for Anne to proceed. "After you."

"Thank you," Anne replied as they went into the kitchen to grab the bag from the chiller, and headed outside.

Once he placed the laundry bag in the car, Tristan headed over to his little 'wine cellar' and grabbed two bottles of wine. Walking over to Anne, he showed them to her. "This is the brand, right?" 

"Yep, exactly," Anne nodded in approval.

"Then I'll let you hold those for a bit while I open the back." Handing her the bottles, Tristan opened the rear door and took the bottles back and placed them into the bags with the cold drinks before shutting the door again. Climbing into the driver's seat once again, he drove them over to the dessert restaurant to pick up the ice cream and then headed back to Gwyn's place.   
  


-

"Gwyn? We're home," called Tristan as music from the piano filled the apartment as he and Anne walked inside.

Seeing that they got not response, Tristan and Anne made their way in the living room, finding Gwyn playing her Schubert with Jasper fast asleep on her lap. 

Placing the bag of groceries on the floor silently, Tristan gently kissed Gwyn's cheek before grabbing the bags again and moving towards the kitchen with Anne.

"Have you told Gwyn we arrived?" Anne asked him, while she was putting the groceries in their respective cabinets. 

"Didn't want to disrupt her, but I let her know we were back."

"She's just relaxing now... after some housework, and if you noticed, she ordered flowers too," she smiled, pointing at the white and dark pink orchids that were in the living room, and the sunflowers in the kitchen and dining room. "It's pretty strange she got sunflowers..."

"Oh yeah? Why's that?" he asked while placing the wine in the wine cooler and placing the drinks in the fridge.

"They're bright and sunny after all... Gwyn's more into orchid-like flowers generally... I suspect she wanted to brighten up the atmosphere thanks to them," she mused, as she finished up placing the items. 

"Ahh, makes sense. So, want me to start cutting up the meat and veggies?"

"Clean the fish for me, and cut it up into fillets if it's alright for you, I'll take care of the chicken... and... yes, I need potatoes as cut up as chips, and vegetables in thin slices for a stir-fry in olive oil..."

"Duly noted. Want to save the fish entrails or just toss?" Tristan asked as he washed his hands and grabbed a knife to use.

"Toss, none of us like them, and we don't have cats either... hey wait... you said you've got cats back home or am I mistaken?" Anne asked as she started cleaning the chicken up.

"One cat - and he strangely prefers dog food... wet dog food I mean. He eats kitty kibble, but he might like the fish guts, as he likes it when I feed him bits of my fish dinners."

"So keep them for him if you like, instead of tossing them..."

"I'll probably do that..." Opening the package of fish, Tristan made short work of the fish, which impressed Anne greatly.

"You're really good in kitchen work..." she complimented him, as Gwyn continued playing in the other room.

"My sister Olivia, or Livvy as I call her, owns a restaurant that serves food from where our mom was born. I got called to work in the kitchens since I was about...six? Mostly it was washing and peeling vegetables or placing mochi onto dessert plates - really simple stuff - but I learned how to cut, chop, fillet, and anything else you can do with a knife once I was almost ten. So I've got years of doing this," he smiled as he began washing and cleaning the vegetables.

"Worked wonders on you, really," she smiled.

"Most of the time, Cyn's still impressed that I can cut and chop vegetables without looking and not ever cut myself. And the guys are scared when I use the fillet knife for some reason..."

"Because you're good at handling them," she chuckled.

Smiling, he handed her the plate filled with the fish fillets and vegetables for the stir fry as he began working on the potatoes. Whistling while scrubbing the potatoes, Tristan looked over at Anne, who was busy tending to the chicken while prepping the fish for cooking. Once he was done washing the potatoes, he picked up the vegetable peeler and began removing the skin, placing the clean potatoes in a bowl of water. Skinning the last potato, Tristan cut the potatoes to Anne's specifications and placed the slices back into the bowl once he was done.

"You're really quite the help Tris," Anne smiled as she placed the chicken in a large dish ready to be placed in the oven. After placing some herbs and olive oil to make the skin crispier, Anne moved to open the oven, and placed the dish safely inside, turning to work on the potatoes next. Neatly positioning them in another tray, Anne sprinkled some olive oil, grated cheese and freshly-ground black pepper as garnish, which she rested on the oven's hob as that wouldn't need too much cooking after all. Still accompanied by Gwyn's music, Anne grinned happily at Tristan, and started working on the vegetables, followed by the fish. 

"Think we should do a soup as a starter Tristan?"

"Sure. What kind of soup would you like?"

"Should be something light... with a vegetable base... any ideas?" she asked him, humming Gwyn's tune. 

"Mmm...do we have vegetable broth in a can? No wait, do we have shiitake mushrooms?"

"Check the second cabinet on your right... for both things you mentioned."

Checking the cabinet, he found both the vegetable broth and a package of dried mushrooms. Grabbing a bowl, he poured a good amount of mushrooms into it before covering it with water. As the mushrooms began to reconstitute themselves in the water, Tristan prepped some more onions (both yellow and green), carrots, and celery. Picking out the now-fat mushrooms, he sliced them up and dumped them into the pot that Anne had been heating. After a few minutes, he placed the yellow onions, carrots, and celery into the pot and let them saute together, seasoning slightly. Seeing that the soup base was coming along, he opened the can of broth and sampled a bit (to check the salt) before pouring it in. Stirring slightly, he worked the vegetable fond off of the pot and let it simmer. Turning to Anne, he gave her a grin.

"Done. What's next?"

"Soup's going, fish and chicken too... vegetables are going too... well, I suppose we're pretty much on schedule," she chuckled. "Now... it's time to start working on dessert..." she winked back at him. "And since I want this to be a surprise for you... you can go next to Gwyn if you like now."

"You're kicking me out of the kitchen?" he whined playfully as he gave her the 'puppy dog eyes'.

"I'm not," she chuckled. "But there isn't anything else to do I suppose now. It's merely getting the dessert done: I have a certain banoffee pie, cinnamon ice-cream with warm waffles and chocolate-caramel sauce and a lemon cheesecake to get up and running," she grinned.

"Well, do we have any chocolate chip cookies left? And I know we bought a ton of ice cream as well, so there should be enough..."

"There should be... oh, there a small golden cardboard box in the fridge... go share it with Gwyn," she winked back at him. "I'll bring you some tea."

Grabbing the fresh cookies from their package, as well as the vanilla ice cream from the freezer, Tristan quickly assembled three large chocolate chip cookie sandwiches. After replacing everything, he stuck one of the sandwiches in Anne's mouth as he carried the other two with him to see Gwyn.

Laughing, Anne took a bite off the cookie sandwich and chuckled, taking the cookies in her hand. "When it comes to sweets, you really are original," she giggled as she turned towards the counter again to gather the ingredients for the pie, while Tristan headed off.

-

Sliding onto the bench next to Gwyn's side, he kissed her to make her stop playing for a bit.

"Hey Sweetheart," she smiled, placing her hands on her lap.

"I have a present for you," he grinned as he presented her with the ice cream sandwiches.

Taking one of them in her hand, Gwyn chuckled and had a bite off the cookie sandwich. "Only you could come up with this... what did Anne say?"

"I don't know actually, I left before she could say anything." Taking the other sandwich in hand, he began eating happily.

"Grocery shopping went well?" she asked, leaning against him.

"Yep, save for the bakery ladies. But they gave me free cookies, so I guess it's okay."

"What about them?"

"Well, what do you think happened? I mean... good-looking guy wandering alone in the bakery department..."

Laughing, Gwyn turned her head to place a kiss on his cheek. "They were eyeing my man... should have been obvious..."

"Even Anne saw it and was amused. The upside, I got free fresh cookies."

"Thank heavens I wasn't with you," she giggled, finishing up the sandwich.

"You would've killed them with your death glares," he mused, as he gobbled up the last bit of his ice cream sandwich. "Anyways... the flowers are lovely," he smiled, resting his head on her shoulder.

"I thought you'd love the sunflowers... they're pretty much like you," she grinned. "Sunny and bright."

"I'll take that as a compliment... thank you," he grinned. "Well, the orchids you got are pretty much like you, so, we're square."

"If you say so..." she whispered back, as Tristan placed a kiss on her hair before standing up. "Gonna go see what Anne's up to... she's prepping our desserts, so might as well go watch what she's doing for some tips."

"Any preferences for music?"

"Whatever your heart feels like playing, my Queen, anything's good," he winked back. 

"Leave that to me then," she grinned, as she placed her hands back on the keyboard and started playing a piece by heart, while Tristan headed back to the kitchen.

-

Once back in the kitchen, Tristan's eyes quickly scanned over the various dishes, pots, and pans that Anne had used to create the desserts for the night. Whistling, he stole another cookie and ate it as he began checking on his soup, which had reached the consistency that he wanted.

"Hey Anne, could you put the spatula down for a sec and tell me if the soup needs anything else?"

Stepping away from the counter, Anne moved next to Tristan and had a taste from the soup just like he had requested. 

"Well?"

"Just a little bit of salt and it's practically perfect..." she grinned back at him. "Oh by the way Tris, there's your tea on the dining room table." 

"Probably boiled off a bit," he replied as he tossed in a pinch of salt and stirred, letting it simmer for a bit before letting Anne try it again. "Let's try it again..."

Taking a second taste off the soup, Anne gave a satisfied grin at Tristan and patted his shoulder in approval. "Nothing else needed, it's just right... while I go take the tea to the Miss, can you smash a bit of those biscuits in that large bowl please? I'll be back in a minute."

"Sure sure." Picking up the larger metal bowl, Tristan located a clean, empty metal bowl that was smaller than the large one and carried it with him to an empty spot on the counter. Grabbing a kitchen towel, he made a little spot to rest the larger bowl on and placed the smaller bowl on top before applying pressure to crush the biscuits.

"Here," she smiled, handing him his cup of tea. "Drink it off as it's getting cold," she told him, as she had a look at the contents of the bowl. "And that's just right."

"Oh, thanks," he smiled as he took the cup and took a sip - before proceeding to add sugar and cream into the tea.

"Welcome," Anne replied, prodding inside the kitchen again. Taking the bowl with the crushed biscuits, Anne proceeded in melting some butter in a small tin pan, and adding it with the biscuit mixture, combining them slowly. After taking a small tart tin, Anne rested the mixture at the bottom, pressed it gently, then removed the base to place it on a baking sheet for a couple of minutes to get it lightly toasted and set. Leaving it to cool down, Anne placed the biscuit base on the counter, then proceeded into preparing the caramel while Tristan helped her in cutting up the banana slices. Once the caramel had heated up, Anne took back the biscuit base and spread the sticky mixture all over it - letting it to rest for a short while. Seeing that it had cooled down after a short while, Anne arranged the banana slices over the toffee layer and grinned back at Tristan who was watching intently.

"Now, whipped cream and chocolate and it's done," she told him, as she walked towards the fridge and took out the fresh cream. After taking out another small bowl, Anne proceeded in whipping the cream into a fluffy mixture in no time, and spread it carefully over the bananas, making sure that she had them all covered up. 

"Do you mind melting some chocolate Tris please?"

"Consider it done." Taking three bowls, Tristan proceeded into breaking chocolate into each of the bowls: milk, white, and dark. Once done, he melted the chocolate in each bowl until was completely liquified before handing it over to Anne and melting the other chocolates.

"Thank you," she smiled back, as she started spreading the chocolate all over the pie.

"You're welcome." Turning off the stove, Tristan took the other bowls with him and began drizzling the other chocolates on top of the whipped cream, which made Anne laugh though wasn't surprised by what the boy did.

"When you're ready with that, just place it in the fridge... we need to get started with the lemon cheesecake..."

"Can't I just eat it now?"

"No you can't," she laughed. "You can steal some of the chocolate if you like though."

"Are you sure?" he joked while placing the finished pie into the fridge.

"I said some not all," she winked back as she noticed that the piano had stopped playing.

"Fine..." Shutting the door, Tristan grabbed the three bowls and began dragging his finger through the bowls to clean off the remaining chocolate.

"Anything for me?" a familiar voice greeted them at the kitchen's entrance. "Thanks for this Anne," she told her, as she placed the tea-cup into the sink and moved next to Tristan.

Slathering some of the milk chocolate onto his finger, Tristan brushed Gwyn's lips with it. "Some chocolate. Why? Did you want something?"

Chuckling while licking it off, Gwyn looked around the kitchen to check what they had used the chocolate for. "You've hidden it already?" she asked, wrapping her arms around his middle.

"She won't let me eat it, so I had to settle for the chocolate instead."

"It's for dinner, she did well not to let you," she chuckled, placing her head on his shoulder. "Anne do you need any help from me?"

"Mmm... not really but..." she replied, looking up at Tristan.

"I can't think of anything..." Turning his head, he kissed her hair. "C'mon Love, let's go back to the living room. I could maybe do with a nap."

"Didn't you need help with the cheesecake? I could lend you a hand," she told them, as the two looked at each other and froze.

"Uhhh... babe, do you even know _how_ to cook?" Tristan asked warily.

"It shouldn't be a big deal... right Anne?" she chuckled as Anne shook her head.

"Well, you generally can't get a scrambled egg right," Anne admitted as Gwyn blushed at the revelation.

"Can she actually boil water, Anne?"

"I can make myself tea and coffee... and warm things in the oven..."

"But you can't really... _cook_ ," Anne nodded. "Technically, you never really needed to."

Turning in their embrace, he kissed her sweetly before ushering her out of the kitchen. "Thanks for the offer Sweetheart, but leave the cooking to us."

"Alright then," she sighed, heading towards the living room. Deciding to make herself comfortable on the couch, with Jasper sleeping at her feet, Gwyn took one of her books and started reading as an inviting smell of food starting filling the whole house. The commotion in the kitchen, the smell of food, the puppy at her feet... all little things that slowly stated making Gwyn realise how much her life had changed ever since she opened her heart to the human. Something that went against her nature... but that she didn't regret at all...

"Tris, cut the lemon zest for me please, and get me the cream cheese from fridge if you can," Anne asked him, as she was preparing a base similar to the one she had prepared for the pie. 

"Sure," Tristan promptly replied as he got Anne what she had asked for, and immediately started stirring the cheesecake mix. Watching her as she swiftly moved from one bowl to the other, to the oven, then the cooker, Tristan officially termed Anne as the _Queen of the Kitchen_ , a title which was accepted by the latter with a huge grin and a chuckle. 

"I bet Cynthia would need to halt her diet for these couple of days... which reminds me that I need to wake up early tomorrow morning to get the cakes done," Anne mused as she rested against the kitchen counter to take a small break, seeing that everything was up and running.

"For sure, I mean, who wouldn't wanna eat any of this super-awesome food!" Tristan exclaimed. "Your cooking's amazing Anne, really."

"Thank you," she smiled, with a slight blush. "And no need to repeat it over and over again, I know you like it," she told him. "I've learnt through the years I suppose, by experience so to speak."

"Yeah but, you deserve all the compliments in the world. Have you ever thought about owning a restaurant? You could do amazingly well..."

"No, no," she repeated, shaking her head in response. "I made a promise with the Miss... I won't leave here... this is my job."

"You wouldn't be leaving her entirely, mostly for like a few hours a day or so... but if you're happy here, then that's good too."

"Yes I am... can't think of working anywhere else, trust me."

"Very cool then. So...is she really _that_ hopeless in the kitchen?" he asked while crushing the graham biscuits to make the crust.

"Quite," she chuckled. "Well, I never let her help since it's my job, and she once told me that when she was young, all the cooking was done by the servants at Fred's mansion so... she doesn't really have a clue of what to do and what to use, so... don't tease her much on that, it's not her fault."

"I won't, but I'll see if perhaps I can help teach her how to make something other than tea or coffee..."

"You could, I think she'd enjoy it if you do it together," she smiled. "Finished with the biscuits?"

"Yes and yes," he smiled back as he handed her the bowl.

Taking the crushed biscuits in her hands, Anne proceeded into finishing up the cheesecake and placed it in the fridge to rest. "In case you're wondering what the zest is for... it's for the garnish at the top," she winked back at him, exhaling a deep sigh. "I think we're done, believe it or not. Ice-cream's ready of course, waffle batter can be done in no time... then coffee... perfect."

"I've kinda figured that about the zest but that's good to know. Anything else you need me for? I could do with a nap before dinner..." yawned Tristan.

"I'm fine here... and the Miss really did some good work while we were away so... there's nothing much to do... I'll start prepping stuff for tomorrow, go rest next to the Miss," she told him.

"Now this is being 'kicked out of the kitchen' that I can appreciate," he joked as he washed his hands and headed out of the kitchen to find Gwyn. Stepping out, he found her fast asleep with her book dangling from one hand while Jasper was using her foot as his pillow. Grinning, he picked up the puppy and placed him on his bed without disturbing him and then carried Gwyn off to bed with him, closing and locking the door behind him. Setting her down on the now-made bed, he removed his shirt and crawled into bed next to her and rested his chin on her shoulder before falling asleep.

-

Opening her eyes sometime later, Gwyn realised that she wasn't on the living room's couch any longer, but had been transported into the bedroom while still asleep.

"You needed a nap, didn't you?" she smiled, as she gently kissed his temple, trying not to wake him up.

"Mm-hmm..." mumbled Tristan sleepily.

"Prince... you can't oversleep... We're having guests sweetie, remember?"

"I know..." he smirked as he leaned over and kissed her deeply.

"So... getting up now? Or we might have a shower and get ready?" she whispered as their kiss ended.

Grinning as he tugged off her shirt, he planted kisses on her flat stomach. "Or..."

"That's why I mentioned the shower," she grinned back at him, laughing lightly.

"How about a little fun before the shower - since we'll be getting cleaned up in there anyways... in more ways than one..."

"You locked the door?" she whispered, pulling him closer to her.

"Don't I always? Only place I don't usually lock it was when we were at my apartment..." grins back as he kisses her again.

"True... well then..." she replied as she locked her gaze into his.

"Love you, Miss Gwendalynn," Tristan whispered tenderly as his hand began pulling down her pants and underwear while removing her bra with his other.

"Love you too, Sir Tristan," she chuckled, as she kissed him back deeply.

After their kiss, Tristan took time to lavish his attention on his spot while using his hand to tease her slightly, smirking as he felt her hips moving against his fingers. "Someone's anxious. Told you I'd treat you like a queen. Right now, it's all about you, my Dear," he whispered against her ear as Gwyn's foot trailed down his denim-covered leg.

"And someone's overdressed," she chuckled, giving him a small push to rest on top of him and quickly remove his jeans and his boxers. "That's better..." she whispered, moving up again to wrap her arms around him.

"I'll bet," he smirked as he helped her straddle his hips. "Whenever you're ready, Sweetheart."

"Anytime you want," she chuckled, turning in order to make him rest on her. 

Brushing away a lock of hair from her face, Tristan leaned down slowly and kissed her as he began moving equally slow.

"Tris..." she whispered, smiling as she closed her eyes. "Promise me you'll never leave me alone..."

"I promise, with all my heart and soul. I'll never leave you ever," he whispered back as Gwyn held him closer as he continued to move faster.

"Thank you..." she replied in a breath, feeling truly happy as Tristan made love to her. A feeling she knew she'd never live without...

-

"You okay?" whispered Tristan as he wiped away the beads of sweat before he kissed her forehead.

"Mmm-hmm, I'm alright," she smiled, slightly tired.

"Tired huh, perhaps I should ease up on you a bit..." he snickered as he began working on his spot again.

"Sweetheart, maybe we should go have that shower, it's starting to get late..."

Picking her up, Tristan carried a giggling Gwyn into the bathroom and towards the shower. "Might as well have a bit more fun before the others show up..."

"I'll kill you if any one of them comments on my rosy cheeks," she laughed, placing a kiss on his forehead as he carried her inside.

"Nothing a little make-up won't fix," he whispered as he turned on the shower taps and made love to her again under the equally hot water.

-

Gazing back at her reflection as she was getting dressed, Gwyn realised that she really was looking good those days - the dark circles under her eyes were less evident, her skin looked healthy and glowing like never before, and there was a sparkle in her eyes that she had only seen ever since she knew Tristan. The scars on her arms, shoulders and back (save for Tristan's spot) looked almost like distant souvenirs from the past, making her look distinctly human-like - something she didn't mind anyway...

Wrapping his arms around her waist, a half-dressed Tristan kissed her shoulder. "Looking good, babe. Something on your mind?"

"Not really... just thinking that I look better lately, and the scars on my back have almost disappeared..."

Studying her back, his brow furrowed as he looked. "What do you mean, I don't see scars..."

"Not even the ones from Black?" she blinked back.

"Nope. I can't really remember where they were anymore," he whispered as Gwyn took his hands in hers to study them for scarring.

"Have you noticed yours lately?" she asked, staring blankly at his hands.

"Not really... why?" Kissing her neck, he continued to hold her close.

"The scars are gone," she smiled. "Gone as in, there's not even one mark."

"Seriously?" Looking down, he saw that she was right and grinned. "Huh... interesting."

"Mmm-hmm, pretty much," she replied, swinging a little bit as he still held her close. "And I love looking in the mirror with the two of us reflected in it."

"That's because we're such a good looking couple..."

"I agree..." she whispered back.

Letting go of her, Tristan took her hand and spun her out as he began to dance with her in their bedroom.

"Honey we need to get... dressed..." she whispered as Tristan's swirving movement ended her up face to face with him.

"Yeah yeah..." he grinned before kissing her again. "What shirt do you want me to wear with these jeans?"

"Do you have that navy blue polo shirt?"

"Um..." he trailed off as he checked her drawers before pulling it from under the pile. "Found it."

"Great... and what would you like me to wear? I'll gather my hair in a ponytail for sure since you liked it last time I did..."

"How about... this," he laughed as he tossed her his light blue t-shirt. "And those pair of dark grey cropped pants."

"I would have considered it if it were a night on our own... but... since we have guests, I meant from my stuff," she chuckled, sticking her tongue out at him.

"What? I told you what's mine is yours too...and it'll look cute."

"Mmh..." she thought, as she turned to look at the mirror while trying on the shirt.

"I'm taller than you, but the shirt fits you nicely too."

"Think so?"

"Take a look, as you look great. Plus, I tend to wear more fitted shirts, so it's flattering on you as well as me."

"Might work, actually," she echoed back, while looking at her reflection again.

"Told you..."

"So that it is... now you should prepare an answer to the question - why is AD wearing _your_ shirt... you know it'll crop up," she chuckled as she slipped on the grey pants.

"You look better in it that I do?" he replied innocently as he pulled on his polo shirt, not bothering to wear either shoes or socks.

"Nice answer," she giggled, as she moved to gather up her hair and put a bit of make-up.

"Well, it's true but I usually prefer you without any clothes..."

"Stop it," she laughed, as she felt him wrap his arms around her once more.

"Just being honest..."

"We go check what Anne's up to now?" she suggested, turning to face him while still in his embrace.

"Sure." Leaning over, he kissed her again sweetly.

-

"Annie? Hey Jas, how's my Puppy?" Tristan grinned as he bent down and Jasper began showering him with puppy kisses. Laughing, he gave the puppy a loving kiss on his head and gave him a hug before standing up and headed into the kitchen as he heard Anne and Gwyn talking.

"Cynthia and the others will be arriving soon," Gwyn told Tristan as he heard his steps getting closer, smiling when she saw Jasper prodding after him. "She phoned up when we were asleep... should be here in half an hour's time. Plus, Anne read our minds, she told them to be as casual as possible."

"Awesome!" Tristan exclaimed, as the puppy followed suit by letting out a bark.

"Yes sweetie, we have guests today," Gwyn smiled as Jasper came by her side, stretching out his front legs against her right calf.

"Need help setting the table Anne?" called Tristan as Jasper began tugging at one of the tears in his jeans. "Hey Jas, my jeans are already beat-up as it is, no need for you to put more holes into them..."

"Come here, come here you little hurricane," Gwyn chuckled as she lifted up the puppy in her arms. "You're really naughty sometimes, you know," she playfully chided him as Jasper gave her a small lick on her nose. 

"You could use the blueish-green set that there's stored in the first cabinet in the left..." Gwyn told them. "We've barely ever used it."

"Guess you're right..."

"Okay. Do you want a formal table setting or a relaxed one?"

"Relaxed," both women replied, grinning at each other.

"Cool, so throw the cutlery and flatware into a basket and have everyone take what they need," he grinned as he began removing the plates from the cabinet and set the table quickly.

Looking on satisfied, Anne chuckled. "Really now Tris, I should hire you to do that everyday," she winked back at him. "I mean... you've done it in a minute."

"Restaurant training. I mean, how else do older sisters keep their little brothers out of trouble - put them to work." Laughing, he began grabbing glasses and put them out on the table before reaching into the fridge for his bottle of apple juice from earlier that afternoon.

"Oh... I see," Anne mused, as she headed back into the fridge. "Must have been good training."

"It was either help her out or have her spank me after I kept eating the mochi... the previous option made the most sense at the time," he smirked as he took a drink of juice.

Leaving them on their own, Gwyn smiled and went back to the living room. Sitting back on the piano's bench, after placing Jasper on her lap while he nuzzled against her shirt, Gwyn took one of the scores lying on her piano and started playing once again. 

"She's really into it today..." Anne commented, as Tristan poured two glasses of apple juice, handing one to Anne and kept the other in his hands.

"I'm glad though. Whenever she plays, she's at peace... reminds me of a calm ocean. Plus she plays beautifully, but then again, I might be biased," he grinned as he took a sip of juice.

"You might, however, she once told me that Fred used to take her for piano playing competitions when she was young, so, she's as good as that," Anne told him. "Take a glass of juice to her, I think she wouldn't mind... I'll have a look at the rest of the food while we wait for them to arrive."

Draining his glass, Tristan refilled it with juice before filling another glass and taking both glasses with him. "I'll do just that. Thanks Annie." Pressing a kiss to her hair, Tristan sauntered out of the kitchen and slumped right next to Gwyn without spilling the juice.

Smiling as she continued playing, Gwyn leant next to Tristan and placed a kiss on his cheek, then turned her attention to the score once again - while Jasper stretched out and let a yawn right before transferring onto Tristan's lap and curling back to sleep.

Setting the glasses onto the top of the piano, Tristan wrapped one arm loosely around Gwyn's waist while petting Jasper with his other one, wordlessly listening to her play.

"Thanks dearest," she smiled as she finished playing and took a sip from her glass. "Really felt like playing today..."

"I can tell, and it's good that you're so relaxed right now. Though did the relaxation begin before we went to bed or after..." Tristan laughed as Gwyn gave a swat to his bottom lightly.

"I've been quite relaxed today... especially after that meeting... really needed it."

"You sure did." Leaning over slightly, he kissed her cheek.

Finishing up her glass of juice, Gwyn rested her head against his shoulder and closed her eyes as the smell of the food was becoming even more pronounced. "I'm really starting to get hungry," she chuckled, as she noticed Jasper sit up alert and perk his ears.

Laughing, Tristan looked down at the pup. "Jasper, hungry?"

Licking Tristan's fingers, Jasper peeked around his daddy to check his dog bowl, only to see it empty still. Whining, he began nudging his nose into Tristan's shirt.

"Not yet baby, we have to wait for Auntie Cyn and your uncles to come by."

"Guess our little baby heard something now though," she whispered, as Jasper jumped off Tristan's lap and ran off towards the door.

"Probably the others," he whispered back as he held her close and kissed her.

"Guess so..." Gwyn whispered back between kisses.

"Hey Jas, no need to make a ruckus," Anne laughed as she got out of the kitchen and headed towards the door to greet the guests as she heard someone knock. "Really now, with you a bell at the door is totally useless now..." she smiled as she opened, finding a grinning Cynthia with Cole and James standing behind her. "Good evening," Anne smiled, gesturing them to head inside. "Miss Gwyn, Tristan, guests arrived," she called back, as the three got inside while she closed the door and Jasper was making his show.

"Hey puppy," Cynthia crouched down to play with Jasper. "You're getting bigger!"

Letting go of Gwyn, Tristan kissed her forehead quickly before getting up from the piano bench to greet the others - starting with Cynthia. "Hey Cyn. Jamie, Papa how are you guys?"

"We're fine dear, and seems you got better too," Cynthia smiled, winking back at him. "You've become King of the Domain, haven't you? Is A-Is Gwyn alright?" she asked as she got back up, as Anne was taking their coats. 

"Yes Cynthia, I'm fine, thank you," Gwyn replied in Tristan's stead as she arrived by his side. "Good evening to all of you," she smiled, locking her arm with Tristan's.

"Well, I basically live here... and at my place too. I wouldn't say that I'm the King of the Domain, that would be Jasper since he's here more than I am..."

"Still though, you're pretty much taking care of things here too, so it's still a pretty nice gig," smiled James. "Oh and thanks Anne."

"Welcome," she nodded as she took Cole's coat in her hands while he blushed slightly, making James grin in response while he watched silently.

"He's just a Prince Consort for now," Cynthia chuckled. "He'll get the upgrade eventually."

"Maybe I will..." he grinned as he kissed her cheek. "So, what'd I miss yesterday?"

"We went to a karaoke bar," James laughed, grinning back at Cynthia who stuck her tongue out in return. "You just gotta love Cynthia's talent for song."

"Ah shut up," she pouted. "You made me sing a sappy love song damn you," she replied, rolling her eyes in response.

"We met Cynthia after we left that bar, just in case you're wondering Gwyn..." Cole remarked, as he looked back at her.

"You guys got to sing? Aww... I pretty much slept the day and night away... in between being sick. I think I threw a fit or two too..."

"Cynthia was pretty much worried about you both though... even though she tried to play along as much as possible, right Cyn?" James said, as he rubbed his hand gently against her back.

"Mmm-hmm," she nodded in response.

"Aww, Cyn. As you can see, we're both better now. And I'm loads better now too. Plus, I got free cookies when Anne and I went to the market today!" Tristan smiled and laughed happily.

"Hun, they were blatantly flirting with you using the cookies. It's that group of girls at the bakery section right? Man..." she scoffed as James and Cole burst in a fit of laughter. "What's funny?"

"Free cookies are free cookies. I didn't even say anything to them. And... it sounds like you're jealous," teased Tristan as he jumped onto her back.

"I'm not jealous... it's that they are damn irritating, I mean... Cole, we went there together a couple of times, and did they scan you from head to toe? Yes. Come on..." she pouted back. 

"Get yourself a man if you want one so much dammit," joked Cole as he laughed at Tristan. "And Cyn, I think the baby wants a piggy-back ride..."

"That's what those who-those girls should do... baby? What baby? And Tris, get off," she laughed. 

"No... Please?" whined Tristan playfully.

"Tris, off," Gwyn grinned as she led them to the living room. "Just make yourself at home, I'll go check if Anne needs any help in the kitchen."

"But she always gives me piggy-back rides..."

"Sadly, he's actually right. Cyn uses Tris for her weight training regimen..." snickered James as Cole nodded in agreement.

"Ah whatever, let's go," Cyn sighed as she carried Tristan into the living room, letting him off on the couch. "Happy now?"

Wrapping his arms around her neck, he nuzzled his head against the back of her head. "Very much so. Love you too," he whispered as he slid off her back and onto the couch.

"Welcome, you big baby," she chuckled seeing that James and Cole were having a look around.

"I'm still your baby to, so it works out," he grinned as Cynthia gave him a hug.

"Wow... this is amazing stuff. Can I hazard a guess that your favorite point in time was the Victorian Age," smiled Cole as he began examining a few of the items in the living room.

"Pretty much, guess it's way too evident," Gwyn chuckled as she leant against the doorframe. 

"Well it's very _you_ , I would say. Right Jamie?”

"Huh? Oh yeah definitely, and you play the piano too?" smiled James as he plunked a few notes on the keys before studying some of the books on her shelves.

"Ask Tristan," she smiled, winking back at him.

"She plays beautifully. Probably what made me feel better, since she was playing it for most of last night and this afternoon..."

"Really?!" Cynthia asked, smiling back at the two. "Why don't you play something till we wait for dinner? If... that's alright for you of course."

Getting up from the couch, Tristan kissed Gwyn's cheek. "I'll be in the kitchen helping Anne, you can play for them," he whispered before leaving the room.

"If you all agree then," she nodded as she walked towards the piano and sat down, and started playing _Winter_ , while the three friends looked on as they seated themselves on the couch next to Cynthia, cuddling her. 

"That's beautiful..." Cynthia whispered, as James and Cole merely hummed in response, while resting each other's chins on her shoulders, as Gwyn continued playing.

-

"So... are we just about done?" asked Tristan as he picked up a few of the serving plates.

"Yes... just place the plates and call them, I'll bring the dish with the garlic bread and the soup on the table," Anne instructed. 

"Yes ma'am!" he grinned as he began setting the plates on the dining table. Once done, he poked his head into the living room and saw Gwyn's 'mini-concert' for the others, smiling broadly as he stood in the doorway before announcing his presence once Gwyn had finished. "On that wonderful note, dinner is served."

"Yay awesome!" Cole and James exclaimed as they jumped from their seats. On the other hand, Cynthia smiled back at Gwyn and clapped her hands softly.

"That was unbelievable... thank you," she complimented her, as Gwyn sat up and walked next to Tristan.

"You're welcome... now, you'd better come eat, dinner's waiting," she told them quietly as the two walked into the dining room.

Once the three friends were on their own though, Cynthia smacked their heads slightly and growled. "Really now, do you actually have to behave yourselves like kids?"

"Oww... I just said that dinner's ready. Why'd I get hit?" whined Tristan.

"Jeez... must you hit so hard Cyn..."

"True mother hen this one is, right Cole?" grinned James as he rubbed his head.

"That's because she loves you all," Gwyn called from the dining room. "Will you come sit down now?"

Sitting in between Gwyn and Cynthia, who gently rubbed the back of Tristan's head, he found Cole blushing as Anne sat next to him around the table. Resting his head on Cynthia's shoulder, he grinned as she continued to rub the spot where she hit him.

"Go ahead," Anne and Gwyn told them all in unison.

"I don't think you'd want it to go cold," Gwyn chuckled as Tristan was the first to have his serving.

Spooning the soup into his bowl, he filled it until he passed the serving bowl over to Gwyn to fill her bowl and then to Cynthia to do the same as well. Once Cynthia passed the bowl to James, Tristan placed some pieces of bread on his and Cynthia's plates as Gwyn took a sip of the soup.

"You're really spoiling us you two lately... first Neville's, now here... and the food's great!" Cynthia told them as she took a bite from the bread.

"You should thank Tristan for the soup," Anne smiled as she placed the bowl at the centre of the table.

Immediately, three spoons fell into their respective bowls as Cynthia, James, and Cole stared at Tristan, who was eating his bread.

" _You_ made the soup?"

"...Yeah? What I can cook..." mumbled Tristan as he continued eating the bread and began devouring the salad that Gwyn had placed onto his plate.

"And he's quite the good cook too," Anne confirmed as she continued eating.

"Much better than me for sure," Gwyn mused in, chuckling lightly.

"Not so much as he's a good cook - since we know he is - but more like, the fact that you actually let him help you is surprising, since this is your house too, Anne," smiled Cole.

"It's his too, in a way," she chuckled. "And... he's quite competent in the kitchen, so... I don't mind."

"Was that referred to me?" Gwyn looked at her, stifling a laugh, as Tristan grinned back at Anne.

"It's only my kitchen considering I eat over half of the stuff in there..." laughed Tristan as he continued to eat his salad.

"That's true by the way," Gwyn pointed out. "Lately though I've been eating a bit more..."

"Yes definitely," Cynthia and Anne confirmed.

"It's because I'm such an awesome motivator," he grinned while avoiding the knowing looks from Cole, James, and Cynthia.

"That's because Gwyn needs to gather back all of her energies, you know," James grinned as he earned a glare from Cynthia.

Blushing, Tristan stole a look at Gwyn, who was wearing the same guilty blush on her face as well.

"Well..." Cynthia commented, giving a kick from under the table to James, who almost yelped in response. "Thing is, both me and Anne have noticed it and it's good to know. You never really used to eat much."

"I agree!" smiled Tristan as he kissed Gwyn's cheek. "She looks a lot better now. Healthier too."

"Really? If that's so how did I look before?" she blinked back at them, as Anne got up and gathered the empty soup dishes.

Tracing his finger under her eye, he smiled. "You used to have dark circles under here, but now they're gone. And you looked paler before, but now you've gotten a bit more color to your skin and cheeks... I approve greatly, but then again, I've always approved of you and your looks - but you look even better now."

Smiling and noticing that all of them were nodding in approval to Tristan's words, Gwyn smiled and placed a kiss on his cheek. "Thank you."

"Tris, you know what?" Cynthia smiled, as she watched the two.

"What?"

"I think you've really found your soulmate," she told him softly, winking back at Gwyn.

Nodding, he grinned back. "Me too, Cyn. Me too..."

"So now... first tray has chicken, second fish," Anne announced as she placed two large fuming dishes in front of them. "Take as much as you like... I'll be back in a minute with the vegetables," she scurring int, coming back immediately with the stir-fried vegetables and the gratined potatoes. "There," she grinned proudly. "Enjoy."

"Whoa!" James and Cole exclaimed as they saw the dishes being placed in front of them. "Good heavens!"

"That's to put it mildly," Cynthia grinned. "To hell with my diet..."

"Yay!" cheered Tristan as he gave Cynthia another kiss on her cheek before stealing some of the chicken breast and some fish before dumping the potatoes over the chicken and the stir-fried vegetables over the fish.

"Thanks Anne," Gwyn smiled as she had a good look at the dishes and decided to go for the chicken. 

Both Cole and Cynthia went for the fish as James grabbed a bit of both like Tristan.

As Cole began eating, he grinned as he noticed how the fish was cut up. "Tris did this, didn't he Anne?"

"Yes, and in the most perfect way imaginable... it was really a pleasure cooking it," Anne confirmed. "That's why I said that he's the perfect kitchen assistant."

"No wonder. I've seen his skill with a fillet knife - downright scary. He once filleted a single grape to prove that he could - he was half-drunk when he did it too..."

Stifling a laugh, Gwyn gave a sly look at Tristan and placed a hand on his head to tousle his hair. "Drunk eh?"

"School graduation party. Not really beer, but pretty much just hard alcohol. Then I filleted a tomato after the grape. The grape went into the sangria while the tomato was added to the bloody Marys for the next morning."

"Remind me not to get you drunk," Gwyn chuckled as she kissed his cheek.

"Well, to be honest, I was hungover when I beat up Black... But that would be the most recent instance that I've had gotten drunk. I hold my liquor pretty well, but that's after years of drinking since I was a kid."

"Did you really have to say that?" Cynthia commented, rolling her eyes, after gobbling a whole piece of fish that was going to choke her. 

"What? I _was_ hungover that morning and I have been drinking since I was fourteen - but that's because of the influence of _those two guys_ over there... and you giving me that 'iced tea' on your fifteenth birthday party," he laughed as he went back for more chicken and potatoes after having finished off his fish.

"Dorks..." Cynthia mumbled as she took another serving of vegetables.

"And you're blaming that on... okay, nevermind... we did get him drinking at that age, didn't we Jamie."

"Mm-hmm. Have to admit, he held his liquor pretty well for a barely fourteen year old... And at fifteen, he had like an iron gut already..."

"Yep... but I bet Gwyn beats him."

"Dood, I am in no way ever challenging her... she told me what she was drinking - ain't no way am I gonna go toe-to-toe with that," muttered Tristan as he continued to eat.

"Well, another thing that improved lately is her drinking habits..." Anne whispered. "Right Miss?"

Nodding, Gwyn stopped eating and wiped her mouth off. "Those three whiskeys you saw me drinking were practically nothing."

At once, the four friends stopped eating and stared at Gwyn in shock.

"What?" she replied, noticing their dumbfounded looks.

"Yeah... remind me never to go drinking against you, babe..." chuckled Tristan as he rubbed her lower back.

"Won't need to don't worry," she smiled back. "Plus... I don't feel the need of finishing two bottles of whiskey per week anymore," she confessed earning three gasps, a sigh and a rub on her back.

"You're joking..." Cynthia muttered.

"Wow..."

"A certain someone's really made the difference..." Gwyn whispered, smiling.

"Sooo... I've driven you _away_ from drinking?" Tristan asked carefully.

"Guess so, save for occasional mishaps."

"In which I drive you to drink... makes sense..."

"It's not just you though... I mean, Cynthia knows, I have stuff in the office for when I get nervous... and smashed glasses against the walls more than once."

Nodding in response, while the others still stared back aghast, Cynthia and Anne practically sighed at the same time, quite aware of how violent her bouts of anger could be. "But it's true... they're becoming less frequent lately..."

"Whoa..." came the awed responses from Tristan, James, and Cole.

"As if you didn't know Tris," Cynthia responded.

"The drunken tirades? No... I didn't and there was only one time that I stopped her from an outburst like that and she didn't drink that night..." he whispered quietly.

"You can't even imagine..." Anne mused, as she stood up. "But that's part of the past now... no need to dwell on it any longer."

"Guess so..." Tristan smiled as he held Gwyn's hand.

"I'm sorry for the other day..." she whispered, leaning against him as Cynthia and the others looked back, smiling.

"What Anne said, it's in the past now. Besides, you made it up to me, so it's okay," he grinned.

"We don't want to hear that," James and Cole echoed back grinning.

"She played the piano for me..." muttered Tristan as he began blushing again. "And I think she and Anne carried me to bed..."

"Awwww, how cute!" the two boys teased once again. 

Pouting, Tristan excused himself from the table and headed into the kitchen, leaving everyone at the table slightly stunned.

"Just give me a minute..." Gwyn smiled as she headed off after him, while Cynthia was chiding them in a low, threatening voice, as Gwyn arrived by Tristan's side in the kitchen. "What's wrong, mmh?"

"Still kinda shy about all this, I guess..." he muttered as he drank some water.

Smiling, Gwyn moved next to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. "I like that... you being shy and all. At least, I'm not the only one," she chuckled resting her head on his shoulder.

"Yes, I am quite the shy, sensitive male. I'm very much not the atypical kinda guy..." he whispered as he hugged her back.

"Another thing I love about you," she whispered, rubbing his back. 

"At least we're on equal footing... I only wish it were easier to just... not get embarrassed whenever they tease me about it..."

"You'll get used to it..." she chuckled. "It's not a bad thing anyway..." 

"No it's not..." Smiling, he kissed her forehead.

"Ready to go back? I suppose Cynthia gave a good chiding to those two," she grinned. "You should get back at them playfully, in a way."

"Can't I do it by making out with you at the table? That'd shut them up right quick... though I might get too anxious in getting rid of them so that we can have some private time..."

"If it's just a kiss yes, I don't want to make them feel uncomfortable either," she smiled. "And private time will come later sweet." 

"I doubt they would be uncomfortable - more like they'd just fall back onto male bravado and start whistling and whatnot... but I can wait for private time, especially if it's like this afternoon's was." Smiling, Tristan leaned down and kissed her soundly as he backed her against the kitchen counter.

"Baby, we have guests in the dining room," she chuckled, placing a kiss on his nose.

"Fine, but at least this way, it'll leave them guessing. Just play along, this'll actually embarrass them."

"If you say so... but I don't want to embarrass Cynthia, Tris..."

"She knows when I'm joking though... Fine, I'll play nice..."

"That's my boy," she chuckled, taking his hand in hers and leading him back into the dining room. 

"Now say sorry," Cynthia ordered the two, with the hint of a growl in her voice.

"Sorry..." grumbled the pair, both looking rather sulky after Cynthia had finished her lecture. 

"I'll accept the mildly fake apology-"

"What?! We were totally being sincere about it!"

"Yeah! Why would we lie about that?!"

Grinning, Tristan let out a chuckle. "Have I told you that you always do good work, Cyn?"

"Thank you dear, pretty satisfied I must admit."

"I gotta admit though, I prefer your physical chastisement of me rather than you yelling at me. Though you always seem intent on spanking me..." snickered Tristan. 

"Stop it," she chuckled. "I just yelled at those two, Anne can tell... you alright now?"

"Obviously if I said that, I'm feeling better," he giggled before smiling sincerely. "Yes Mama, I'm doing just fine." 

"Good," she stood up, as Anne started gathering the empty plates. "Need anything from the kitchen you two?"

"Nope, I'm good."

"No m'am," James replied, giving a look at Cole. "Thank you."

"I'm fine, Cyn, Anne."

"Will be back with dessert," Anne smiled as Cynthia followed her with the dirty plates and dishes.

"So..." smirked Tristan as he eyed his best friends while Gwyn looked on. "What'd Cyn say?"

"That we're two idiots, that we should keep our mouths shut..." 

"And that sometimes we should mind our own business..." 

"...And? It's Cyn, I know she said way more than just that."

"Yes, but trust me, I don't want to go through that again mentally. Really," James sighed, as he took off his glasses and rested his head against the chair. 

"What do you think Gwyn, should we or shouldn't we?" Tristan asked innocently while smirking over at Gwyn.

"Mmh," she smiled, placing a hand on his lap. "Not too sure..." 

Seeing the mischievous smirk on the pair, Cole decided to fold. "Jamie tell them..."

"What?" 

"Tell them. They're not going to stop bugging us unless you tell them..."

"You say..." James pouted, blushing a little as Gwyn stifled a laugh.

"Was it that bad?" she chuckled.

"Yeah... was it? If you don't say so I'm gonna go talk to Cyn..." Tristan replied in a sing-song voice as he got up but only to be forced back into his seat by Cole and James. 

"Cole tell him, please."

"No way Jamie, he asked you."

"Will one of you decide?" Gwyn told them, using her stern business voice.

"Go James go go go!" sang both Tristan and Cole, causing James to glare at the pair.

"I don't want to, idiots," he scoffed, crossing his arms on his chest. "Cyn took it out on me rather than you."

Grinning, Tristan wriggled his way out of James and Cole's grasp as he headed into the kitchen. "Cyn! James won't tell me what you told him!"

"Won't say, he should tell you," Cynthia called back from the kitchen.

"James! Cyn said for you to tell me!" 

"Go Jamie boy!" Cole grinned, seeing that James had to blurt out what Cynthia had told them.

"She sent me to hell... well, both of us, apart from other things that included: that we are babies, that we act like we're two year olds, obviously accompanied by a couple of swear words - yes Cyn you said them and I won't repeat!" he called out as Cynthia came rushing to the dining room. "Remember anything else Cole?"

"Of course I'd curse, I meant - dammit Jamie, you can't act always act like an idiot!"

"When the hell do I always act like an idiot Cyn? Come on!"

Looking on, Tristan, Gwyn, and Cole simply shook their heads and made their way towards the kitchen to have dessert there. On the way, Tristan grabbed Cynthia and dragged her along, leaving James alone.

"Are you sure in leaving them there alone? I really wouldn't want to get back inside the living room and see them make out..." Cole muttered.

"Taking her with us... It's okay Mama, time for dessert," sighed Tristan as he pulled Cynthia inside the kitchen.

"Cole there is NO WAY I would ever make out with James!"

Smiling over her head, Tristan just patted her shoulder. "Right right. C'mon, dessert time. We have your lemon cheesecake..."

"Fine..." she sighed as Anne handed her a portion. 

"I'll go take a portion of both to James in the other room," Anne told them with a plate in her hand. "I'll be back in a minute."

Kissing Cynthia's cheek, Tristan moved to the fabled cake that he and Anne had made. Cutting four slices (one of which was for James), Tristan handed one to Cole and one to Gwyn before picking up his plate. Holding his fork, Tristan dug into the cake with relish before grinning widely. "This is like one of the best things to ever eat..."

"Like it?" Anne smiled as she walked back inside.

Immediately, Tristan ran over to Anne and gave her a huge hug and kiss on the cheek. "I love you, have I told you that lately? Because I really love you, despite the stuff you made me drink while I was sick..."

"Made you feel better soon though, you have to admit," Anne grinned.

"I guess so..." he grinned as he continued to eat his slice and then picked off the whipped cream from Gwyn's slice.

"I think I'm seeing a piece there..." Gwyn chuckled. "Sweet thief," she chuckled, sticking her tongue out at Tristan. Smiling, Gwyn then turned to look at Cynthia and told her in a low tone: "Why don't you go check on James, Cyn... mmh?"

Tristan grinned back at Cynthia as he cut another slice of cake. "Yeah! I'm sure he _misses_ you..." he whispered conspiratorially.

"Oh I'll go check... maybe that was a little bit too harsh..." she told them, as she walked into the living room with the dessert plate in her hand.

"Oh and if you two start making out, the office is to your left..."

"Shut up," she scoffed mid-way as she waved her hand back at them.

"Will you stop that you two, you're embarrassing her," Gwyn chided them playfully as Cole and Tristan looked back at her with a grin.

"I didn't say anything - it's all the kid's fault." 

"Oh sure, blame everything on me. So Anne, Cole was telling me how much he really enjoyed your cooking tonight..."

"Glad he did," Anne smiled back, as Cole looked away. 

"Well, we all did Anne, you did a fantastic job," Gwyn smiled, winking back at her while giving a slight nudge at Tristan's stomach.

"And... this cake is amazing. I was wondering... if you could give me the recipe for it," Cole asked in a slightly embarrassed manner.

"I'll write you the ingredients down, preparing it is not too much of a problem," Anne told him as Gwyn gave an understanding look to Tristan.

Giving her a kiss on the cheek, Tristan slipped out of the kitchen to check on Jasper in the living room to catch Cynthia and James hugging. "Made up already?" he asked as he found Jasper wandering underneath the chairs by the windows.

"I can't really stay too angry with any one of you boys," Cynthia smiled as James placed an arm on her shoulder, hugging her close. 

"And I'm really sorry for acting like an ass, Kid. What are you doing?"

"Locating my... Jasper, c'mon Puppy," called Tristan as Jasper and one of Tristan's t-shirts crawled out from under the chair. "My shirt again?"

"What's the Puppy doing?" Cynthia smiled as she leant down to look, as James kept rubbing her back gently.

"Using my shirt as his blanket and toy..." sighed Tristan as Jasper continued to happily play with the green shirt. "Oh and Jamie, you have some lipstick smudged on your cheek."

"My fault," Cynthia laughed as she took out a tissue and removed the lipstick mark from James' cheek. "Really now," she chuckled as she saw James wince slightly. 

"I wasn't minding that much you know, you made her go mommy over me Tris! Oh and the baby has some on his cheeks too - as well as some on his lips, though is that Gwyn's or yours?" teased James as Cynthia finished wiping off the lipstick completely, making him blush.

"James, enough," Cynthia chided sternly.

"Cyn, I'm serious, look," he smiled gently as he pointed out the visible outline of lipstick was on Tristan's cheeks as well as a faint bit of color to his lips too.

"Huh?" asked Tristan as Cynthia began giggling and got up from the couch, seeing that James was right.

"I'd say it's from both - Tris go have a look in the mirror and you'll see," Cynthia smiled back at him.

"Ummm..." he muttered as he got up and walked over to the mirror. "I see two marks from you - on my right cheek and on my lips and the rest are from Gwyn," he laughed as Gwyn entered the living room to find Tristan standing in front of the mirror.

"What's up with him?" Gwyn asked, looking back at Cynthia and James.

"I've been branded with lipstick..."

Chuckling, Gwyn moved behind him and wrapped her arms round his waist. "My my, what a problem," she grinned, resting her head on his shoulder.

"You and Cyn have claimed your territories... as well as marked the same one," he teased as he pointed to his lips, indicating the two different colors of lipstick on his lips.

"I might have objections to that," she whispered back with a smile. "Right Cynthia? How about your lipstick on his lips?"

"Uhm..."

"You both get an equal share?" Tristan joked and laughed. "And it was totally friendly anyways..."

"She's right though," Cynthia grinned. "I don't blame her - but no, of course we don't have an equal share - she's got you all... I just get the best friend portion."

"I meant equal share as in hugs and kisses. Not in the other thing - I'm sole property of Gwyn, remember the certificate?"

"The awesome one you mean? Of course I do," she laughed out. "I can't forget _that_."

"Exactly. So, Gwyn, what are we going to do with _that_ ," laughed Tristan as he pointed out Jasper and his t-shirt.

"We'll need to get you a new one," she bluntly replied, earning a laugh from Cynthia and James.

"You hear that Cyn? You need to help Gwyn find the shirt that you bought me - since Jas likes your tastes as well..."

"Was it one of my shirts?" she laughed. "Ah well, managed to suit Puppy's tastes too."

"For sure. And yes, it was the green one."

"I liked that one!" she exclaimed, making James chuckle by her side. "It's the one I got for the three of you... ah well, attract Jasper's attention with something else and we get it back," she grinned.

"With what? I'm not giving up the shirt on my back or my light blue one..."

"Maybe with a piece of dessert?" Cole suggested as he rested against the door frame. "Come here boy..." he called, as the puppy perked his ears and prodded towards Cole's extended hand. "Now if you want get back that shirt..."

"Good one Cole! Now, Tris, go get the shirt!" Cynthia told him as Tristan rushed to the spot and stole back the shirt from the pup.

"Mission accomplished," James grinned as together they watched Jasper lick the whipped cream off Cole's hand. 

"At least my shirt now matches my jeans..." laughed Tristan as he began admiring the new slobber stains, paw marks, and tears as everyone took notice of his jeans. The jeans themselves were definitely lived-in as it was clear by the wear pattern on the dark blue denim, but it was the various tears and rips that completely suited Tristan. A huge tear right on the pant leg of his left thigh was amusing as his boxers could be seen through the hole. Another hole was right on his right knee, and then finally there were several tears near the bottom of each pant leg. Behind, the rear pockets had the usual tears near their seams, but there was one curious tear on the back thigh of the right pant. Of course, what wasn't seen were the places that the jeans had actually been patched.

"Tea or coffee anyone?" Anne told them as she entered the living room with a tray of tea and coffee cups, accompanied by chocolate chip cookies.

"I'll take milk actually..." replied Tristan as he took the shirt with him into the kitchen, which caused Jasper to immediately follow him.

"It's right in the middle of the tray..."

"I meant a glass of it," Tristan called as he hid the shirt on top of the refrigerator. Looking down, he saw Jasper place his front paws on his right leg, giving him a doggy grin. "Ah ah, you can't have that. Mommy and Daddy will get you something else...maybe an actual blanket - but not my shirt, understand?" 

Giving him a sad look, Jasper whined before bowing his head a little.

"Good boy, Jas," he replied gently as he patted the puppy's head before grabbing a few treats from the cupboard and headed back out to the living room.

"Alright Tris?" Gwyn asked as she had a seat on the piano's bench while holding a cup of tea in her hands. "Thanks Anne."

"Yep, just a little heart to heart with my doggie," smiled Tristan as he gave a few commands to Jasper, rewarding him each time with a treat. "Still need to teach him how to play dead..."

"Way to go dog trainer, you really should consider that as a second job," Cole laughed as he shoved a cookie in his mouth after taking a sip from his coffee, while seated next to Cynthia.

"Anyone wanna try? He's pretty good at most of the commands. Just need to teach him new ones."

Sitting down on the carpet, Cynthia smiled and crawled next to Tristan and the puppy. "Let's see... Jasper... sit."

Barking, Jasper sat down in front of Tristan.

"Good boy!" Cynthia clapped as she looked up at Tristan, smiling. "Now Jas... down."

Yawning slightly, Jasper laid down, complete with resting his head on his paws.

"Awww, how cute!" she exclaimed, as the rest of them looked at her amused.

"Really Cyn, don't make it that obvious that you like cute things..." Cole teased her, as she stuck her tongue out at him, as James grinned back. "But true, Jasper's a bundle of cuteness."

"Let's see... Jas, roll over and get your toy." 

Giving them a doggy grin, Jasper promptly rolled over and ran over to his bed to grab a black piece of fabric - which made Tristan sigh once again.

"You stole my other shirt? I swear you're raiding the hamper... Jasper, drop and sit."

Once Jasper did as commanded, he gave a begging look to Tristan, who shook his head.

"Uh-uh, stay."

Staying put, Tristan grabbed the shirt and tossed it over to James before giving Jasper his treat.

Laughing, Gwyn rested the tea cup on the piano bench and sat down on the carpet herself, patting her lap for Jasper to come over. "Jas, come here," she called out, as the puppy turned and hurried off by Gwyn's side.

"Like me, he loves his 'Mommy'," joked Tristan as he rested against Cynthia, who wrapped her arms around his waist. 

"Why you little baby you," Gwyn chuckled as Jasper looked up at her and licked her nose while wagging his tail happily.

Leaning down to whisper, Tristan wrapped his arm around Cynthia. "So, Gwyn and I were planning on taking a vacation in a few weeks, and I was wondering if you'd be interested in doggy-sitting? I'll run it by Gwyn and Neville, but I also wanted to let Anne have break as well by staying with him and Lisa. What do you think? Interested?"

"Oh I don't mind," she smiled back at him, placing a kiss on his cheek. "You two deserve a good rest... so doggy can stay with me, as well as the others. Right Jamie, Cole?"

"Sure sure, no problem about the doggie," both grinned in unison.

"Probably doesn't really matter for them, since they're roommates... but it's nice to know." Looking over at Gwyn and Anne, Tristan gave them a huge smile. "So we have three potential doggy-sitters for Jasper. Annie, would you mind staying with Mr. Neville and Lisa for two weeks?"

"I don't see any problem with that... if they're alright with me staying - I wouldn't mind helping them either," she smiled. 

"Miss Gwyn, what do you think about this arrangement?" Tristan smiled back at her and Jasper, who decided to settle himself on Tristan's lap.

"Agreed and approved," she grinned, winking back at Tristan. "No objections to that."

"Awesome. So, all we have to do now is decided on where to go."

"I've already told you I'm leaving that to you."

"Let me see if I can get some opinions. Cyn, where should Gwyn and I spend our lovely vacation together?"

Grinning, Cynthia replied: "Anywhere sunny, where you can lazy your butts off all day and where you can keep AD away from her work."

"Agreed. I also want to take her out dancing as well... since she enjoyed one particular dance we had at the jazz club."

"You went dancing?" James asked, seemingly interested and slightly surprised.

"Yeah. We went out after we both settled _that day_... and had a late dinner followed by having a few dances in the club space. And Cyn, Gwyn's probably a bit better at predicting my moves during the _tango_ ," he grinned as he pressed a kiss into her hair.

"Duh, that's obvious," Cynthia blushed lightly. "The one time I went with you... I was a total mess."

"Not too bad, but yeah..." he laughed again as Jasper began dozing off in his lap. "Guess I've found my permanent dancing partner."

"Definitely," Cynthia replied, winking back at both.

Holding his hand out, Tristan winked at Gwyn as she took his hand and settled next to him and Cynthia on the floor. "But don't worry Cyn. I'll always save a dance for you."

"Jeez, Cole, Kiddo gets all the girls," James laughed out as he saw the two women resting against both of his shoulders.

"It's the baby face - you basically want to baby him half the time... the other half you're ready to strangle him."

"As for me and you, it's the second half that's predominant," he laughed out again. 

"He's like in his perpetual Terrible Two's... but, I swear though, when he's sick or asleep, I think my paternal instincts kick in," chuckled Cole as Anne grinned back at the two of them.

"Probably best person in this room that understands him is Gwyn actually," Cynthia grinned as she got back on her feet and moved to sit by James' side. 

"Oh yeah, how do you figure?" asked James as they continued to watch Tristan and the others talk amongst themselves quietly.

"They wouldn't have stuck to each other when all that mess happened..." Cynthia whispered back. "You have to be completely devoted to live through that."

"Most probably. Especially since they've had _how many_ mini-meltdowns? They really do belong together...guess there is some truth to that soulmate thing..." smiled Cole.

"I suppose so..." Cynthia smiled. "At least I know that I have a best friend for life when it comes to him... and you boys."

"So... does that mean that I have higher priority than James or Cole? Awesome, I knew I was your favorite," laughed Tristan.

"Sort of," she grinned.

"Hey!" the two boys replied in unison as Cole gave a mischievous grin at James who quickly moved to Cynthia's side. "One... two..."

"Oh no you don't..."

"Three!" they chorused as the two started tickling Cynthia at her sides, making her sit on the couch and laugh out loud. 

Smiling and giving Gwyn a kiss on her cheek, Tristan got up. "Best to help her..." he laughed as he jumped onto James' back and playfully tried to wrestle him away from Cynthia. "Two on one just didn't seem like fair odds, so I'm here to help.

"Yeah... oh God you two stop it!" a breathless, yet laughing Cynthia told them. "I mean... you're going to kill me."

"Oh please we're-Tristan stop-" laughed James as Tristan (who was still clinging to his back) managed to start tickling his sides in order to distract him.

"Nope! Cyn! Help!" giggled Tristan as he continued to tickle James.

"Really now, if I were to tape you, it'll seem like a whole different thing," Gwyn commented, watching the scene unfold.

"What are they... oh," Anne told Gwyn, stifling a laugh as she came by her side.

"COLE! Get the little monkey off my back!" laughed and exclaimed James as both Tristan and Cynthia were now tickling him together. 

"And how?! Tristan stop that!" Cole laughed out, ending up on the couch with Cynthia giggling hysterically.

Wrapping himself tightly around James' back, Tristan managed to make both himself and James fall onto the laps of both Cynthia and Cole.

"I love you guys," Cynthia chuckled, as she wiped her eyes from the tears of laughter.

"Tris... off..."

"You're like a big teddy bear, Jamie. Cuddly too," yawned Tristan as he snuggled his head into Cynthia's lap.

Smiling, Gwyn had the last glimpse of them together, grabbed her tea cup and ushered Anne out of the room with her leading her into the kitchen. 

"Is something wrong Miss?" Anne asked.

"No no, it's just that it's good for them to have some time on their own like that... Tristan's spending a lot of time with me, and probably he misses them a bit..." she smiled, sitting down. "And since I'm here... Anne, do you mind me having another small slice of that pie please?"

"Oh... sure!" the young maid smiled, glad at the fact that Gwyn was finally eating on her own will and that giggles and laughter could be heard coming from the other room.

"I miss this," Tristan grinned as he was laying on top of the laps of James, Cole, and Cynthia, who was running her fingers through his hair. "We need more nights like this..."

"You're forgetting someone in the other room Tris," Cynthia smiled back at him.

"She's okay. She's happy that we're happy right now and doesn't mind that I'm here with you guys, since I haven't been around as much as I used to."

"Sure Kid?"

"Tris I was referring to what you said about having more nights like this... it's not just the four of us anymore, don't forget."

"Well, technically it's not just her, Annie comes with her... and Jasper's also included. And yes, I'm aware, Cyn," he grinned up at her.

"Why is it that I always have your feet on my lap?" grinned James.

"You guys just happen to sit like this, and I decided to lie down. Simple really." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Gwyn and Anne standing by the entrance. "You guys can come out here too, y'know."

"Don't worry, I don't mind," Gwyn smiled as Anne nodded in approval.

"See? We're good," laughed Tristan as he wriggled slightly to get more comfortable. "I love having my own personal entourage. It's awesome."

"You seem to be quite comfortable," she chuckled, as she sat on the piano's bench once again. "Come here Anne," she asked her, as the maid shyly sat down beside her.

"I'm comfy, but not sure about these guys..."

"Oh we're fine too," Cynthia grinned, tickling him slightly at his side.

Giggling slightly, he took Cynthia's hand in his and held it tight to get her to stop tickling him. "I'm like their own personal blanket right now..."

"Well, I suppose you're already Gwyn's blanket so it's not like that your role chan-dammit Cyn, what's wrong about that now? Ouch..." James told them as he rubbed his side after Cynthia's supposed-nudge.

"Jamie, just quit. You're fighting a losing battle here," snickered Cole.

"Damn, can't even joke any more with her around," James scoffed, as Cynthia giggled and placed a kiss on his cheek. "Then she turns all cute and stuff with you, woman, you're really something."

"You're just jealous that she loves me more than you," grinned Tristan.

"So totally not true," he replied.

"Cyn, do you still love me?" Tristan asked sincerely, as Cynthia stilled her fingers in his hair.

"Huh? Where did that come from now?" she asked, slightly embarrassed from his sudden question.

"Not in the romantic love, but just in general. And I'm just curious, since we had a near-falling out not too long ago..." he murmured quietly.

"Of course I still love you, you idiot," she chuckled. "And that's part of the past now, I mean, it's over and done. It happened and that's it. No need to think about it again."

Rolling off of them, Tristan settled himself by Cynthia's legs and leaned against them. "Sorry..."

"What are you sorry for? Dear, it's part of the past, stop apologizing for nothing."

"For making you cry. For driving you crazy. For... well every time I annoy or piss you off."

"Stop it, it's alright," she whispered, placing a kiss on his hair. 

Nodding, he leaned his head against her knees and smiled over at Gwyn and Anne, who smiled and winked back in return respectively.

"So, have you decided where we're off to tomorrow?" Anne asked the four of them, as Gwyn turned her head slightly to take the music scores in her hands and have a quick look through them.

"Mama knows," replied Tristan as he held Cynthia's hand once again.

"No wait, James is gonna drive tomorrow, he knows."

"He is? So Jamie, where we going?"

"Have that huge park out of the city in mind? I was thinking of there to tell you the truth... puppy will have were to run about, good picnic spots abound... we could play some football too if you like," he grinned back at them. "Obviously, if you don't have any other places in mind..."

"Sounds good to me," yawned Tristan.

"I'm good for it too - we're taking your car though James," Cole smiled as he rested his head against Cynthia's shoulder.

"We had already decided on that... oh fuck..."

"What?!" Cynthia gasped, staring back at James.

"I forgot to fill it up, damn..."

"There's tomorrow morning, panic station. We'll go together if that's alright for you, pick me up... Tris, at what time are we going?"

Instead of answering, Tristan was snoozing lightly as he kept a tight hold on Cynthia's hand.

"Cyn, Tris is falling asleep," Gwyn whispered, winking back at her.

"Really?" she smiled, leaning down to have a look. "And just when we were talking to him... guess he's tired."

"...no tired..." came the sleepy reply.

Winking back at Gwyn, Cole leaned down and whispered, with an amused look on his face. "Faraday, care to explain why AD has your t-shirt on?"

"...shs m grlfrnd an wrs it bttr..." mumbled Tristan.

"Translation?" James asked, stifling a laugh.

"He said, and I swear this is after years of listing to him... 'She's my girlfriend and wears it better'," chuckled Cynthia as she bent down to hug Tristan tightly.

Chuckling, Gwyn stood up and walked to his side, sitting down next to him. "I'd never want to see you in one of my shirts though," she whispered, planting a kiss on his cheek.

"No, we definitely don't want to see that," Cole and James replied.

"...hv no boobs...so no gud..."

"And what did he say that time Cyn?"

"'Have no boobs, so no good.'" 

"God he's worse than a two year old," Cole told them, rolling his eyes, as Gwyn placed a hand on her mouth to stifle a laugh.

"Cole, he's sleepy, give him a break..." grinned Cynthia as she kissed his cheek. "He's still probably recovering a bit."

"Well, the medicine he took was quite... strong," Anne mused. "Maybe it's making him slightly drowsy again..."

Looking up at Cole and James, Gwyn gave them a grin and asked them whether they could carry Tristan to bed to rest. "Do you mind?"

"Nope, not at all," chuckled Cole as he got up from the couch and picked up Tristan. "James, could you get the door?"

"Sure sure," he smiled as got up and opened the door to the bedroom. "And here I thought that he'd be the last one to go to sleep..."

"Totally unpredictable," Gwyn muttered, as the boys laid Tristan on her bed and covered him up with the blankets. "And thank you."

"He's just a big baby," both laughed, leaving the room. "And you're most welcome."

"Since the baby's been tucked into bed, perhaps we should get going? We'll definitely have an early morning and hopefully the weather will cooperate. James and Cole will handle drinks and the meats for the barbecue and I'll probably be making a pasta salad. Any other ideas, Gwyn?" Cynthia smiled as she got up from the couch to stretch slightly.

"We'll be getting wine, sweets and cakes... and now since Tristan's fallen asleep, I'll help Anne a bit myself," Gwyn smiled at the rest of them. "Sure about leaving though? I don't mind having you here," she smiled.

"Well, we'd hate to intrude as well as the fact that it might be awkward if you and Tristan need some time alone later on tonight..." mumbled Cole as he began blushing lightly.

"Depends when he wakes up," Gwyn chuckled. "As you wish though... you're more than welcome."

"Dunno, what do you guys say?"

"Guess we'd better be off..." James yawned. "Don't forget I'm driving tomorrow."

"It's raining pretty hard right now, mate. Tell you what, nap on the couch for a bit. I wouldn't mind helping these guys out for a while. How 'bout you Cyn?"

"Count me in!"

"Really now, there's no need..." Anne mumbled, as Gwyn shook her head. 

"I told you already I'll help... at least, we'll both have some more company for a short while. Mmh?"

"Maybe you're right..." she then agreed, smiling at the three of them. 

"I'm on the couch, wake me up in an hour's time," James told them as he made himself comfortable and fell asleep in a couple of minutes.

"We should have placed him next to Tristan," Cole guffawed as Cynthia smacked the back of his head. "What's that for?"

"Remember the last time we did that? Tristan unconsciously kicked James off the bed... which then led to James hitting him with the pillow in the eye... and thus our 'baby' ended up with a black eye and no recollection on how he got it."

"Oh yeah..."

"That's interesting," Gwyn grinned as the four of them got inside the kitchen. "So Anne, you're the boss here."

"Let's get started then..."  
  


-

"Can I take a muffin back home please?" Cole asked as Cynthia smacked him again, an hour or so after James went to sleep on the couch. Once having cleared out the dishes, the four of them started working on the food for the picnic, with Anne instructing them into prepping the dough for the muffins as she'd take care of the other pies and cakes herself once they had left. Chocolate chip, blueberry and apple muffins being their main choices, and with Gwyn watching intently, the three quickly had the mix done and the muffins were already in the oven getting baked.

"You know you can't... leave them for tomorrow," she chided him, as Anne and Gwyn looked on. 

"What's cooking? Smells good," came Tristan's sleepy voice as he dragged the quilt behind him while shuffling into the kitchen.

"Muffins baby," Gwyn winked back, as she moved by his side and wrapped an arm round his middle. "You got up already?"

"Can I have one? And the rain woke me up..." he yawned once again while rubbing his eyes.

"No, not yet... Cole's already asked and we turned down the request. You'll have to wait for tomorrow sweetheart."

Wrapping the quilt around him and Gwyn, he hugged her close. "Okay. Is there anymore cake left? I'm hungry..."

"Fridge, Tris," Anne pointed out, as she was drying up the plates and placing them in their respective cupboards.

"Okay." Handing Gwyn the quilt, Tristan grabbed a small plate from the cupboard as well as a knife and fork from the utensil drawer before heading over to the fridge and grabbing both cakes. Quickly cutting out two huge slices from each cake, he sat at the table and began eating with a smile on his face.

"Where he gets that appetite from I still have to understand," Cole told them, shaking his head. 

"Me too," replied Tristan as he continued to eat.

"Cole? Maybe we should really start heading off... I'll go wake up James," Cynthia told them, as she headed towards the living room.

Pouring Tristan a glass of milk, he placed it in front of him on the table. "See you tomorrow morning Kiddo, and nice hair by the way," smiled Cole as he headed back into the living room to check on James and Cynthia.

"I really need to wake up?" James grumbled as Cynthia was standing by his side.

"Yep you do... wait, no wonder he woke up... look outside," Cole muttered as he looked out at the pouring rain. "It's really coming down right now..."

"Come on sleeping beauty, we need to get going," she replied, as James continued to hesitate from getting up.

"Cyn... I'm not too sure we should drive out in this... It looks way worse right now than it did earlier this week..."

"You can stay here overnight if you like," Gwyn told them, listening to their conversation. "There are two spare bedrooms you can use, if you decide to stay. I guess Tris agrees as much as me that we'd prefer having you safe here than drive back home."

"Yeah! No need to head out in _that_ as it looks really nasty. Stay over, and we'll be okay," grinned Tristan as he walked over to them, milk mustache and all. "Cyn can go in on room and you two can share the other..."

"Fine for me," Cynthia winked back.

"Yay I get to sleep more!" James exclaimed, resting his head on the couch again.

"Sure it's not a problem for you Gwyn?" Cole asked as Gwyn shook her head.

"Not at all," she replied, as she stole a piece of dessert from Tristan's plate. "What I don't have available are... py... hey wait... Cyn want to borrow one of mine?"

"Eh? Pyjamas you mean? No no don't worry, really, I'm fine... I'll just take off these clothes and tuck myself under the bedsheets... and lock the door," she laughed. "Thanks for the thought though."

"And it looks like Papa will get the room since Jamie seems rather content with the couch. At least he'll keep Jasper company..." Wiping a bit of whipped cream off the top of his cake, Tristan placed it on Gwyn's nose. "That would be for stealing, little miss."

"Well, you were away, left the plate unattended..."

Chuckling, he leaned over and kissed her. "You could always just ask me. I wouldn't say no."

"Far more entertaining this way," she grinned back after the kiss.

"Maybe..."

"Ahem! We're still here you know," smirked James while the others simply smiled.

"Yes and I am fully aware - which is why I gave her one kiss otherwise we'd still be kissing right now," Tristan smirked back.

"What he said," Gwyn smiled as she got back on her feet. "So, want to come to the bedrooms? If you're feeling tired of course..."

"I'm getting there, Cyn you okay? Looks like James is out for the count again," Cole pointed out at James' currently sleeping form on the couch again.

"Yes sure... I wouldn't mind going to bed either..." she yawned while stretching out.

"Then come along," Gwyn ushered them as Tristan moved by her side and accompanied the two to their respective rooms. 

"This is a guest room?" Cynthia gasped, as soon as Gwyn switched on the lights leading to the first room, which seemed similar to Gwyn's main bedroom, but in a much small scale.

"Whoa... I didn't even know about these rooms... I always headed to Gwyn's room to be honest..." Tristan replied in awe.

"Aw come on Cyn, just feel like a princess and go sleep," Cole grinned. "And Tris, why am I not surprised," he laughed.

"Yeah, it's definitely your style Mama. Need to borrow any nightclothes or are you comfy in what you're wearing? As for me? Even when I first stayed over, I was ushered into Gwyn's room by Anne so it's all I've know of the place, aside from the living room, Gwyn's office, and the kitchen," he replied matter-of-factly as he held Gwyn's hand.

"Told you I'll be fine in my underwear under the bedsheets..."

"Ooooh, totally hot," Tristan leered playfully as Cole and Gwyn simply laughed.

"Oh shut it," she replied, sticking her tongue out at him. 

"Aww... but I meant it..."

"Yes yes, I know but... ah whatever," she pouted, as she sat at the edge of the bed.

Letting go of Gwyn's hand, Tristan bounded over to the bed and playfully tackled Cynthia, hugging her tightly. "Love you Cyn."

"Love you too, idiot," she smiled. "Now go take Cole to his room and go to bed, Gwyn needs her man you know," she winked back at her as she was met by a small flush of cheeks from Gwyn.

"'Kay!" Kissing her cheek, Tristan got off the bed and made his way over to Cole and Gwyn. "Time to drop off Papa."

"Do I get a room like Cynthia's?" Cole grinned, as Cynthia waved them goodnight. 

"Dunno... maybe," Tristan grinned back as they followed Gwyn.

"It's quite similar to the other one," Gwyn told them, as she opened the door and switched on the lights as the boys got inside. 

"This room is totally you too, Papa..."

"It's even better than my room at home!"

"For sure. You good then?"

"Yep! I won't tell you how I'll go to sleep as it definitely doesn't interest you..."

"Your undershirt and boxers - like you have always worn to bed since forever."

"Jeez... I keep forgetting how observant you are... Nighty-night Kiddo, Gwyn. And thank you again." 

"Night night, Papa," Tristan grinned back.

"Goodnight Cole," Gwyn smiled back as they closed the door and Tristan immediately took her hand in his. "Let's check out on Anne and go to sleep..." she smiled. "What do you say?" 

"Sounds good." Smiling, he kissed her cheek as they walked together to check on Anne.

"Anne, you're alright here?" Gwyn popped her head into the kitchen, finding her getting the muffins out of the oven and placing them on the kitchen counter to cool off.

"Sure, just finishing off some things for tomorrow... do you need anything you two?"

"Not really, just wanted to make sure that you'll get to bed soon."

"Don't worry, I'll finish this and head off to bed, I promise. You two go to sleep." 

"Sure you don't need any help, Annie?"

"No no, go rest, I'll be fine. A few more minutes and I'm done, thanks anyway," she winked back at them. 

"Fine, I know when we're not wanted. Have a good night Annie," smiled Tristan as he gave her a hug and kiss good night.

"I never said that you..." she chuckled. "Good night, both of you..." 

"Night!" Leaning down, he whispered into Gwyn's ear. "Need to say good night to Anne? I'll just head over to the room..."

"Alright," she smiled. "I'll be back in a minute." 

"Sure." Smiling, he left for their room and headed into the bathroom for a quick shower.


	12. XII

Seeing that Tristan was still in the shower once she got back inside her room after seeing that Anne went to bed, Gwyn took off her pants and hurried off towards the bathroom and slipped inside. Chuckling as she heard him hum some of the music she had been playing earlier, Gwyn smiled and sat down on the floor by the shower booth and slid the door slightly ajar.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it..."

"It was a good night. And... I guess I just needed some closure on a few things... Don't worry, I have these bouts of self-remorse and guilt every once in a while after I... well, y'know..."

"Guilt about what? I was feeling that earlier but I couldn't associate it to anything..."

Shutting off the water, Tristan sat down on the shower floor and hugged his knees to his chest. "I hate making people that I care about worry, cry, or get angry at me... As I feel like... I don't know, I shouldn't make them feel bad when I do or don't do things. Sorry-it's kinda hard to explain..."

"No need to apologize, I'm here to listen to you," she smiled, resting her head against the wall.

"That day... it still kinda haunts me, you know? Not only did I scare you, James, and Cyn... I made all of you guys angry at me. I honestly thought that Cyn was either going to kill me or just hate me forever. James... I think he probably would've beat me up on the spot. Then there was you... I swear... I..." Sniffling slightly, he wiped his eyes before continuing, "...I thought I was going to lose you forever. I thought that not only would you hate me, you would start equating me with the things that you hate and loathe the most in this world... Also, the fact that I was still a bit wary of our fight over some flowers as well as the thing on the roof... I was feeling in between shitty and functional enough to pass for normal."

After hearing him, Gwyn opened the shower stall's door, and knelt down in front of him, smiling. "I'm still here by your side, right?"

"Yeah. You are, and I know that the others are as well, but..." Pulling her into a hug, he simply let everything he was feeling out.

"But what? Honey, it's normal to break down sometimes... it's not like you're a perfect machine that doesn't have its weak points..." she whispered, rubbing his back gently to comfort him. 

"I know, and in that sense, I'm being a hypocrite as I keep telling you that you can depend on me... but sometimes I don't know if you want me to be a burden for you - and yes, I know you're going to say that it's fine, but I can't help but think that sometimes," he whispered back in between tears. "Guess this is all really just new to me... as it is to you." Giving her a small grin, he kissed her cheek. "And you're all wet now..."

"I don't care about the wet," she smiled. "Baby, I'm fine, we're both going to be fine... and," she chuckled. "I'll take my non-perfect Tristan anyday, with his flaws and weakpoints and all... I love you too much and I have been sacrificing so much to have you with me, and I don't regret one single thing. Believe me."

"Okay. Okay... then let's get ready for bed? If you don't mind, I really _need_ you tonight - not for just that, but... I _want_ and _need_ all of you tonight."

Smiling, Gwyn got up and placed a hand on his hair. "Dry off... I'll be waiting for you in the other room... and don't forget that I love you," she winked back, leaving the room. Turning on the dim light of the bedside lamp, as the rain and wind lashed against the window frame, Gwyn sat up in bed with her head leaning against the headrest, strangely recalling memories of her childhood. Seeing Tristan's friends being so happy and so close to each other, she couldn't help not think of the fact that she never really had any other people to rely on except Neville and Anne... and Fred to some extent.

-

_"Little Miss, you need to get this studied by heart by tomorrow. I'll want to hear the whole suite without a single mistake," the stern looking tutor, dressed in his full dress suit scolded the ten year old girl, who was gaping back at the music score the teacher had placed in front of her._

_"But... that means I only have tonight and tomorrow morning!"_

_"Yes, and I don't want to hear any more objections, have I made myself clear enough?" he repeated, as he arranged his small reading glasses._

_"Y-yes, Sir..."_

_"And don't forget your mathematics and English work you need to get done. One single thing missing, and I'll tell your father about it."_

_"I'll get everything done as you instructed Sir."_

_"That's good to hear Miss. What I did to your right hand today is a reminder, you need to work and study hard to be successful when you'll grow up."_

_"Yes," she replied, clutching her hand tightly to her chest._

_"And I'll be seeing you tomorrow Miss, have a nice evening," he bowed after gathering his documents and books and heading out of the room in a steady pace._

_Once she heard the study room's door close, little Gwyn looked back at her sore hand, still red from the hits she had earned from the tutor's wooden ruler. Closing down the piano's keyboard with a loud thud, Gwyn felt a sob escape her mouth and resting her forehead against the cold surface of the piano, she let herself cry her heart out, knowing that her father would have never taken her side when it came to her education. She was a perfect straight-A student, had always been that, so everyone sought perfection from her. Anything less would have meant humiliation. Jumping off the bench, making sure that her dress was perfectly looking, the little miss headed out of the room, walking head leaning down, towards the grand staircase leading to the rooms upstairs. All she felt like was lock herself into her room and continue studying. She knew she'd earn a beating again if she didn't..._

_"You cry again?" came a little voice from behind the side of the staircase._

_"Leave me alone..."_

_"No seriously, it was that jackass of a tutor wasn't it? Ahh, don't worry about it - it just stings for a little while, then it'll get better," grinned the blonde-haired boy._

_Frowning back, Gwyn lowered her head down and walked straight ahead, clutching her books and notebooks close to her with her sore hand._

_Running out in front of her, he held his hand out. "Hey hey, relax. I'm on your side, remember? C'mon, ditch the books for a while and I'll take care of your hand. Really."_

_"No thank you. I've got work to do," she coldly replied, walking away._

_At fourteen, Neville was rather tall for his age but still acted as if he were half his age. Since he was much taller than Gwyn, he simply moved to the side and caught her arm gently. "Ah ah, you can barely carry your books with that hand and I know for sure that it's your dominant hand. Come on, I'm pretty good at the math stuff so what's say that I help you out a bit? Plus, I'll treat your hand, okay? And, just to prove my sincerity, I'm not taking no for an answer," he grinned._

_"I'll get punished if Father gets to know..."_

_"Ahh, don't worry about it. I have to do my studies too, y'know. So, we can just work together. Plus, I'm supposed to look out for you too but really, I just want to be your friend too. All these creepy old guys are just well... creepy. And you're the only other person around here that's close to my age so...we should look out for one another." Patting her shoulder, he took her through the servants' entrance into the kitchens. "We'll just grab a few snacks and we can study, sound good?"_

_"Neville, I don't think the butler will appreciate that," she chided him._

_"Pffft, don't worry too much about the butler - he's the one who provides me with the snacks. Listen, I think when I get older, I'm gonna open up a restaurant - and it'll be great. I mean, eh, so what that we're blood-suckers, it's not like we can't enjoy really good food. And I'm gonna be one of the best - chefs that is." Chuckling, he led her through the maze and found several plates of sandwiches, fruit, and desserts waiting for them on a table._

_"He won't accept it," Gwyn blurted as Neville took the tray with the plates in his hands. "He won't accept you having a... restaurant? Being a chef? No way..."_

_"Look, Gwynnie, I really don't think I'm cut out for this thing... Clan matters, enslavement of humans, and whatever else the Council wants... pfft... I honestly think it's a waste of time, but meh, whatever. As for you, little Gwyn, you're capable of so much more than being their perfect little Gwyn. You have your own mind, your own heart, and your own soul - take time to listen to it. For you? I think you'd be a great leader someday - and you'll probably make some boy really happy too - but I think you'll do those things on your own terms and no one else's. And I've heard the rumblings... I'm supposed to be your suitor or something. No offense, you're a cute kid and all, but you're way too serious for me. I'll just stick to being like a big brother to you."_

_Blushing a little, Gwyn just pouted and walked away towards the exit of the room once again. "Those are just dreamy ramblings of yours... it's not that all that easy Neville. And by the way, don't you dare use the word blood-sucker in my presence again," she told him, walking out._

_Sighing, Neville ran over and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Hey hey, just joking. Relax... I mean, you can't go through life without learning to joke about things. And stop frowning - you look too old to be ten when you do that. Gwyn, there's a time to be the dutiful daughter and a time to be Gwyn - you need balance Kiddo. And we'll start with the cookies that you like so much and we'll move onto getting that hand taken care of and like I said - not taking no for an answer."_

_"I..."_

_"What are you two little ones doing here?" a deep voice of an adult could be heard behind the two of them._

_"Oh, hello. The butler was kind enough to leave some snacks for Miss Gwyn and myself as we attend to our studies. Also, I was trying to locate one of the matrons as the little miss had a bit of a run in with the ruler and can barely hold her things without wincing, poor thing," Neville replied smoothly as he slipped into his role as one of Frederick's favourites. "But don't worry too much, I'll be sure to look after her and help her out with her studies."_

_"I see..." Frederick smiled, crouching down to look at Gwyn at eye-level. "What's wrong with my little princess, mmh?"_

_"Just a little mishap, nothing much Father," she smiled. "I just made a mistake, so it's my fault."_

_"Like I said, nothing to worry about. I'll make sure that she gets the proper attention, Sir."_

_"I'm sure you will," he whispered, placing a kiss on his daughter's cheek. "Neville, will you stop calling me Sir, how many times do you want me to repeat myself?"_

_"Yes Father..." he replied with an easy smile._

_"Now you two," he continued, getting back on his feet while still keeping a protective hand on Gwyn's hair. "Off you go to your rooms to study..."_

_"Yes Si-Father." Taking Gwyn's books, he stacked the plates carefully on top of them and carried them off. "C'mon Gwyn," smiled Neville, "We'll get you fixed up in no time."_

_"Have a nice evening," Gwyn smiled, giving Frederick a quick hug before rushing off by Neville's side._

_-_

"Sweetheart? Is everything okay?" Tristan asked quietly as he slipped into bed and settled himself under the blankets.

"Yes..." she replied, as she reached for her knees and pulled them closer to her chest. "Was remembering something... from the past, that's all. You?"

Wrapping his arms around her, he held her tight. "I'm better now. Thanks for asking."

"You're welcome," she replied, smiling back at him. 

Starting with her shoulder, Tristan kissed his way to her mouth. "I love you. And I'll never leave you, I swear."

"I know you won't... and since you're curious, I was thinking about some childhood memories, of me, Neville and Fred. And I love you too baby."

"Thank you." 

Sliding back to lie down by his side, Gwyn kissed him softly and wrapped her arms around him in comforting manner, rubbing his back tenderly. "If all the burdens I have to carry are like you, heck, bring them on already," she whispered in his ear, chuckling.

"And I'll carry you then," he whispered back as he settled himself on top of her. "I once heard an old superstition, but I'm wondering if there's any merit to it," he murmured while kissing his spot.

"What is it about?"

Chuckling, he nuzzled against her neck. "Something to the effect of if you make love during a rainstorm, then your love will last forever... Again, it was something I heard somewhere."

"Need to check if that's true?" she laughed, kissing him deeply. "Plus, I like the sound of the thunder and the rain in the background..."

"Wouldn't hurt, now would it. Also, the sounds will muffle out anything we make," he smirked before returning her kiss and moving against her slowly.

"You're forgetting that my room's soundproof baby," she whispered, gasping as she pulled him closer to her.

"Think of it as double the insurance," he whispered back as he held her close while continuing to move. "Let's see if we can outlast the storm..."

"Ah we're challenging nature now Mister?" she chuckled as he started kissing her neck. "My, my, how ambitious..."

"Told you I need you tonight, all of you if I can have it..." 

"And I don't recall objecting to that either..." she whispered. "You know I'm yours..."

"And you know I'm yours, so let's see if we're strong enough to withstand a little rainstorm," Tristan murmured back as he gently bit his spot while moving faster.

"I don't think that's a prob... lem... oh God..." she moaned in return, holding him closer to her.

Kissing her deeply, Tristan continued to increase his movements as the pair made love while the storm outside seemed to increase in fury, despite the peace that both were finding from each other.

-

"Storm should be ashamed of itself," Gwyn chuckled some time later, as she rested her head against Tristan's chest.

"It really should, I mean, it even had a head start," he smirked as he kissed her damp blonde hair. "You were exactly what I needed tonight. Thank you again." 

"It's only now that I can actually hear it outside..." she replied as she cuddled closer to him.

"The rain? I love listening to it when I'm at home alone - I usually go out on my little balcony and just listen to it. My favorite thing to do is actually to run through it, which I'll usually go out to the beach for and just run. It's really relaxing..."

"Totally you," she chuckled, slightly tilting her head to one side to look at him. 

"Of course, what's even funnier is that I actually just run in my swim trunks - double duty and all. Then I'll go for a swim afterwards...which again, is totally me." 

"You're just completely crazy, you know that?" 

"Definitely, but it's normal for me." Grinning, he ran his fingers down her arms, wiping the sweat away but noticed that the little hairs on her arms began to stand up in his wake. "Fascinating..." 

"Mmh? What Sweetheart?"

"No matter how many times we make love or are in contact with one another, I still give you goosebumps... So, when I smirk at you, does a shiver run down your spine?"

"So you noticed it... yes, I think you always do... I love the feeling of you touching me, and guess my body reacts accordingly," she smiled. "As for that smirk of yours... mmh, probably."

Giving her a predatory look and smirk, he leaned over and kissed her deeply as he held her tight, inwardly grinning as he felt her shudder as he continued to kiss her. 

As she placed her right hand on his cheek, then making it run through his hair slowly, while resting a hand on his chest, Gwyn kissed him back in the same way, chuckling lightly as Tristan entwined his legs to hers pulling her closer. 

"Ready?" he asked innocently as he caressed her thigh. 

"Mmm-hmm, whenever you want," she replied, letting out a giggle as he rested on top of her again, while she wrapped her arms around him.

Innocently, he rolled onto his back and let Gwyn settle on top of him, planting his feet on the mattress so that Gwyn could rest her back against his knees and thighs. 

"What are you doing?" she laughed out, giggling back at him.

"Waiting for you. I'll put my legs down whenever you're ready," he replied in the same innocent tone as he continued to run his hands all over her body. 

"Why now..." she whispered, leaning down and crawling up his chest to kiss him.

Moaning slightly as he felt Gwyn's fingers skirting up his chest, Tristan let his legs go slack slightly as Gwyn began to move her hips against his. As they continued to move together, he held her tightly while kissing her with as much emotion as he could.

"Love you..." she whispered, smiling back at him between kisses.

"Love you too..." he whispered back as the rain continued to pitter-patter against the roof and windows.

-

"Still raining," Gwyn whispered back while looking out of the window, all wrapped up in one of the bedsheets as Tristan looked on. 

Getting up from the bed, he wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his chin on her shoulder. "It's peaceful though..." Kissing his spot, he made sure that the blankets kept her warm as he let the air around them cool him off. "Love the smell after it rains - everything smells clean and fresh."

"Yes, that's true... and you're feeling better now, right?" she smiled. 

"I feel fantastic actually. And you're feeling equally great, aren't you," he smiled back as he stroked the skin of her forearms and kissed the back of her neck.

"Yes, pretty much..." she replied, turning in his embrace to look up at him.

Hugging her warmly, he picked her up and carried her back to bed. Once they were both settled under the blankets, Tristan spooned behind her and nuzzled his face into her neck. "Tired babe?"

"Just a little bit," she smiled. 

"Worth it though?" he asked as he stroked the soft skin of her stomach. 

"Definitely... you make me forget all that's passing through my mind... whatever thought I have... it vanishes away..." 

"That might be a pretty handy ability... especially if I started reading your mind or something," he chuckled quietly as he held her tight.

"You'd serve as a reminder," she giggled. "But it's good when it comes to problems or bad thoughts, they just fade away..." 

"Hmm... can you feel what I'm feeling? Because right now... we feel in sync with one another - as far as our emotions go. Guess we were always meant to be."

"I've learnt to understand that... the fact that we were always meant to be - as in... I think that I never really had any interest in anyone because there was you in the world," she smiled back. "And I'm feeling just like you are. Something I'd never believed I would have experienced, or felt. You made me change so much that you can't even imagine, made me modify so many of my point of views... we know that it will never happen, we promised that to each other already - but I'd die for you. For your safety. And for your happiness."

"...So in short, I brought out the best in you?" he teased lightly as he kissed her cheek and ran his fingers through her hair. "Because if so, then you already know what I'm going to say - and here's a hint, you just said everything I wanted to." 

"Yes you did... you can see the reaction in various people, I've never been this way... really..." she told time, nuzzling against his neck. 

Rolling onto his back, he let Gwyn rest her head on his chest as he skirted his fingers down her back. "Looks like I managed to find the real Gwendalynn Coulston after all. Definitely a keeper for sure," he grinned as he kissed her forehead.

"Well, I do have my non-smug Tristan Faraday after all," she chuckled.

"I'm only smug when I feel like it. I've never really felt the need to be overconfident - just confident enough in my own work."

"Mmm-hmm."

"But I doubt that you really mind when I'm confident - since I usually tend to avoid praise like the plague."

"I know, but you like it when I praise you over certain things," she smiled, kissing his forehead. 

"Well, it's _certain things_ that I do when it's just the two of us... in bed... or in the shower... or the tub... or in your office..." he smirked.

"You know I was referring to that."

"Just making sure, babe, just making sure. Who knows? Maybe when we're on vacation, we can try for the beach."

"I might take that _seriously_ into consideration," she smirked, making him stare back at her. 

Gaping slightly, he kissed her quickly. "If so, then I know the perfect beach then..."

"On one condition though - that there isn't the possibility that someone could actually spy on us. That would happen only if it's just you and me."

"Again, I know of the perfect beach. I found it while running along the water. It's definitely a local's spot, as it's really off the beaten path, but what I liked about it was that it had a little rocky alcove that perfectly hid you from everyone - I waited in there to get out of the rain for a while. Plus, the way the cliffs are, it's hard to see anything below so there's little chance that we'd be spied on from above."

"I trust you... and it seems you've already decided on the place, mmh?" 

"I might have..." 

"That's good to know," she smiled, placing a kiss on his nose and letting out a brief yawn.

"Go to sleep..." he teased back as they got comfortable while snuggling under the blankets.

"Goodnight Tris," Gwyn whispered, moving closer to him in their embrace.

"Goodnight Gwendalynn." 

-

"Whu... where am I?" yawned James as he blinked sleepily during the early morning. Studying the room, he realized that one, he wasn't at the apartment he shared with Cole, and two, there was something warm and fuzzy curled up against his side. Scrubbing a hand over his face, he squinted to see a black and white blob next to him, snoozing quietly under the blanket they shared. Hearing a door open, he yawned again and sat up as he saw Anne leave her room. "Oh - Good morning. How are you?"

"Mmh? You're awake already?" she smiled as Anne walked to the living room, gathering her hair in a small ponytail. "Good morning James... and good morning to you too little baby," she chuckled as she watched Jasper lazily raise his head up and letting out a yawn.

"Huh? When did he get here? I don't remember or recall him sleeping next to me when I fell asleep..."

"He's a sneaky little one," she replied, moving next to the couch and taking Jasper in her arms. "Ah James, just you let you know, the spare bathroom is right at the end of the corridor, should you need it."

"Oh thank you. Say, you wouldn't happen to keep an extra toothbrush in there, would you? I think I might have something stuck in my teeth..." he chuckled quietly while rubbing Jasper's head. "And where'd the others go?"

"Cynthia and Cole are sleeping in the two spare bedrooms, and the Miss and Tristan are sleeping in the main bedroom," she replied as they walked towards the bathroom. "As for the toothbrush, I'll fetch you a new one... there should be."

"Great and thanks again." Smiling, he entered the bathroom and began to clean up slightly.

"You're welcome," she smiled, placing a kiss on Jasper's head. Knocking at the door of their respective rooms, Anne made sure that she made all of them wake up before starting to prepare breakfast.

After Anne had knocked on their doors, both Cole and Cynthia began getting dressed and making their beds before standing in the hall to wait for James to finish.

"Jamesie, almost done?"

"Almost - just rinsing the toothbrush. Oh and there's a razor and some shaving cream - probably because of Tris... who only needs to shave like once a week or two..." chuckled James as he turned off the taps and opened the door. 

Immediately, both Cole and Cynthia entered the bathroom - Cole to shave and Cynthia to brush her teeth - at the same time.

"You guys couldn't wait for me to get out first?" laughed James as he stood in the hallway.

"Nope, not really!" exclaimed the pair as they shared the sink like an old married couple.

-

"Tris, seems the weather's better this morning," Gwyn called out as Tristan was having a quick shower after they woke up.

"Oh yeah? Sounds great. I can only imagine what our baby will do once he finds a puddle of mud to jump into," he laughed as he turned off the water and began drying off. "Your turn."

"We'll need to give him a wash when get back this evening," she chuckled. "Bet his white fur will end up being brown... by tonight," she told him, as she got inside the shower booth and opened the water. "Your clothes are on the bed..."

"Thank you," smiled Tristan as he headed back into the bedroom and found his clothes before laughing. "No wonder you were so insistent on Anne doing the laundry yesterday - you really wanted to wear that sweatshirt, didn't you?"

"Yeah," she told him, as Tristan heard her laughing from the bathroom. "That thing's really comfortable."

"...And my t-shirt as well. Will you be stealing my boxers to wear pretty soon?" Grinning, Tristan pulled on the white boxers before grabbing his 'nicer' pair of jeans and pulled them on.

"No, I have my own comfy underwear, thank you very much," she giggled as she rinsed her hair and headed back to the bedroom.

"I'll agree, though I'm not too sure that the thong underwear is all that comfortable to wear..." he laughed as Gwyn threw the pillow at him. 

"I won't wear that for a picnic, stupid," she laughed, sitting down on bed. "And anyway, I don't wear _that_ too often either..."

"Nope - only for when we go out to someplace fancy." Sitting next to her, he pulled on his socks before reaching for his t-shirt. "So we're matching, any particular reason why? Personally I think it's kinda cute..." 

"We can do cute once in a while," she winked back. "And yes, seems like we're going to be colour-coded for the whole day."

"I can live with that," he replied while kissing her cheek. Standing up, he grabbed the red polo shirt while she reached for the red t-shirt.

"But I'll be sure to grab the sweatshirt anyway, I love it," she admitting, smiling back while she slipped on her jeans and reached for her pair of running shoes.

"It's because it's so comfy..." he chuckled while reaching for his zip-up version of the same colored sweatshirt while slipping on his shoes.

"Ready sweetheart?" she grinned back at her reflection while she finished up gathering her hair in a ponytail. 

Staring back, Tristan grinned at the navy blue sweatshirts, red shirts, and dark jeans. The major difference was actually their shoes. He then picked Gwyn up and held her tight. "Ready whenever you are."

"Let's make you grab breakfast then," she winked back as he rested her back on her feet. "We need to see what baby's up to..."

-

"Yay muffins!"

"Tristan, just one, the rest are for the others and for the picnic... now, want a glass of milk?" Anne asked him, while Gwyn was playing with Jasper seated on her lap.

"Fine, fine and yes please," he replied happily while grabbing the huge blueberry muffin from the basket.

"Whoa... those look fantastic!" exclaimed James as he sat down first and grabbed a cranberry orange muffin for himself.

"Hey Anne, when did you make those?" Gwyn pointed out at the muffin James had just taken in his hands. "I remember you had done three types yesterday evening..."

"I couldn't really sleep because of the storm, so I woke up and baked some more, including that one," she smiled back. "And don't worry, I'm alright, rested as much as I needed to."

"It's delicious Anne, I love cranberries...so thanks very much."

"You're welcome," she replied, placing the teapot and another pot of warm water for anything they wanted to have. 

"Tea! And... I'm first, you slowpoke," Cynthia laughed as she stuck her tongue out at Cole.

"So mean..." Cole smiled as he grabbed a banana muffin for himself and began laughing as Tristan was pouring melted chocolate into his glass of milk. "Must you always start the morning off with sugar?"

"Yes? How else do you get through the day?"

"That's why the kid's so sweet, right Gwyn?" Cynthia grinned back as she took at chocolate chip muffin from the basket herself. 

"Yes, and don't worry, he does taste like chocolate sometimes," she chuckled as she continued cuddling Jasper. "Right puppy?"

"Should we even ask?" came the sly remark from James and Cole.

"No need to ask anything, just continue having your breakfast," Cynthia told them, having a sip from her tea. "Speaking of questions though, has any one of you had a look at the weather?"

Nodding, the two continued to have their breakfast while Tristan traded half of his muffin for Cynthia's half.

"No...why?" asked Cole while he poured a bit more cream into his coffee.

"Maybe since we wouldn't be able to go if the weather's still like it was yesterday evening?" she mused back, as Tristan started watching Gwyn who still hadn't touched anything that morning.

Taking the mixed halves, he split them again and gave them to Gwyn as he ate one. "Gwyn, eat please."

"No no, go on Tris, I'm not really hungry this morning, go ahead," she smiled, shaking her head.

"Please?" he pleaded again while giving her the 'eyes'.

"Oh well..." she sighed, taking the small half and having a bite.

"Thank you!" 

"I can't believe you're actually babysitting AD," Cynthia gasped as James and Cole looked on, both finishing off their muffins.

"I do it on occasion, that way it gives you a break from babysitting me..."

"Trust me, I don't mind it... shows how protective he is of me..." she smiled, finishing off the piece of muffin.

Grinning back at the others, Tristan took a drink from his glass and proceeded to eat an apple and banana afterwards.

"Come on puppy, let's go check the weather again," Gwyn whispered, as she stood up from the table and headed towards the living room with Jasper in her arms.

"Is she alright?" Cynthia asked, finishing off her tea.

"I think so, but I'll go check anyways." Finishing his banana, Tristan got up and headed over to the living room and sat down next to Gwyn on the piano bench. "You okay?"

"Mmm-hmm, you should have finished up your breakfast," she smiled, placing a kiss on his cheek.

"I did. I had a muffin, apple, and banana. All you had was a muffin and tea," he whispered as he kissed her cheek and wrapped his arm around her waist while scratching Jasper's ears.

"Told you I'm not really hungry this morning... maybe my appetite will get better later," she reassured him.

"Hopefully. No sense in you starving yourself. Will you at least have an apple?"

"In the car maybe."

"Fair enough."

"Hey, you two! If all's alright with you, mind to come over so that we agree on the route we're going to take?" James called from the dining room.

Giving her one more hug, he slipped off the bench and held out his hand. "Best go check on the others. Right?"

"Yes," she replied, following him inside. "And by the way, weather's just right."

-

"Cole, you sure you got everything right... as in all. I really don't want us to make U-turns midway..." Cynthia asked him as they finished loading everything inside their car.

"Yes Mama, I did. And James, we've got a full tank right?"

"No, remember I told you we had to fill up the car yesterday evening? We just need to stop at a service station and get going, no big deal. How about you two? All's alright there?" James called as Tristan closed Gwyn's car boot.

"We're all set here!" called Tristan as Anne and Jasper were getting settled in the rear passenger seats while Gwyn was in the front, eating the promised apple.

"So James now... lead the way!" Cole snickered, as he patted his back while Cynthia entered the car, grinning.

"Why do I have the feeling that you're mocking me?" James blinked back at them as all three got inside the car.

"...Because we actually might be?" laughed Cynthia as she waved at Tristan and the others. "Come on Mr. Leader, let's be off."

Sighing, James shot them a grin before heading out, with Tristan following them easily. After stopping at the fuel station for the refill, the two groups took the highway leading out of the city, heading towards the largest park found within the area's precints. While the three on the front were whiling away their time by singing songs that came up to their minds at the moment, Gwyn spent the time studying the surroundings, as Tristan hummed some tunes to her, while Anne played in the backseat with Jasper who was, from time to time, trying to reach up to look out of the window.

"Yes Jas, soon you'll be able to play with all of the other doggies in the park. Alright there Annie? And you too, Sweetheart?"

"Someone's getting pretty ecstatic already," Anne chuckled, as the puppy reached out for the window again and stuck his head out. "And yes, I'm fine, thank you."

"Perfect dear," Gwyn replied, turning to look at him, placing a hand on his lap. 

"Great," he replied while giving her hand a squeeze before James parked the car. "And we're here. Best get the baby out now, Anne, he's ready to go!"

"Think he'll be alright if we let him run off on his own?" Gwyn asked as Anne opened the door and let Jasper out, still on his leash.

"He's leashed, Anne's got him."

"I mean if we let him run off without the leash."

"Once we get settled. Puppy knows who we are and what we smell like, so he'll be able to find us pretty well. Plus, he's got a good number of people looking out for him today, so he's bound to run into one of us." Laughed Tristan as he watched Jasper practically drag Anne by his leash. "For such a little guy, he's rather feisty."

"Not that I blame him, it's the first time in a place like this after all, Puppy's happy," she laughed she watched him sniff all the way to James' car. 

"I bet Jasper is the happiest out of all of us," Cynthia chuckled as she started helping out Cole and James with the bags. 

"Jamie... take this, I'm alright with this one... and Cyn, don't forget the football," Cole instructed them. "And can you please lock the boot?" he asked, throwing the keys at her. "Thank you."

"Welcome..." she replied, as she proceeded into locking the car, while Tristan came up silently from behind her and tickled slightly her sides.

"What the...! Faraday, come here!"

"Nope, you gotta catch me..."

"Oh not already!"

"Yes already!" he laughed as he ran past her.

"We should have known, they're being kids already," James laughed as he took the basket from Anne's hands and left her with Jasper wagging his tail happily.

"Shouldn't you scold him Gwyn?" Cole smirked, as she shrugged her shoulders back at him and smiled.

"You know him, he'll be back soon saying that he's found the perfect spot where we should stay - let him be, he's happy."

Soon enough, a slightly sweaty Tristan was carrying Cynthia on his back as both were grinning happily. "Found the perfect spot. It overlooks the lake and has just enough shade cover to keep everything cool. Right Cyn?"

With both Cole and James blinking back at her, Gwyn grinned and winked back at Tristan. "See you two? Told you."

"Huh... guess she was right..."

"Hmm? We miss something?"

"Let's say Gwyn read your mind, meaning that she knows you all too well by now," Cole smiled at Tristan, placing a hand on his hair in a fatherly-like gesture. "Let's go see what spot you found now then...”

"Sure sure. You okay back there Cyn?"

"Yeah, go forth Sir Faraday!" Cynthia laughed out as Tristan kept her on his back.

"Let's go!" he laughed as he ran back to the spot that they found earlier.

"He's worse than the puppy," James commented as he looked over at Anne and Jasper and grinned. "Yes boy, your master is freakin' crazy," he laughed. "Come on, let's get going..."

"See, didn't we tell you guys that this spot was perfect?" Tristan grinned as he and Cynthia were standing at the spot they had picked.

"Aside that you're freakin' crazy, you tend to make good choices," James continued as he laid down the bags.

"Well most geniuses tend to be a bit crazy..." he laughed as he helped with the bags.

"How humble of you," Cole snorted.

"Which part, the genius or the crazy?" chuckled Tristan as he tended to everything before heading back to the cars to grab the remainder stuff.

"Both of them."

"Obviously!" he called as he brought the rest of the bags with him before helping them begin to cook the food.

While the boys began cooking the foodstuffs, the girls proceeded into laying down the picnic-cloth, and lay down next to each other facing the lake, with Jasper running about unleashed around them, most of the time sitting down by the barbecue observing the food getting cooked. Occasionally, Tristan took Jasper to meet the other dogs - most of which were older than the puppy, but Jasper took to meeting them extremely well as well as meeting the owners. After talking briefly with the other owners, Tristan took the puppy back to the others - before continuing the cycle until it was time for lunch.

"Think it's ready? The smell coming over here's delicious," Cynthia grinned as she stood up and hurried over the others to have a look.

"I guess I should go have a look too... is it alright for you Miss?" Anne asked, getting up to follow Cynthia. 

"Sure sure, I'm just relaxing here Anne, thank you... oh and, don't let Tristan overfill my plate with food," she smiled back at her as the maid nodded in response. As she walked away, Gwyn hugged her knees to her chest and continued watching the people walking by the lake's edge, the children laughing and wading in to tease their parents by the water line and random couples strolling hand in hand on the lake's shore. Smiling as she watched the scene unfold, Gwyn rested her chin upon her knees and let the light breeze play with the loose strands of hair on her forehead. 

"Those chicken kebabs smell wonderful!" Cynthia exclaimed as she reached for one but got smacked playfully by James. "Ouch! That hurt!"

"Oh no you don't, we finish cooking all of them, then you can take whatever you like... think the jacket potatoes are ready Cole?"

"They should be... as much as the burgers..."

"I'll get the plates then," Anne told them, rummaging in the bags to fetch the plates for all of them.

"Tris, you go tell Gwyn that lunch is ready please," Cole told him, as Tristan arrived by the barbeque with Jasper at his feet.

"Sure thing." After commanding Jasper to sit, Tristan casually made his way over to Gwyn, smiling and waving at a few passing people along the way. Sitting down, he leaned slightly against Gwyn. "Lunch is ready. It's beautiful, isn't it?"

"Mmm-hmm, apart from beautiful, it's relaxing..." she smiled, watching the small ripples break against the shore-line.

"Yep... maybe we'll come here more often. Whenever you're not too busy."

"Maybe," she whispered back, resting her head against his shoulder. 

"I'll pencil you in for a 'maybe'," he grinned before kissing her cheek. Giving her another hug, Tristan got up from the ground and extended a hand to Gwyn, helping her up before walking back with her before stopping briefly.

"What is it?"

Bending over, Tristan planted his hands on the ground before easily lifting his legs above his head and started 'walking' back with her - using his hands.

Placing at hand over her mouth to stifle a laugh, Gwyn walked by Tristan's side as he continued in his acrobatic act right up to the barbeque.

"Seriously now... can't you just walk hand in hand with her?" Cynthia sighed as she held out a kebab to him.

Pushing onto the ground, Tristan used the momentum to launch himself into the air and land easily onto his feet. "And where's the fun in that? Also, thanks Beautiful."

"It's fun for you, not for Gwyn, as much as it is entertaining to watch you do that. And you're welcome," Cynthia told him. "You're alright Gwyn?"

"Yes yes, thanks for asking," Gwyn replied to her. "I was just enjoying the peace..."

"Till the little monkey came up. Really now, we could easily make a circus hire you for shows, Brat," Cole grinned as he started placing food on the plates Anne was handing him.

"Nah, I'm only here to entertain you guys..." he laughed as he began to devour the chicken kebab quickly before grabbing two more off the grill.

"Here Miss, it's not too much," Anne told her as she handed her the plate with the beef burger, two chicken kebabs and a jacket potato. "See what you manage to eat from that..."

"Thanks Anne," she told her as she took the plate in her hands and sat down by the tree. "Smells really good."

"Brat will you stop stealing?!" James shouted out as Tristan stealthily grabbed another kebab.

"You're too slow and they're already done. Plate them already or I'm gonna keep stealing them off the heat," he taunted as he gobbled up the chicken before working on his cheeseburger.

"I like those so don't you dare eat them all yourself!" Cynthia told him as James passed her the plate. "Greedy..."

"Nope, just hungry." Finishing his burger, he ate his potatoes before building a double-cheeseburger for himself.

Staring as they were still having their first bite off their burger, Cole, James, Cynthia and Anne gasped while Gwyn looked on amused.

"Man... you really have a black hole in there," Cole shook his head as he started eating. "Really Gwyn, he must be insatiable, if you know what I mean..."

"No comment," he smirked as he set his plate down and checked on Jasper, who had some cooked burger and chicken mixed in with his kibble.

"Well he is," she chuckled, blushing slightly as Tristan gaped back at her. 

"Perhaps, but I also enjoy my work - as do you," he smirked back at her, making her blush even more.

"Whatever, whatever, I don't want to hear the details, thank you very much," Cynthia told them as she finished off her kebab. 

"Well, you see, Part B fits into Slot A..." Tristan replied with an wicked smirk towards Cynthia.

"Just shut up, idiot," she mumbled back, blushing too. "I don't need _your_ explanation, of all people."

Picking up his plate, he sat in between Gwyn and Cynthia and leaned into Cynthia's ear to whisper. "Of course you don't, since _you_ know exactly how I _fit_ into Slot A..."

"Stop it," she slapped him slightly on his shoulder. "And that was just a couple of times anyway," she mumbled, as she looked away and continued to eat.

"I've gotten bigger since then, but you've at least had a taste..." he whispered before laughing and kissing her cheek before wrapping an arm around Gwyn's waist.

"Will you stop teasing her? I heard that you know," Gwyn chided him softly as Jasper came to rest his head on her legs. 

"Fine, I'll behave..." he chuckled as he finished his food and wrapped his other arm around Cynthia's waist. "And I'm also content sitting next to my two loves."

"Lucky bastard," the other two boys replied as they finished off their burgers respectively, while Anne looked back at them amused.

"Awww, you guys love me too."

"Yeah yeah sure, we do," they both mumbled in unison. 

Winking at the others, he hugged both Gwyn and Cynthia tightly.

"Now he's gonna continue doing it on purpose, just ignore him James, will you?" Cole grumbled as he rested his back against the tree and looked up. 

"Yeah yeah sure..." he mumbled again.

"I must admit, that kinda sounds like a good idea," he snickered as both Gwyn and Cynthia laughed.

"Shut up..." both of them replied.

"Ah well, we'll just team up against you for our little football match..." James grinned, winking back at Cole. "Me, Cole and Anne against you and the girls..."

"Oh yeah? Well you two, Jamesie has thrown down the gauntlet and looks like we have to defend our honor. Up for it?"

"Fine for me," Cynthia grinned, as she stuck out her tongue against James. "How about you Gwyn?"

"I... I never played so I don't have a clue, I'd make you lose the match..."

"It's easy," he smiled as they watched Cole set up the pitch. "The object is to kick the ball between those two markers that Cole just set down. If you have the ball, but get surrounded by the others, kick the ball towards me or Cyn - we'll take care of it. And if we're in a bind, you can take the shot if you're free. Okay?"

"Well... doesn't sound too difficult described that way..."

"You'll do great Babe, trust us. Got my back Cyn?"

"Yeah," she grinned. "We need to win," she ushered the two of them, already in a competitive mode.

"Then let's go!"

"Cole... I... do you think I could really be of use to the two of you," Anne asked, finding herself in Gwyn's same situation.

"You'll be great. Just follow our lead, and that should be it. Either way, it's just for fun so don't worry about it too much."

Once the game commenced, both Gwyn and Anne were a little bewildered at what to do, but quickly caught on as their respective teammates were already going at it while trying to involve them in the game at the same time.

"Uhm..." Gwyn looked around as Cynthia passed the football to her. "Here Tris," she kicked, making the ball fall right next to Tristan's feet.

"Thanks Dear!" Catching the pass, he deftly avoided Anne and Cole before grinning at James and kicking the ball through the goal easily.

"Awesome Tris!" Cynthia shouted out, high-fiving Gwyn who laughed out. "And way to go Gwyn, that was quite the pass."

"Thank you," she grinned back, winking back at Tristan.

"I'm sorry guys, didn't mean to miss that," Anne mumbled as Cole came by her side and placed a hand on her hair.

"No need to apologize, it's normal... plus, that kid's an ace, so... pretty imaginable."

"Oh... alright then... I'll do my best next time round..."

"No worries Anne, you did a great job defending against me. And Gwyn made a really great pass too. A little more practice and you two should be all good."

After nearly an hour later, both Anne and Gwyn had gotten considerably more comfortable with the game and were beginning to enjoy themselves and finally, the game ended when Gwyn scored the last goal against Anne, with both Cynthia and Tristan assisting her. With the final score being 4-3, everyone laid out under the sun on the cool grass laughing and smiling. Once everyone had gotten settled, Jasper had wandered over and promptly settled himself on Tristan's stomach - completely covered in mud - before shaking it off, getting everyone within range.

Laughing, Tristan grinned at his dog. "Jas... what's the big idea?" he whined playfully.

"Puppy seems to be enjoying it," Cynthia laughed. "And Tris, you've got mud on your face."

"Really where?" Tristan laughed as she leaned over to wiped it off for him. Looking back at the others, Cynthia couldn't help but smile when she saw Anne fast asleep almost nuzzled by Cole's side while he and James were discussing sports matters and playing with the puppy who was nuzzling against their feet at the same time.

"Done, and..." she whispered back. "Have a look at those three," she winked back at him as he looked over. "Oh and Tris, you should go for a walk with her when she wakes up."

"You mean Gwyn's asleep too?" James asked, as he turned his head to look at them. "Funny, since even Anne's dozed off too... probably it because of the game. And the fresh air."

Yawning, Tristan looked down at Gwyn and stretched out before falling asleep under the warm sun.

"Jamie?"

"Yes Cyn?"

"We should have gotten a camera with us..."

"Kid's fallen asleep too?"

"Mmm-hmm."

"Nap sounds good though, you must admit," yawned Cole as he ran his fingers through Cynthia's hair, since her head was resting on his lap.

"Yeah... and Cole? I know you're happy that Anne's being more friendly with you now," she smiled as she started dozing off.

"What can I say, she's cute. Also, she's probably glad to have a few more friends around," he grinned back as he continued to stroke Cynthia's hair before dozing off himself.

"James has fallen asleep hasn't he?" she told him, giving him a sleepy smile.

"Yeah... Once he stops being a moron around you... Give him a chance?"

"I don't know yet... I prefer having the three of you as my best friends more than anything else."

"For sure, but... maybe in the future... As it stands, Tristan is the most mature right now - he's found his soulmate and will probably be the first of all of us to get married. He'll probably have kids before we do too..." chuckled Cole. "Despite being our 'baby', he's got it together for the most part."

"I suppose... bet he'd make a good father."

Looking over, he saw Tristan roll to his side and curl around Gwyn as she continued to use his arm as her pillow. "Yeah, he'll be great. Should he and Gwyn get married and have kids, their kids are going to be adorable..."

"Trust me, I'd be the first to spoil them rotten," she chuckled.

"And I'll be right there with you. Of course, this is just us - Tris' mom and sisters are going to spoil them like crazy too."

"Oh I'm sure... especially Val... she won't stop buying clothes for them, I'm sure of that."

"Definitely." Bending down to kiss her forehead, Cole took her hand. "Love ya, Cyn."

"Love ya too Cole," she mumbled back sleepily, as all of them had fallen asleep in the warm sun, with Jasper watching silently over all of them.

-

"Those three are still sleeping?" James chuckled as he sat up and watched Cynthia, Tristan and Gwyn still fully asleep.

"See what Cyn does if you kiss her cheek to wake her up," Cole grinned, as Anne opened her eyes and yawned by his side. "Welcome back Anne," he chuckled.

"Hey... that was... quite relaxing I must admit," she smiled, her cheeks slightly rosy from the sun.

"She'd probably slap me..." grinned James as he looked over at the brown and black mess that was Jasper. "And _that one_ looks content beyond belief."

"Most likely..." Looking at the three: Cynthia resting her head on Tristan's stomach and holding his free hand, Tristan letting Gwyn use his arm as her pillow, and Gwyn sleeping peacefully on Tristan's arm while holding his other hand. "His first love and his first _true love..._ Now I really wish I had my camera..."

"Well, strictly speaking, they're the two women he's actually _ever_ loved," James grinned, as Anne smiled on and Cole nodded. 

"He's only fallen in love for all the right reasons, that's for sure." Looking at Anne, he gave her a bright smile. "He's only really loved Cynthia before Gwyn - but their love went from platonic to briefly romantic and back to platonic with a side of lust, though they use the lust to joke with each other - like earlier. With Gwyn though, it's completely romantic... Cute really."

"She's never been like this... well, I've never seen her this peaceful and happy. I can tell from a household point of view, you can relate because you see her at work."

"And all it took was a slip of a boy to crack her defences," smiled James.

"That's because he was the man that she had never thought she'd find."

"Definitely," replied the two men as they continued to look on at their friends.

"Really James, why don't you try kissing Cyn on the cheek?" Anne smiled. "I mean, you do that often after all... she won't kill you I'm sure."

"What's with everyone's obsession on this thing..." he grumbled before pecking Cynthia's cheek lightly, causing her to quirk the corner of mouth up in a smile.

"Another... five minutes, please," she grumbled, still grinning back at James while asleep.

"...shut up you guys..." he mumbled as both Cole and Anne chuckled.

"I'd say go for the lips now in a Sleeping Beauty-sort of thing, but I know she'd kill you if she knows..." Sitting up, Cole made his way over to Cynthia and kissed her cheek, watching her smile even more before opening her eyes. "Welcome back, Sleeping Beauty."

"Hey," Cynthia muttered, blinking back at him as she realised that it had been Cole. "I thought it had been James at first..." she smiled.

"It was, but he just wanted to tease you instead," he winked at her, making her smile back at him.

"You're all awake?"

"Except for the sweethearts," James grinned back, as he arranged back his glasses. 

"Plans on how to wake them up?" Cynthia winked back at the three of them as she looked over at the two still huddled closely to each other.

The four began to toss a few ideas around until Jasper barked at them.

"What is it, Baby?" Anne asked, crouching down next to him as the puppy wagged his tail back and sat in front of her. "Oh, I get it..."

Giving them a 'grin' he made his way over to the pair and began licking them, causing a few giggles to escape from them.

"Jas, stop that, it tickles," Gwyn chuckled as she opened her eyes and leaned over to rest on Tristan, not really realising that they were still lying down in the park. "Come wake up Daddy, come."

Barking again, he nuzzled his head under Tristan's chin, causing the young man to laugh. "Jas...tickles..."

"Sure does," Gwyn whispered as she moved her hands to his side and tickled him slightly. "Oops."

Laughing now, Tristan began to roll around on the ground as he felt the tickling.

"Ahem..."

"We're still here you know..."

Cracking an eye open, Tristan blearily stared up. "Huh?"

"Good morning handsome," the two men chorused as they moved close to place a kiss on his cheek, laughing as Tristan realised what they had just done and started making gagging noises, while the three girls looked on, laughing out.

"You guys can be totally creepy sometimes..." he grumbled while sitting up and pouting.

"That was unexpected," Gwyn chuckled, as she placed a quick kiss on Tristan's lips, earning a smile in return.

"Oh for sure..." he continued to pout.

"Now, feel like having some tea? I'm sure someone would love to have a muffin..." Anne winked back at Tristan.

"The double chocolate one and you have a deal."

"Anything you like," she laughed as she reached over for the bags to start preparing everything.

Resting on his back again, Tristan stared up at the sky and studied the clouds as Jasper continued to snuggle against Tristan. Laughing, he looked down at the puppy. "You... you are so getting a bath when we get home Pal..."

"That's for sure," Gwyn and Anne replied in unison.

"Can't have puppy going around dirtying around the house," Cynthia told them as she had a sip from her tea.

"Yep, and both Gwyn and Anne have _two_ of them to deal with," snickered James.

"Not really, Tristan isn't too much of a trouble at home... you just need to do extra laundry, and... prepare more food in the kitchen," Anne nodded.

"So... he's no different now than he was when was a teenager..." laughed Cole. "Nice to know Kiddo."

Sticking his tongue out at Cole and James, he gave them the evil eye.

"What?" both of them asked, with a grin on their faces while all had their cups of tea in their hands.

"So mean to me..." he whined as Anne had handed him his tea - done exactly how he normally takes it.

"That's because we love you," James told him, as Cynthia giggled by his side.

"Yep. That we do," Cole replied as he sat by Tristan and slung an arm around his shoulders.

Drinking his tea, he leaned against Cole. "Yeah, love you guys too."

"So, after this tea party, you guys have any plans?" Cynthia asked them, as she literally devoured her muffin as Tristan stared back at her amused.

"Not really... and I see that you're totally digging those muffins, Cyn."

"Mmh?" she replied. "They're plain awesome."

"How about a walk?" Gwyn suggested as she finished up her tea and had the last bite off her muffin.

"Walk sounds good," Tristan replied in between bites of muffin before moving onto another one.

"Depends though... walk as in romantic walk between you two or group walk with all of us? To be frank, I really feel like lazying around to tell you the truth so, if you like to have some time for yourselves, go on," James told them, winking back.

"Uh..."

"Go ahead," Anne and Cynthia nodded at the two of them, while Cole winked back. 

"What do you think?" Gwyn smiled back at him, as she stood up and placed the tea-cup on the picnic cloth. "Might as well..." she whispered, running off. "Try to catch me Tris."

Eating the last of his second muffin, Tristan shrugged off Cole's arm and got up from the ground, with Jasper at his heels. "Wha?! Get back here!" Laughing, Tristan took off in a flash and easily caught up to Gwyn, tackling her to the ground playfully as Jasper joined in the fun of tickling his mommy.

"Man... aren't you fast..." she muttered in between laughs. "Two against one isn't fair, stop it you two," she told them as she continued laughing.

"Jas, off. Daddy needs some time with Mommy..." snickered Tristan as he bent down and kissed Gwyn deeply.

Giving them another bark, Jasper trotted off to meet the rest of the group while leaving his 'parents' alone.

"Some time with Mommy eh?" she smiled. 

"Definitely some time with _Mommy_ ," he grinned back as he kissed her again.

Helping her up, Tristan wrapped his arm around her waist as he led her on a walk around the lake. As they walked, the pair easily slipped their hands in one another's and talked as if they were the only ones in the world. While the others continued to relax around the picnic area, Tristan and Gwyn found a nice shady tree to sit under.

Sitting Gwyn in front of him, Tristan wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his chin on her shoulder as they watched the people walk by. "You're thoroughly enjoying yourself today, aren't you, Sweetheart?" he whispered gently.

"Mmm-hmm, as much as you... you're feeling quite relaxed, aren't you?" she smiled, as she felt him kiss her neck softly. 

"Very much so..."

Turning in his embrace, Gwyn made Tristan rest his back against the tree and kissed him back passionately, taking him completely by surprise. He wouldn't have expected her to do that in public, but most probably because of the context, and because there was practically no one either of them knew around, Gwyn was pretty much feeling at ease, and pulled herself closer as she wrapped her arms tightly around him.

Once their kiss ended, Tristan kept his hold on her, smirking the entire time. "Very sneaky babe, but I loved it. Is that a taste of what's to come for tonight?" 

"Might be," she chuckled, resting her forehead against his. 

Grinning wickedly, he took advantage of their position by shifting himself against her - pretending that there was no clothing between them. "Sounds good to me," he whispered as he kissed her. 

Realising that he was actually teasing her, Gwyn chuckled as he kissed, making him move against her even more. "Really now Tris... we're still in a park..." 

"I know... just giving you a taste as well..." he continued to grin wickedly.

"Why do I think you've got something planned for this evening, mmh?" 

"What makes you think I've got something planned? I just wanted to enjoy a nice, long, _leisurely_ bath this evening..."

"Define leisurely..." she whispered, as she rested her head on his shoulder while letting out a giggle.

"Just me and the bubble bath. Although, I'll make room, should you want to join me... and make it worth your time."

"Won't deny that invitation... sounds perfect to me..."

"We can relax by slow-burning candlelight again if you want." 

"Mmm-hmm," she hummed.

"Ready to join the others? We've got work in the morning... bleh."

"One last thing and we can go," she told him, leaning in to kiss him again. 

"...Which would be?"

"This," she whispered, pinning him against the tree and kissing him passionately, as he wrapped her arms around her waist in response.

Returning her kiss, he held her tightly as he was glad for the both of them that the day turned out so well.

"Head back sweetheart?" she smiled back at him.

"Sure. Lead the way, _Assistant Director_..."

Taking his hand in hers, Gwyn lead Tristan back to the picnic-area, finding the other discussing and laughing happily.

"Hey everyone, everything good?"

"Yeah, James was talking about workplace pranks," Anne smiled back at the two, noticing that they were holding each other hands.

"Oh God... still remember some of them... just plain hilarious... remember the one we did on Cole, saying that he had won the lottery?"

"That was a little one," James commented. "We had much worse than that, right Tris?" he grinned.

Laughing, he nodded. "Oh yeah, I think the last major one we did was when you guys turned my office into a sea-side holiday... complete with sand... I nearly killed you guys."

"You just gotta admit, that deckchair instead of your executive chair was quite fitting," Cole snorted as Cynthia stifled a laugh.

"When did that happen?" Gwyn asked, blinking back at them.

"I believe you had gone to some conference, as well as the fact that we hadn't started working together yet..."

"Yep, exactly," Cynthia confirmed. "I think it was just a few weeks before he got promoted to Manager." 

"Yeah, that's when it was. It was my, 'now that you're promoted take a vacation' nudge..." 

"I see," Gwyn smiled, inadvertently clutching Tristan's arm tighter as she recalled having to leave for a conference related first to work, then to the Clan with Fred himself at about the time they were actually referring to.

"For effect, one of these guys left me a pair of swim trunks so I decided to go with the flow and worked in my office wearing nothing but the swim trunks and sunglasses - while laying out on my deckchair," smirked Tristan. 

"That would have been quite the sight," she chuckled, in a way trying to get the thought out of her head while hoping that he wouldn't have noticed her unease. 

Feeling her grip tighten around his arm inadvertently, Tristan rubbed her hand comfortingly. "It was. Cyn has the pictures to prove it..."

"I'll fish them out and bring them to you Gwyn," she laughed.

"What's even harder to believe is that it was just at the start of this year... Man, time flies..." observed Cole while watching Tristan rest his head on top of Gwyn's.

"I'm alright, don't worry," she whispered back, only for him to hear as the others continued on discussing the various pranks.

Kissing her head, he continued to massage her hand. "Not worried, just enjoying the quiet for a bit." 

"Ah... I had thought you... nevermind," she told him, smiling.

"Just tell me when you're ready. I'll understand. For now, just enjoy this time."

"I will."

"So, since it's already five o'clock and we have an hour or so to get back, time to go home guys?" Cynthia suggested as she raised her head up to look at the sky. "Plus, seeing the clouds, I wouldn't want us to get caught in the rain. That stuff isn't too convincing you just gotta admit it."

"Doesn't convince me too much either since I have to drive back... Cole what do you think?" James thought out aloud. 

"Probably best, as we've got work tomorrow. What's say you Kiddo, ready to turn in?"

"Anyone up for dinner?"

"I don't mind if you-"

"Stop right there Anne... we don't mean at Gwyn's house, we mean eating out. Plus, we wouldn't mind treating you since you've done so much for us," James grinned, earning a wink from Cynthia and a high-fiver from Cole.

Smirking, Tristan laughed. "So... that means James is treating? Sweet."

"Me and Cole dear," James grinned earning a killer glare from Cole. 

"You are sooo... evil. Tris I swear..."

"Just pasta. I mean, Gino's does the whole 'family style' dinner - and should be pretty easy on the wallets. Plus the portions are ginormous and they refill them," Tristan replied sagely, which earned a nod from Cynthia.

"I'm in! And for a huge plate of spaghetti too!" she exclaimed as the other stared at her for a brief moment then burst out laughing in response.

"Here goes the diet again," James smirked as Cole nudged him slightly.

"Not like she needs to... I think she's perfect already," smiled Tristan.

"I'm with the kid, Cyn looks good already," chimed Cole.

"Got too many defects, stop that you two," she pouted blushing slightly as Anne and Gwyn looked on, smiling.

"What defects? You're gorgeous, great body, athletic, smart, funny, sweet, kind... I could go on and on about you. Just because you have high standards doesn't mean that you won't find someone - but rather, it's because you know you're totally worthy of finding someone that will love you for you. Anyone who wasn't or isn't willing to invest the time in getting to know you... well, I think they just don't deserve you." Once he finished, Tristan began blushing and sat quietly, staring at the ground and occasionally picking at the blades of grass.

"You really are sweet..." Cythia mumbled in return as she crouched down next to him and gave him a quick peck on his cheek. "But you do know that I hate my thighs," she pouted. 

"I love 'em, but then again... I'm usually drawn to them. The fact that you and Gwyn wear skirts and jeans that accentuate them... totally hot in my book. And I love that Anne is completely comfortable in her own style - another great plus."

"Well you haven't seen them lately so," she sighed standing up again, as Tristan still looked down. "Guys, we pack and head off for dinner?"

"Sure and yeah I have, you just don't see me looking," he winked while helping the others pack up.

"I mean without clothes, duh!" she blurted out, blushing as she made her way towards the others as Gwyn looked on.

Stopping what he was doing, Tristan looked over at Gwyn and gave her a smile before taking off after Cynthia. "Hey! Wait up!"

-

"We got everything right?" Anne asked as the others looked on at their picnic area and confirmed that they had left nothing unattended, while Gwyn had already gone to the car on her own with some of the bags.

"Yep, I think..."

"I believe that we do - say, anyone seen Cyn and the Brat?"

"There," James indicated with his right thumb up. "Said needed to talk out something."

"Man... she's just way too hard on herself sometimes. But he's equally stubborn... they really are like twins for the most part..." sighed Cole as he watched the pair talk it out, with Jasper being cradled in Cynthia's arms. "Mind that your boy is hashing things out with his best girl friend, Gwyn?"

"If he feels that he needs it, then he's free to do so," she replied, grabbing two other bags. "I don't mind," she finished walking off, as Anne sighed behind James and Cole.

"Why do I get the feeling that this is not a good thing..."

"No idea... and same..." frowned James as he watched Tristan share a laugh with Cynthia. "Anne, your thoughts?"

"Probably the Miss might be a little irritated, but not too much though... and it's not just this, most probably she's got other thoughts in her mind bothering her so..." she told them. "She'll be fine, trust me."

"Hope so," the both replied as the trio made their way back.

"...So, we'll make it a plan to just go run more. Fair enough?" Tristan grinned once he and Cynthia were within earshot of the others.

"Yes... and make it a point to bring Gwyn with you... hey, where is she?" she asked, blinking as she realised that she wasn't with the rest of the group any longer.

"I... found her. Give us a bit, please?" Patting Cynthia's shoulder, he took off for Gwyn's car and climbed in. "If you're mad at me, just say it already..." he whispered.

"I'm not mad at you."

"Convince me, please. I don't want to feel like there's a wall between us right now... You know that I love you both in different ways and that I can't throw away the friendship that I have with Cyn nor sacrifice my relationship with you. So please, talk to me - and only talk to me about what you're comfortable with talking to me about."

"I'm not angry at you, really. But... whatever," she smiled. "See if Anne is ready and we can get going..." she told him, hating to admit that she had felt slightly jealous at the two of them.

Grinning, he leaned over and kissed her soundly, as he was practically laying on top of her as he held her tight. 

-

"Sorry..." James squeaked as he accidentally opened the car door to check on the pair before slamming it shut and blushed furiously.

"Jamie, you're too young for this," Cole laughed, covering his eyes with his left hand.

"...shut up..." he grumbled as he pulled Cole's hand away from his eyes as he remained as red as a ripe tomato.

"The usual courtesy would've been to knock, y'know..."

-

Breaking their kiss, the pair tried to regain their breath as the both were lying on the car's seats, hugging each other tight.

"Wow... I don't believe we've kissed like _that_ before..." he chuckled while smoothing down her t-shirt.

"Sorry for acting like a jealous teen... I'm sorry..." she whispered nuzzling against his neck. "Don't know what the hell went wrong all of a sudden... I know I shouldn't even think something like that after all..."

"Got nothing to be jealous about..." he whispered soothingly. "I'm her moral support and if it means that I have to appeal to her more basic thoughts about herself - I'll do it for her as she just needs that extra boost sometimes. Regarding you, well, you're the one I keep fantasizing about for most of my waking hours."

"Love you... and no... we had totally missed out the car thing," she chuckled. "As for the kiss... yes, _that_ was something."

"The car thing?" he asked as they both sat up and fixed their clothing slightly, in Tristan's case it was a matter of putting his shirt back on. "Hand me my shirt please? I think it's by you..."

"Mmh," she hummed, having a look around her and spotting the shirt by her feet. "Here... and for the car thing, I meant making out like this," she winked.

Pulling on the shirt, he smirked back. "Ahh... and thanks." Kissing her once again, he opened his door. "Ready to go find the others?"

"Yeah... I need apologize to Cynthia too..."

"Fair enough." Taking her hand and squeezing it briefly, they both got out of the car and made their way over to the others. "I should probably change shirts before dinner... I have muddy paw prints all over it..."

"Yes, you should," she chuckled, as she locked her arm with his. "Even though that would be quite the original pattern, you just have to admit."

"That's true too..." he laughed as he looked at the guilty party in question, who was eating a bit of chicken from one of the leftover kebabs. "Now, did he get that when you guys weren't looking or did someone give it to him?"

"Me Tris, he was looking at me in cute puppy eyes and just couldn't resist," Cynthia admitted grinning back at the two. "I'm glad you're alright."

"I'm sorry Cyn... I acted like an idiot."

"Uhm... Anne, Cole, let's get back to our cars... listen Tris, do you mind meeting up with us at the restaurant? I think you three should ride together on the way back," James suggested as he placed his hands on their respective shoulders.

"Makes sense to me. Go on ahead, and we'll meet you there," he smiled as both Cynthia and Gwyn were talking quietly.

"Come on gang!" James laughed, as he pushed Anne and Cole ahead of him towards the car. "See you there!"

"No need to worry... I mean, I think I've done worse," Cynthia looked down, as Tristan came back into view. "I used to go on a rampage whenever some girl was an idiot with him... or talked... or even looked... I've done my part, trust me. But I can understand, me and the crazy boyfriend of yours are still close friends - weird as it may sound - so... listen, whenever you get irritated on how we act, or if we do something you don't like, just tell us. I'll definitely won't mind," she smiled. "You belong to each other and I wouldn't even dream to cause trouble between you two... I've never seen Tristan happy, trust me, I-" she stopped, as she was taken by surprise when Gwyn hugged her close.

"Thank you."

Wrapping his arms around both of them, he gave them a kiss on both their cheeks. "And I love you both," whispered Tristan as Jasper barked in agreement.

"So, I don't know about you two, but I'm starting to get hungry," Cynthia grinned back at them. 

"Uhh... no comment..." Tristan replied sheepishly as his stomach began to growl.

"Alright alright, off we go then," she walked off, leaving the two alone. 

Turning to Gwyn, he picked up Jasper and grinned at her. "Do you want to hold our very muddy baby or should I?"

"I actually feel like driving," she grinned mischievously back at him. "And by the way, you were right yet again."

"...About?"

"About Cynthia's reaction... it was, just like you said..."

"What can I say, I'm good at reading people..." he chuckled as Jasper began licking him happily and smudging more mud onto his shirt. "Jas..."

"Baby, we'll need to scrub off the dirt both off you and Daddy this way," she laughed resting her head on Tristan's shoulder. "Make sure you keep him on you for the trip back, Puppy would mess up the whole car."

"Can do..." he replied while clutching Jasper tighter. "I'll probably save the scolding for later," he whispered as Jasper was occupied at barking at some of the passers-by.

"Jas... you do it again and you don't get meatballs at the restaurant," she told him sternly as the puppy raised his ears at the word. "Think he understood that?" Gwyn asked, as they walked towards the car.

Looking down, Jasper whined slightly as Tristan put the final nail in the coffin, "Bad dog."

Bowing his head slightly, the puppy stilled in Tristan's arms.

"Now he gets the point," he whispered as he set Jasper onto the ground, who sat obediently at their feet, his head still downcast. Removing some treats from his pocket, he handed a few over to Gwyn.

"Hey baby, come here," she whispered, crouching down. "You be a good boy on the way back, and you'll get a greater treat at the restaurant, I promise," she smiled back, while patting his head.

"Jasper." The puppy looked up at Tristan, who smiled gently. "Good boy," he replied as he held out a treat for him.

Taking the treat, Jasper gave them a happy smile before Tristan commanded him to settle down as they both got into the car, with Cynthia looking on in amusement.

"All's alright with my favourite couple?" Cynthia grinned as she watched them get inside, while Gwyn started the car.

"Definitely," Tristan replied as Jasper remained well-behaved as Gwyn began driving back towards Tristan's apartment. "Mind the detour? The baby and I need a bath..."

"Oh no problem at all."

-

"I can't even remember the last time I came here Tris," Cynthia told them as the three of them got inside Tristan's apartment.

"I think I'm starting to make Gwyn's place my more permanent home now..." he snickered as he opened his fridge. "Thank God I don't keep any perishable food here now... I'd never eat it..." Hearing a bark as well as scampering about come from his room, he knew that Jasper had found his closet. "'Scuse me - need to rescue my clothes from my puppy..." he replied hurriedly as he set off to find Jasper.

"Well, you could use this place as a second home when you want to stay closer to the sea," Cynthia commented. "Tris, do you have any small juice pack of apple juice? I'm kinda thirsty..."

"Check the chill drawer-Jasper! Not that shirt! Noooo!"

"Hey hey hey, what's baby doing eh?" Gwyn stood up, as she walked in front of the puppy and scolded him with a stern voice. 

"He managed to pull one of my shirts off the hanger - thus ripping it..."

"Jas, what have we just told you mmh? Want us to leave you here while we go eat? Mmh?" she told him, as he gave out a low whine.

Sighing, Tristan removed a well-worn and faded grey t-shirt, another pair of boxers, and a fresh pair of jeans. "Jasper, bath time now..."

"Go Daddy now..."

Bowing his head, both boy and dog walked into the bathroom as Tristan began stripping off his clothes and entered the shower, turning on the taps. "Gwyn, could you and Cyn check if I have any dog shampoo under the kitchen sink? I think I have some after I let my dogs loose on the beach and had to bathe them here before giving them back to my mom."

"I will," Gwyn replied, heading off to the kitchen to have a look.

"Need help?" Cynthia asked.

"Dog shampoo..."

"Should be under the kitchen sink if I remember well," Cynthia told her. "At least that's what I remember him saying when he mentions that he takes his dogs to the beach."

"Let's check," Gwyn mused as she opened the cabinet and grinned in response. "That's it..." she muttered as she took hold of the bottle and headed back to the bathroom. "Thanks Cyn..."

-

"Make sure to dry him off well, or else he'd do another mess," Gwyn laughed while she talked to Tristan from behind the shower door as Cynthia managed to find her apple juice. 

"Sorry baby, no can do - I haven't even begun my shower yet. I'll leave the dog drying in yours and Cyn's capable hands." Chuckling, he managed to grab the soap bar and began cleaning himself up after having rinsed Jasper off.

"Is that so?" she grinned, as she opened the door and headed inside, calling for Jasper.

Barking, a clean, yet dripping wet Jasper came to Gwyn's feet.

"No... no no no Jas, don't shake... off..." she mumbled, as the puppy shook off the water from his coat, drenching up Gwyn's pair of trousers. "Oh thank you very much, that's just what I needed..." Laughing lightly, Gwyn moved to grab a large towel and wrapped the little bundle inside it, and left for the living room, finding an amused Cynthia grinning back at her.

"Oh we have a clean and... he shook off the water on you?" Cynthia laughed

"Yes," she replied, stifling a laugh. "Mind if you lend me a hand?"

"Sure sure," Cynthia told her, as she crouched down by her side. "One... two..."

"Three," she grinned, both laughing as they started drying the puppy off, not realising that some time had actually passed and Tristan was standing in the doorway, looking amused at the two of them.

"And don't the three of you make for an absolutely adorable picture," he grinned as Jasper darted over to him.

"Hello you," Cynthia looked up, grinning back at him. "Puppy was quite the challenge you know, ask Gwyn."

"Next time round, you do it," she scoffed, blowing off a random strand of hair that rested on her eyes.

Cocking his head slightly, he made his way over to them and bent down, first kissing Cynthia's cheek and then kissing Gwyn. "Thank you, you two."

"You're welcome."

"Now take your blessed puppy and finish off," Cynthia winked back at him as she handed him the bundle over. 

Sitting on the floor, Tristan took the towel and easily finished drying Jasper off, who continued to snuggle against Tristan's t-shirt. "Alright, I can take the hint... I'll find my really ratty t-shirts and make a shirt for you to wear...that way you can look like me..." he chuckled as he pet Jasper's head.

"Want me to find you something to wear?" Gwyn returned, holding a glass of apple juice for him. 

"Oh thanks and what do you mean? I'm dressed... last I checked."

"Shirt's all wet again dear," she grinned back, moving behind him and slipping it off from him. "I'll fetch you a dry one."

"Here," he laughed as he helped her pull off the wet shirt and kept his arms around Jasper to keep him from chasing after Gwyn. "Ah ah... Jasper."

"Will be back in a minute."

"So how is your delicious juice box, Cyn?" Tristan asked casually as he kept his hold on Jasper.

"Quite good actually... you should go get some groceries Tris though when you have time."

"I would... if I actually spent more time here..."

"Or when you go with Anne get some stuff for you too," Gwyn suggested as she got back with a navy blue polo-shirt in her hands. "Here."

"Nice to know that I have multiples of the same shirts..." he laughed as he pulled it on.

"I thought this looked familiar," she giggled. "I said to myself - doesn't he have a similar one at home? And I was right I suppose."

"Can't go wrong with the basics. I think I mostly have multiples as I keep outgrowing them... ah ha, just as I thought," he chuckled as he stood up, only to find that the end of the shirt barely reached the waistband of his jeans. Stretching his arms slightly, his bare stomach (as well as the tops of his boxers) could be seen easily - making both Cynthia and Gwyn take notice of the _very_ form-fitting polo shirt.

"Babe, I need you to put on another shirt..." Gwyn snickered. "Accentuates _too_ much. Plus, I can see _that_ ," she chuckled, pointing out at his boxers. "Really, I don't want fangirling over you at the restaurant..."

"Heh... I've been needing to sort out clothes I don't wear anymore... Looks we found one. This shirt probably suits you more than me now... and what do you mean, 'fangirling'?"

"We can take it back home if you like," she suggested. "But come get your shirt first please..." 

"Yeah, as much as I like looking at it," Cynthia snickered. "It looks it got shrunk on you."

"Fine..." he laughed as he pulled off the shirt and headed back into his room, before coming back out wearing a black polo shirt. "Better?"

"Perfect!" Cynthia exclaimed, as Gwyn looked on with a mischievous grin. "Black looks good on you." 

"Gee... nice to know it doesn't take much to make you guys happy," he smirked. "Where'd the other shirt go?"

"In my bag," Gwyn grinned.

"You could always wear it now... I mean, after all, Jasper got mud on you too..." 

Looking down at her shirt, Gwyn realised that Tristan was actually right - there really were splotches of mud every now and then on her shirt, which really required changing. Grabbing back the shirt from her bag, she hurried off into his bedroom and came back donning the shirt herself, having practically a perfect fit. 

"Like I said, you look good wearing my clothes," Tristan gawked slightly as Cynthia nodded in approval and Jasper barked as well. 

"Thank you," she smiled back at them. "But you sure prefer my shirts on me, than yours... anyway, since Puppy's sparkling clean, we go?" 

"I do, but there is something really sexy about you wearing my stuff... since you're now partial to my sweatshirt, wore my red t-shirt today, and are now wearing my too small navy blue polo..." he leered playfully as Cynthia laughed.

"As much as I hate to admit it, I really agree with his really base observation - you wear his stuff really well actually. The blue t-shirt from last night and his shirts from today are proof of that. You do look very hot in them indeed," grinned Cynthia.

"Mmh, alright alright," she whispered blushing slightly.

"Alright, time to go," replied Tristan as he escorted Gwyn out of the apartment while Cynthia held Jasper's leash, who was more than eager to get going.

"Yes baby we're going to get you food."

-

"What took you guys so long?" asked Cole as he greeted them. "We've already got a table and everything." 

"Jasper happened. He tore one of my shirts and since he was so muddy, I had to give him a bath - not to mention that I needed one as well. Also, Gwyn needed to change too, since he got his mommy too."

"In a shirt of yours," James commented as he leaned down to pat Jasper. 

"Oh believe me, I was supposed to wear that shirt actually... then they both overruled me... said it'd cause fangirling..."

"If you were gonna wear that shirt, I suppose so," Cole snickered. "Now, will you sit down please? I'm kinda hungry."

"Hey Jas, missed you too..." Anne smiled, as she placed the puppy on her lap. "It's good that the restaurant accepts dogs."

"I'm not getting the 'fangirling' thing - what the hell are you guys talking about?"

"He would have been wearing a skin-fitting shirt, showing his abs and his stomach... you know they wouldn't have stopped staring," Cynthia told them. "We wouldn't want Gwyn to kill off some girls, would we?" she winked back at her.

"Ohhh," replied James and Tristan. 

"Got it now?" 

"Yep, sure do!" James snickered as Tristan simply blushed.

"Didn't really think that my shirt was such a big deal..."

"It's not the shirt," Gwyn chuckled, as she placed a kiss on his cheek while they sat down at the table.

Observing the others, he leaned over and whispered to Gwyn. "If not the shirt then what?" 

"Honey I'd have women drooling all over you, not because of the shirt though," she chuckled. "And that's the last thing I'd want to see tonight."

"Then... should I be free to wear that shirt in the comfort of home then?"

"Without that shirt, dear," she chuckled as Cynthia grinned back while observing them silently.

"So what am I to you... eye candy?" laughed Tristan.

Laughing as Cynthia joined in, Gwyn merely nodded back and smiled back at him. "Yes honey."

"Well then you two, fangirl away at me please, I'm enjoying making you two happy," Tristan smirked mischievously.

"Modest much Kiddo?" chuckled Cole.

"I'm starting to think we should just try to put him in an ugly outfit, maybe that'd turn the girls away from staring..."

"I doubt it - they'd probably try to get him out of the outfit as soon as possible..."

Mentally picturing the scenario, James began thumping his head against the table. "Really disturbing mental image... thanks jerk..."

"Just doing my part to annoy you," Cole patted James' shoulder gently.

"Can we order already, I'm kind of starving now you know..." Cynthia grinned back at them, as she wiped away the tears from the laughing antics caused by the boys.

"Yes..." replied James and Cole.

Raising her hand slightly, Gwyn called one of the waiters who arrived immediately. Chuckling all the way while she passed the orders of the others to the waiter, the rest of the group continued to talk out loud and joke about the fangirling thing - with Cynthia mentioning how much the three of them are actually fangirled about at work.

"You don't even imagine," Cynthia chuckled, as Gwyn thanked off the waiter who headed back to the kitchens. "Tris you should know, considering that godforsaken fanmail you got some time ago."

"Wait - fanmail? He got fanmail? When?"

"Yeah... what the-ohh, was that when he beat... yeah, I remember now, good times. There's this one woman who often came by the asshole's office during the day... Man, she was _pissed_ when she heard about it - everyone else over at my place was celebrating..." mused Cole.

"I thought the fanmail was funny...though I could never use over half the stuff..." chuckled Tristan.

"Who was it Cole, any idea? The woman I mean," Gwyn blinked back at him, her curiosity piqued.

Scratching his cheek, he thought for a moment. "Umm... her name starts with an 'L' but I can't remember it though... They never really talk in the open, but rather in his office... I've seen her elsewhere though..."

"Never seen her else... where..." she wondered, looking back at Tristan. "You mean... she doesn't work in your floor for sure..."

"Nope. She takes the elevator for sure... but it's the elevator from the higher floors... you know, the elevator that you, Cyn, and the kid use to get to your floors..."

"Wait a minute. Starts with an 'L' you said right? Oh damn, I know who she is..."

"You do?" Cynthia, Cole and Tristan asked at the same time.

"CEO's PA."

"WHAT?! ARE YOU SURE?!"

"Just remind me what's her name," Gwyn sighed, resting her chin on her hand, while keeping her elbows on the table and rolling her eyes.

"Um... it's... shoot... ah ha! Lara! God I hate that bitch..." grumbled Cynthia.

"That's right! Lara... she creeps me out..."

"I hate it when she stares at me..." mumbled Tristan. "Ever since that thing... she keeps eying me like she's gonna kill me or something..."

"Precisely. God I should have known, explains many damn things."

"Tris... I don't really think she'd want to kill you," James mumbled, resting his head on the table.

"Explains what?" Tristan asked as the waiters began placing baskets of bread in front of them. "She might... She was one of the people that didn't give me fanmail..."

"Explains why that thing between me and Black happened. He couldn't have known my precise whereabouts that evening, and from where I would have passed, someone would have tipped him off."

"And... forget that fanmail, probably she'd want other things. I mean, you ever seen her looking at you, she doesn't just stare. She scans you," James finished.

"Eww... no... gross. But what I meant by that was like out of all the people in the office - excluding you guys - she and someone else didn't send me anything. I should know, I checked all the names of the employees against the people that sent me stuff... And I hate it when she stares at me... makes my blood run cold..."

"If that's the case, just keep away from her too, aside from Black," she told them, while Tristan took her free right hand in his. "Don't trust her."

"Agreed," they all chorused together.

"Most probably she's Black's personal informant so... she'd do anything to fish information from anyone, even though she might seem like the most innocent person in the world. Believe me, I'm quite surprised myself..."

"She never seemed innocent to me... she'd keep looking at me like I was her... dunno... rival or something..." Tristan replied in between bites of bread.

"Well you're the one meeting her more than we do Gwyn, so, make sure to keep an eye on her," Cole whispered back.

"Yeah, and we'll keep an eye out for her too. Say Tris?" James smiled as he buttered his bread.

"Hmm?"

"Do you know who else didn't send you fanmail?"

"I'd have to look at my notes - they're in my office..."

"Think they'd be all Black's allies? Not necessarily..." Cynthia mused.

"Just a thought Cyn, and I was being cautious," smiled James.

"We could easily check those and get an idea..."

Nodding, Tristan began to wrack his brain for who else didn't give him anything while the pasta was being served. "Ooohh... smells good."

"That looks great!" Cynthia grinned as the waiter placed a full plate of spaghetti in front of her.

"Fantastic choice Kid, as usual," grinned James and Cole as the plates of food continued to be placed all around the table.

"And here's the little plate for baby," Gwyn chuckled, leaning down to place a small bowl at her feet for Jasper, who wagged his tail in response and dug in immediately.

Digging into his own plate, Tristan paused momentarily to flag down one of the waiters and asked for more cheese before resuming. "Mmm... haven't had pasta in a while. So good..."

"Technically, not too much, I remember cooking pasta for you not so long ago..." Anne mused as she smiled back at the waiter who had brought another bottle of still water.

"Yeah, that was like last week... which is a long time," grinned Tristan.

"You eat so much that you actually forget what you chomp down Tris," James smiled while he started to eat his plate of fusilli.

"Hmm... well, considering I was sick a few days ago, it kinda threw my memories of what I ate earlier that week aside..." he replied while devouring the sausage and meatballs on his plate.

"That's true..." Anne nodded. "You're right," while looked back at Gwyn who had turned slightly silent.

"Gwyn, no moping at the dinner table, please," smiled Tristan.

"Mmh?" she hummed back, snapping out of her thoughts. "I wasn't really moping, I was just thinking about Lara."

"We'll deal with it when the time's right. For now, it's eating time with friends, plus having dessert at the dessert bar sounds like it'd cheer you up a bit..." Grinning, Tristan fed her a meatball as he stole some chicken off her plate.

"D'awwww..." Cole and James chorused, as they both continued eating after Cynthia's glare. "Alright ma'am."

"Promise I won't think about it though," she smiled back at all of them. "I was just... mentally going through some things and thinking how she was actually related to them."

"Less thinking and more eating!" Everyone, including Anne, replied back at Gwyn. 

"Oh alright," she smiled, turning her attention back to her plate.

After countless plates of pasta, several glasses of wine and lemonade, and more breadsticks than any of them could count, the group sat around the table quite contentedly.

"Not one mention of food, or hunger, or diet or I swear I'm killing you all. I'll need to walk the whole coast ten times to burn all of these carbohydrates," Cynthia laughed resting her head against James. "And Jamie, did you need to order that tiramisu' cake thing?"

"Oh you loved it, just admit it Cyn."

"The kid killed it... I still can't really believe that."

"Why is everyone insistent that I can eat everything in sight without overdoing it?" whined Tristan as the waiters took his plate away. "But I'll admit though, it was quite good..."

"Because we're hundred percent sure you'll burn anything you ate pretty soon," Cole nodded, as he felt Jasper brush along his legs. "Hey boy..."

"Jas, don't bother Cole, come here," Gwyn called, as the puppy immediately ran by her side and jumped on her lap.

Blowing a raspberry at Cole, Tristan slumped in his seat and leaned his head against Anne's. "Have a good day?"

"Had quite the break I must admit, felt like a holiday to tell you the truth," she grinned back. "And you should head back home now, it's Monday tomorrow."

"Which home? My actual one or back to your's and Gwyn's place?"

"Gwyn's place," all of them replied in unison, as Anne smiled and Gwyn chuckled.

Rolling his eyes, he felt Jasper crawl onto his lap and grinned. "Guess I'll head back to Gwyn's place then..."

"As if you had another choice," snorted Cole.

"I could've..."

"Face it Kiddo, just embrace the fact that you now have another home to go to," laughed James.

"Not that he minds it," Cynthia smiled, winking back at him.

"Oh definitely, as he'll always manage to find food waiting for him, as well as a well-stocked fridge," Cole chuckled as he ruffled Tristan's hair. 

"Mind you, he helps me out with the grocery shopping when he can, so... I can't really complain."

"When he helps you with the groceries, are they for all of you or just him?" James asked curiously. 

"For the four of us, but he tends to get a lot of things for him and Gwyn," she chuckled, recalling the last time there had gone shopping.

"So... does that mean he gets-"

Clamping their hands over James' mouth, both Cynthia and Cole gave Anne a tired smile. "Lots of chocolate?"

"And wine, and sweets," she replied naïvely.

Giving them a shy grin, Tristan nodded in response as Gwyn chuckled quietly. "I also get her ice cream actually..."

"He'd never forget ice-cream in his list," Cynthia grinned. "That's a must."

"She became a big fan of the cinnamon ice cream from the dessert bar."

"Anything with cinnamon," Gwyn confirmed. "Tea, buns... chocolate..."

"That's quite the influence," Cynthia replied. "Sounds very much like Tristan to me."

"I can't tell if that's a compliment or an insult..."

"I wasn't insulting you," she pouted, as Cole and James burst out laughing.

"Cyn, he didn't say that you were insulting him, but rather he couldn't tell. And actually... was that a compliment?" Cole asked gently.

"I meant it was a good influence, after all Gwyn's even eating more than she ever did thanks to him, right?" 

"Agreed," they all replied. 

"Bill and head back home everyone?" James suggested as he called for the waiter at the table.

"Yes please and thank you!"

"Thank you?" Cole and Cynthia asked, raising an eyebrow.

Looking up, Tristan gave them a grin. "Thank you as in thank you for a great meal?"

"Ah so you were talking to the waiter, alright," Cynthia chuckled, nudging Cole with her elbow. "I think neither of us understood that."

"After years of knowing me, you can decipher me when I mumble sleepily and yet something as simple as saying thanks to the wait staff was difficult to figure out? Pffft..."

Immediately, the three of them simply stared at Tristan and hung their heads in shame, chuckling to themselves.

"You must admit it was pretty straightforward," Anne nodded as Gwyn just grinned back.

"...I-you're right..." blushed Cynthia as she patted Tristan's head like he was a puppy. "Either way, you've been a very good boy at the dinner table. So you're good."

"Just a bark and you can officially call him Puppy No. 2," James guffawed as Cole snorted by his side. 

"Shut up, you've giving me weird images in my head, stop that," Cole told him as he laughed.

Grinning, Tristan let out a barking sound that sounded nearly identical to one of Jasper's - which caused the puppy to immediately bark back and lick Tristan's face.

"Gwyn, you just gotta admit it, you've really got two puppies after all," James chuckled as he watched the real puppy making feasts for his master.

"Jas..." Tristan managed to get out in between giggles as the puppy's paws kept hitting his sides.

"Well, they're cute to watch after all," Gwyn winked back at them. "I don't mind that."

Grasping Jasper's paws gently, Tristan settled the puppy down on his lap and wiped his face with his napkin to remove the excess slobber. "Well, what can I say, we're both adorable," he chuckled as Jasper let out a yawn. 

"Someone's getting sleepy already," Anne chuckled, as the waiter arrived with the bill and set it in front of them.

"Yep, both of them actually," Cynthia smiled as she watched Tristan stifle a yawn of his own.

Taking the bill in her hands beating everyone out as they were talking, Gwyn placed a cheque inside the booklet and handed it back to the waiter. "Thank you."

"Wha-hadn't we agreed that I'd..."

"Don't worry James, really," Gwyn chuckled.

"You are far too generous Gwyn, at least let James and I repay you..." 

"Ah forget it, it's nothing, I won't take it."

"Then is there anything we can do to help?"

"No, nothing at all, my treat," she smiled, earning a grin from Tristan in response.

"Just accept it and move on. I literally had to steal the check from when she wasn't looking every time we ate out last weekend. Gotta sharpen those skills guys if you want to beat her to the punch."

"Exactly!" she grinned back at the two of them triumphantly.

"Lost cause, Cole, it's a lost cause..."

"Agreed..."

"So, off we go?" Cynthia grinned as she saw James stretch out, while giving a couple of friendly pats to Cole's back.

"Off we go, Cyn. Thank you Anne, Gwyn... pups... for a lovely day out," grinned Cole as James gave them all an equally warm smile.

"Mmm-hmm," Gwyn smiled, as she planted a kiss on Tristan's cheek. "We should, someone's getting pretty sleepy now," she smiled as she stood up. 

After removing Jasper from Tristan's lap, Cynthia proceeded to drag the young man from his seat, which he let her do without whining. Once she got him to his feet, she patted his shoulders and kissed his cheek before presenting him to Gwyn. "One very sleepy, yet adorable Tristan Faraday for you to take home with you to do as you please," she grinned.

"I'll very willingly accept," she chuckled as she locked her arm with his. "Ready?" she asked as Anne clasped Jasper's leash to his collar and started heading outside.

"Bye you guys, see you all tomorrow. And Cole, don't forget that you moved offices..." Tristan smiled brightly as he waved at his friends.

"As if I'd forget that!" he called back. "See you and good night!"

"Good night everyone!" chorused James and Cynthia as they waved farewell to Tristan and the others.

Waving back, Gwyn got into the driver's seat while Tristan, Anne, and Jasper got into the passengers' seats. Once settled, she drove them back home, with Tristan humming songs all the way back and Anne gently patting Jasper as he starting dozing off on her lap.

"Seems puppy's day out got him all tired," she told them as she gazed out at the city from the passenger's window.

"And it was a good day for him, at least he's proven that he's very friendly and good with other dogs and people. All the little kids wanted to play with him..." smiled Tristan.

"So he's friendly with children?" Gwyn mused, as she stopped at an intersection. "Good to know, especially when we'll take him with us to visit Neville and Lisa."

"Yeah, very patient. A few of the littler kids liked that his tail is so fluffy and that it's curled up the way it is. He was a very good boy with them."

"Too bad we didn't have a camera with us," Gwyn told them, driving off. "Next time round, we shouldn't forget that. I'd want a group photo of all of you."

"I know! Let's have another picnic or dinner the Saturday after James moves to the new Advertising space. We could have it in honor of his and Cole's promotions."

"Good idea!" Anne exclaimed from the back seat, making Jasper raise his head to look up at her. 

"And what do you think about that, Gwyn?"

"Sounds like a perfect occasion," she grinned back, as she slowed down the car having reached her place. 

"Great. I'll tell Cole to bring his camera - he's got a really nice one - and I think you have a really good one too, right Anne?" asked Tristan.

"Yes, got that as a present," Anne replied. "Gwyn knows," she chuckled.

"That's because I'd bought that for her," she told him, grinning as she stopped the car. "Marking the day when we got to know each other, right Anne?"

"Exactly."

"Do you have any photos that I can look at? One of my favorite things to do when visiting Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum at their place is looking through Cole's photo album."

"Mmh... not to my knowledge... or maybe they're somewhere I don't really remember..." she told him, lying since most of her childhood photos were either old nineteenth century photographs with Gwyn in her uniform or her dresses or with Anne in her maid uniform. "But, I'll be sure to pass it to you when I manage to retrieve it."

"Sure sure, whenever..." he waved absently.

"I never used to be much of a photograph person... but now... I think I've changed my mind," Gwyn told him as they got out of the car. "I'd love having some good shots of the two of us."

"Too bad we didn't get to keep the photos from the museum... though on the other hand, we got to keep the costumes... and we looked really good in them."

"We could take them on vacation if you like and take some if you like," she chuckled. "But it would be even better if we got the setting right," she continued, as she opened the door of the apartment and made way for both Tristan and Anne, accompanied by puppy.

"I don't think you'd enjoy the idea of prancing around in that dress on the sand, Sweetheart," laughed Tristan as he carried the bags.

"That would mean popping back at the museum or... maybe we can have a look at some interesting places to visit... one of these weekends," she smiled, closing the door behind her.

"What we should all do is go back to the museum and have a big 'family-style portrait'..."

-

"This is definitely strange of you... how come you've called for me this late?" a woman asked as she got inside an apartment, while taking off her overall.

Swirling his glass, the man looked up from his seat and knocked back his drink. "I've been curious to know if there have been any more rumblings from your boss..." Holding the glass tumbler still, he studied the remainder ice cubes. "I'm well aware that he's been in contact with AD Coulston recently. Any ideas as to what?"

"No, not really. I couldn't even get inside the office to pass him any documents, nevermind eavesdropping. He explicitely locked his door on purpose to keep the conversation between him and the pretty princess."

"Interesting times are ahead, my dear. And of the little pretty one, has your boss called for him?"

"No, and I can't recall having set any meetings with him either. The only time they'll meet up is for discussing Advertising with himself and AD."

"So... secretive meetings with the princess as well as meetings with little pretty and the princess every once in a while. Oh oh oh, you sly dog you..." Grinning, Black got up from his seat and made himself another drink. "My dear, I'd like for you to do a little fishing, if you please. If my theory is correct, then there may be a new member to the ranks very very soon..."

"You mean the kid?"

"Indeed."

"Oh what fun... you'll have to compete with the pompous brat now..."

"Not that I mind really, the boy should be quite fun to break in... As for the princess, mmm, she'll no doubt be gaining in her status - both within the Clan and at work. Tsk, and yet he claims to not play favorites..."

"You know Ry, I'm offended..."

"Oh? How so?" he asked while setting the tumbler on the coffee table.

"I've been around you and the boss for years now... and neither one of you ever thought of turning _me_ into one of you. Then comes the Faraday baby and you're all hyped up."

"Jealous now, are we? Heh, you've been the point of contention between Frederick and I - and have been explicitly told that I'm not allowed to do so... It's all to do with the Council and their ways, really. As for little pretty, well... I must admit that the Council and Frederick do have good taste in their candidates. Mmm, yes, quite so. Only the best and brightest... and he certainly is that. Also, he is quite the weak point for the princess - and I shall enjoy breaking him in front of her... Oh, such potential..." Chuckling, he stood behind the woman and began kissing her shoulder. 

"Now will you stop talking about those two? It's just plain sickening."

"Oh, is my dear getting tired of hearing the same talk from me, since she must endure it from Frederick, day in and day out? Seems as such," he whispered while grazing her skin with his fangs, leaving a bloody trail along the porcelain skin. 

"I do hear, my Gwyn here and my Gwyn there, Faraday this and Faraday that... so, should I be hearing this when I meet you too?" Then grinning she turned in his grasp and smirked. "You do love doing that don't you?"

Licking the blood from her skin, he continued his trail along her neck. "Mmm, quite so. As much as I do hate abiding by the rules of the Council, as well as Frederick, they do serve their purpose... but, I am also quite selfish. If the princess can have her little pretty, then what's to stop me from having you, hmm?"

"I've told you a million times that I'm ready to do that for you... whenever you wish, I'm here..." she closed her eyes as she felt him pulling her closer to him.

"Do you really think so, hmm?" he asked while making intricate cuts to her clothing with his now-sharpened nails.

"Yes, but I suppose..." she whispered, wrapping her arms around him. "You're thinking about something else that interests me more right now..."

Tugging on the fabric, the shreds of clothing easily came off and left her completely bare for the world to see. By the moonlight, Black studied the various cuts that he had caused and grinned in quite the predatory manner as he saw her finally react to the air hitting the various cuts all over her body. "Mmm, those look quite painful... I take it that you are quite enjoying the sensation?"

"I would have stopped you if I didn't..." she grinned back with that evil glint in her eyes he was particularly fond of.

Grasping her wrists roughly, and feeling her squirm as his nails dug into the delicate skin and flesh, he shoved her against the wall with a great deal of force, causing the picture frames to fall onto the floor.

"You're going to have to get new ones," she whispered back sensually.

"Not that I particularly care for them... They were merely for decoration. If pain is pleasure and pleasure is pain... Then you will absolutely love this... as they say the pain is quite unbearable..." Kissing her roughly, he purposely bit her tongue before finally sinking his fangs into her neck.

"Yes..." she laughed, clinging closer without realising that she was leaving blood marks all over him. "I'd been thinking about this the whole damn weekend Ry..." she finished, gasping as she felt him sink deeper into her skin.

As the woman was within the throes of ecstasy, Black opened his eyes to reveal a pair of glowing, blood-red eyes as he continued to drain her completely of her essence. "You wanted to join us, now you will be..."

At the same time that Black had turned his spy into his personal pawn, across town, another vampire and her human lover slept peacefully in each other arms as it continued to rain outside.

-

Spreading out various maps, photographs, and brochures all over his desk, Tristan grabbed his pen and began jotting down notes onto a legal pad. Weighing the pros and cons of various places, he grinned as he settled on a place that offered not only historical value for Gwyn, but also a variety of locales to visit and enjoy everything they had to offer - not to mention that it was quite tropical and sunny.

"Busy much?" the Assistant Director asked while she was resting, hands crossed over her chest, against the wooden doorframe of Tristan's office. "Got you these," she told him, holding out some reports in her hand.

Looking up, he grinned mischievously at her, which at first made her smile then gawk at him. Reaching up to touch his face, he realized just why she was staring. "Oh... hi?" 

"Tris, you could easily do that at home if you like..." she sighed back at him, with half a smile on her lips.

"I just thought that I'd get a jump on it," he mumbled shyly as he took the reports from her. 

Walking up by his side, and placing a kiss on his cheek, Gwyn chuckled and looked over at the brochures herself. "Did you find anything interesting?" 

"Yep. How would you like to take a trip to Brazil?"

"Sounds like... fun," she paused, turning her head round to check whether the door was locked. 

"Huh? What's up?" he asked while watching her move to the door.

"Oh nothing really, just..." she whispered. 

"Just...?"

Walking back up to his desk, Gwyn pinned Tristan slightly against the desk and kissed him slowly. "You should have warned me that you wear those sometimes..."

"Ohhh... you mean the glasses? Heh... I tend to wear them when I have a ton of reading to do. I got them when I was eighteen or so... You like?" he blushed as he pointed to the stylish pair of glasses adorning his face.

"Love them," she smiled. "Place them in my top five list of items I love to see you wearing."

Placing his hands on her waist, he pulled her close. "Your top five list of items, hmm? So, glasses, ties, and that Victorian uniform are the only things I can think of. What exactly are the other two things?" 

"Add your work shirts and your boxers to that and we've got the whole list," she grinned, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Just my boxers, hmm? Never thought that you would be so shallow sometimes." Chuckling, he placed his right hand under her chin and tilted her face up slightly to kiss her. 

"I can be a relatively normal woman sometimes, can't I?" she smiled, placing a kiss on his nose. "My overall favorite remains that uniform though... looks magnificent on you." 

"The other plus being that I have to wear so many damn layers, so you rather enjoy removing every. Little. Piece," Tristan accentuated the last three words with a teasing kiss. 

"Says he who absolutely adored slowly removing my corset," she whispered, wrapping her arms around his waist.

"Not like you minded my method of removal," he whispered back as he held her tightly. 

"Not at all... I think I need an actual reminder of that."

"I think I can perform an approximation of it with what you're currently wearing..." he teased as he began unbuttoning the vest that was a part of her suit.

"As if the vest is remotely similar to the corset..." she muttered, kissing him.

Kissing her back, he finished unbuttoning it and pushed it off her shoulders. "Ah ah, not so much in the literal sense, but rather, it is one of the items preventing me from getting to your breasts. And, I can easily take your bra off with my teeth, just like I used my teeth to pull on the corset's strings..."

"Tris, no rough stuff here," she laughed. "Don't forget we're at work..." she smiled. "Keep that for the comfort of our bed back home..." 

"...Or the comfort of your lovely soundproof office with a view," he smirked as he kissed deeply. "'Our' bed indeed..." 

"Well, it is that now," she replied, resting her forehead against his. "How about you come over later during lunchbreak, with the brochures and..."

"...and I can lounge comfortably in just my boxer shorts as I study my reports and vacation notes while wearing my glasses as well?" 

"Yes you can," she told him, laughing. "Love you sweetheart."

"Love you too, Babe," he grinned back as he kissed her cheek.

"Now, back to work," she winked back. "We can call at Cole's office if you like and see if everything alright at his end. Do you have any other appointments this morning?"

"Yes ma'am. Sure we can give him a call - just to check in, and I don't believe I have any appointments this morning." Settling back into his executive chair, he began flipping through one of the reports. "Best not forget your vest, Dear." 

"Oh I won't... it would be strange of the AD getting out of Faraday's office without her vest, you know," she told him, slipping it on again.

"Of course. It might get people talking about how the AD is carrying on quite the tryst with one of her managers - in his office no less." Smiling, he picked up the receiver. "Not that they would be completely on the mark - after all, we only have our trysts in _your_ office."

"Say that I shoved the vest at you after a professional anger bout with my Manager, really now," she laughed as she fastened back the buttons.

"Still sounds suspicious... as why would the AD be removing her clothing in her manager's office?" Laughing, he dialed Cole's extension. "Good morning Mr. Thompson, how are we doing?" 

Sitting down in front of his desk, Gwyn took one of the brochures in her hand and started flipping slowly page by page, studying their content intently, as she heard the conversation between Tristan and Cole. "Just tell him that we'll be coming over in a couple of minutes."

"As I've been instructed to tell you, the AD and myself will be stopping by in a couple of minutes... Alright see you in a bit." Setting the receiver back onto the cradle, he leaned back in his chair. "Studying what you'd like to see while on vacation for two whole glorious weeks?"

"Yes," she smiled back at him happily. "You know what? I'm really looking forward to this..."

"Me too, that's why I wanted to get a jump on it. Now, let's go see Cole as the sooner we check on him the better I'll feel. Also, the sooner it is to lunchtime..."

"Let's get going," she winked as she got back on her feet and walked towards the door. "By the way, is it just me or the incoming fancrap decreased?" she grinned. 

"It's just you... check my wardrobe over there to find it..." 

"Should I close my eyes before I open it?"

"Probably not, don't want you to get hit by anything," he laughed as he removed his glasses and stood up.

Turning to blink back at him, Tristan had reached her side to open the wardrobe himself. "Are you saying that it's all full up?"

"Uhh..." Chuckling, he opened the doors and let a cascade of miscellaneous items fall to the ground. 

"Oh they must be joking," she whispered, shaking her head. "Seriously..."

"Heh heh..."

"Can't you dispose of that stuff already?"

"This was this morning's... as well as the ones from when I was out on Friday... so, haven't had the chance to do so." 

"I really hope they stop someday, this is pretty frustrating, I mean, it's not like you're some famous actor or singer..." she sighed. "Anyway, we go to Cole's office?"

"Sure... and... maybe it's not because I'm famous or anything. Perhaps it's because of my looks?" 

"I don't want to know baby, I don't want to know," she replied, as she straightened up his tie and walked towards the door. 

Shrugging his shoulders, he followed her to Cole's office.

-

After making sure that Cole was nicely settled in, Gwyn had gone back to her office while Tristan headed over to the Advertising department's new space. Rather than keep the layout the same from the previous group, Tristan favored a more open area for all of the staff to work together where they could share ideas and talk freely. As he walked, he stopped for a moment as he felt as though someone was watching him. Shaking off the feeling, he continued to inspect the new space before heading back to his office when he saw the sense of his discomfort - Lara, the CEO's PA, had just turned up in the halls.

"Good morning, Ms. Howell. Have a good weekend?" Tristan replied while trying to keep his voice as neutral as possible.

"Quite a good one indeed, Manager Faraday..." she snickered, flashing a wicked grin back at him.

"Oh, well that's good to know. See you around," he replied as he gave her a slight wave and hurried back towards the direction of his office. 

_Kid's taking care of the Advertising project today, I'll be sure to tell Ry about it later_ , she thought as she made her way towards her office. "The boy will have quite the shadow from today onwards..."

Once he was sure that Lara had left, Tristan peeked out from underneath an unused desk and trotted off. "Wonder what that was about..." he asked himself as he entered his office and locked the door. Grabbing the receiver, he dialed Gwyn via Cynthia. "Morning Sunshine, have a good night's rest?" 

"Yes Handsome, good morning to you, spent some time reading in bed then dozed off with book in hand," she chuckled. "Dear, if you're looking for AD, she headed off to CEO's office as she had to hand him some urgent reports and his PA was not there, sick leave."

"Uhh... yeah... about that... listen, can you meet me inside Gwyn's office?"

"About what? Well, yes sure... come over now," she replied. "You're alright Tris, right?"

"I will be once I get there..." Hanging up quickly, he made his way over to Cynthia and Gwyn's area through the rear stairs. "Hi, yeah, let's speak inside, shall we?"

"No problem," she told him, opening the door for the two to get quickly inside. "You're scaring me, what's happened?"

"I ran into her - Lara - when I was walking the halls. So she can't be on sick leave," he said in one breath. 

"What? CEO himself told Gwyn that she's on leave..." she muttered, staring back at him.

"Whu-huh? I just saw her... and she was totally creeping me out... I mean she _smiled_ at me - she's never smiled at me before..."

"The hell... she's pretty strict but... isn't that bad about smiling, more like, she grins back at you rather than smiles in a way, but... why on earth shoud she be here if she's on sick? Totally unthinkable."

"Dunno... and it wasn't really a smile... more like a wicked grin actually... like she was plotting. But the worst thing was that I think she was watching me - no wait - _stalking_ me would probably be more appropriate," shuddered Tristan as he sat on the couch.

"Don't move from here and wait till Gwyn arrives. You'll need to talk to her about this."

Nodding, he pulled her into a hug. "Mind if someone grabs the stuff on my desk?" 

"As in who?" she smiled, as she rubbed his back slowly. "You need to calm down, she won't do anything."

"I'm trying... and I hope she doesn't, but since she's so cozy with Black, I can't really not worry. As for who... maybe Cole? Or maybe you if you're not too busy?" 

"I'll go get them for you... Cole must be pretty busy this morning so might as well avoid that for him. Just wait for me, won't take long," she winked back as she got out of Gwyn's office and headed straight for his. 

-

"Fred, I swear I felt the aura of a newborn," Gwyn told him, as she placed the reports on his desktop looking him straight in the eye. She had been pretty sure, and rather than a young one, she was absolutely confident that the feeling she got was that of a newly born existence. "Are you sure you haven't sensed it?"

"I haven't really felt anything, my dear. Perhaps it's your imagination?"

"I wasn't born yesterday, I can distinguish the difference between mine, yours or whoevers easily, but... recognizing newborns is the easiest of them all... "

"I wasn't doubting your abilities Gwyn, far from that, but I'm telling you that I cannot sense this so-called 'newborn presence'. And you know that I can easily sense one of our kind." Removing his pen from its holder, he began signing several documents. "Now, best be getting back to your work now, my dear and thank you for your assistance. Please let me know if there are any other problems."

"I... thank you... and sorry for disturbing," she nodded, backing away from his dear. "Oh... Fred?"

"Yes, my dear and no, you weren't disturbing me at all. What is it?"

"How come you answered the call directly when I phoned you up? Something wrong with your PA?"

"Oh, that. Ms. Howell had apparently come down with something last night and is on sick leave for a few days. Didn't I tell you earlier? My apologies if I hadn't as I thought I did."

"No you hadn't... I see... I'll see you then Fred," she smiled, nodding and turned to head towards the door. "Have a nice day."

"Good day my dear."

-

"Cynthia? Why on earth is the door to my office o... pen," she halted seeing Tristan in the office, while Cynthia was rearranging the documents on her desk according to the date of arrival. "Something's wrong isn't it?" she asked them, closing the door behind her.

"I saw her while I was in the Advertising space... it was Lara... and I think she was kinda like stalking me..." he mumbled as he continued to look out the window from the couch.

"Stalking?" Gwyn repeated, raising an eyebrow as she walked to the couch and sat by his side. "Lara? You mean Howell, the CEO's PA right?"

"Yeah. And... I'm not really sure how else to describe it. All I know was that I was inspecting the space and then I felt like someone was watching me - except my blood started running cold. I tried to shrug it off, but when I turned to leave, she was there walking through the halls. I greeted her out of courtesy and she in turn, answered and gave me a wicked grin - like she was totally up to something. I turned to leave and hid under a desk to watch her leave before I left for my office."

"If what I'm thinking is correct, she might be doing that on Black's orders..."

"I guess, but the stalking part? Also, she seemed a bit... dunno... off to me. I mean, she never smiles at me and yet today she did which is weird unto itself. And she just... she's carried herself differently than usual. And of course, she made me feel like I was... prey..."

Raising an eyebrow, Gwyn rested a hand on his lap and looked at him sternly. "You need to keep away from her, both of you."

Nodding, he slumped in his seat and rested his head against the back of the couch. "What's going on with that asshole that he now has to send his lackeys to start spying for him..."

"But Gwyn shouldn't she be on sick leave? Lara I mean?" Cynthia commented as she was resting against the AD's desk.

"Yes she officially is, I asked Fred about it as I was curious as to why he had called for me to pick up reports himself. Turns up she was on leave... which leaves me pretty much perplexed. As for the Black thing... what were you expecting? He's just like that - a cowardly bastard that resorts to dirty tactics to get what he wants."

"I didn't expect him to be _obsessing_ over me, if that's what you're asking," he shot back as he ran a hand over his eyes. "Sorry, didn't mean to snap at you..."

"No problem..."

"I'll go fix you a cup of tea," Cynthia told them. "Be back in a minute," she smiled, heading outside.

Letting go of Gwyn's hand, Tristan stretched himself out over the couch, resting his head in her lap. "You okay?"

"I'm fine," she smiled back at him, leaning down to place a kiss on his forehead. "I swear that neither him nor the woman will dare touch you Tris, I promise," she whispered, as she rested her back against the couch once again and started running her right hand through his hair.

"So, what are we gonna do about the pseudo freak show that is Ryan Black and Lara Howell?"

"How are you at chess?"

"Fairly good, why?"

"Because I'm thinking we might as well start playing the game they've started... master the rules of the game till we play it better than them... just like chess."

"Hmm... sounds interesting. At least we won't be throwing our pawns away..."

"Every single pawn is important. If he plays dirty, we'll see how to pay back in our own ways," she winked back at him. 

"Definitely." Looking up, he smiled back at her as Cynthia returned with some tea and cookies.

"That will surely make you feel better now," Gwyn smiled, nodding back at Cynthia who winked back in return.

"Sweet milk tea, cookies, and vacation brochures for planning are making me feel better actually..."

"Good," Cynthia grinned, grabbing a cookie. "I'll be back at my desk, but if you need anything, just call for me immediately, alright?"

"Yep!"

"Better?" Gwyn whispered once Cynthia closed the door to the office as Tristan sat up and reached for his cup of tea.

"For now," he grinned as he sipped his tea. "So, am I free to hang out here in my boxers?" teased Tristan as he removed his glasses to begin reading the rest of his reports.

"Whatever you please," she chuckled, planting a kiss on his temple before she stood up and headed towards her desk. "Door's locked anyway."

"Wouldn't mind a little help, if you please..."

"Tease," she chuckled as she walked back by his side.

"Not that you mind..." smirked Tristan as Gwyn removed his coat and began unbuttoning his shirt.

"Actually, should have gotten this off for you before," she said, letting out a giggle while removing his tie and letting it drop on the carpet.

"I doubt that it would've mattered had it stayed on or not," he whispered while unbuttoning her vest again.

"Wasn't it just you that wanted to stay in your boxers in my office? How about unbuttoning that?" Gwyn replied, with a grin on her lips.

"Less to take off later," he smirked before kissing her deeply. 

"Oh, forward planning aren't we?" she whispered before returning the kiss.

"Perhaps..." 

"Now sweetheart, we take this off," she continued as she proceeded into removing his shirt and his pants as he leaned in and kissed her again. "And I go back to work a bit more," she winked back. "Any distractions would be more than welcome later on."

"Fair enough babe," smiled Tristan as he laid out on the couch again, reading the reports.

Time passed fairly quietly as the two of them continued reading their respective reports, while Gwyn answered Cynthia's phone queries every now and again. With the corner of his eyes and still seated on the couch, Tristan could catch Gwyn's different reactions - calm when she was reading something that pleased her or that was according to her requests; nervous when the complete opposite would have been submitted, which ended up by having her get up from her desk and walk across the office, pacing from the window and back to her seat; angry and pissed when the threshold of patience would have been exceeded and she'd throw the file at the other end of the room, scowling and cursing when she did so.

Getting up, he set the last report he was reading on the couch cushion and proceeded to wrap his arms around her. Kissing her hair, he simply held her.

"Sorry for that..."

"For what? I quite like seeing my girlfriend in her 'Assistant Director' role, especially when her anger isn't directed towards me. Now, take a break and we can look at those brochures? Should take the edge off."

Nodding, Gwyn simply held him close and placed a kiss on his chest. "Just sit here and we can see them," she suggested, patting an empty area of the desk by her side.

Sitting down, he let out a laugh as he easily fit on the indicated space without her having to move anything. "Yep, this is a really big desk...and we'll both fit on it easily..."

"Tris, can you bring the brochures here please?" she chuckled, but at the same time trying to remain serious as much as possible.

"But you told me to stay put..."

"You can get the brochures Tris, I wasn't referring to that," she chuckled.

Giving her a sunny smile, he hopped off the desk and strolled over to the couch to grab the brochures, making Gwyn chuckle at the sight.

"One day we should have an office for both of us, you know that..."

"Like an office that's connected by a main conference and common room? That'd probably be handy..." he replied as he seated himself on her desk again and handed her the brochures.

"Yes that... and... let's see now... mmh," she muttered as she started going through the various leaflets Tristan has handed her.

"I was thinking that we'd start in Brazil and then make a trek through the rest of the continent, as there's tons of historical value from the ancient civilizations that once inhabited the various countries."

"Sounds like an idea... and what's the preferred transportation to get there, any idea?" she commented.

"My mom's house is pretty close to the train station, and from there, we'll be going by sea... For travel within the country, best do as the locals do."

"Whatever you say, you're the boss in this."

"True, but I like you input as well," he replied while taking hold of her hand.

"I have no objection, that's why I said that," she grinned, raising his hand to her lips and kissing it gently.

"Okay, just making sure. So, for me, doing absolutely nothing is on my list, but if you want to plan an itinerary that I may or may not adhere to, that's fine." 

"We just need to plot on a large map the places of interest we might want to visit, but just like you said... relaxing is the top of the list this time... trust me, I do feel like you do."

"Lovely." Leaning down, he placed a hand on her cheek gently as he kissed her.

"I'm glad you calmed down..." she whispered back, smiling. 

"It's all because of you," he whispered back. "Now, dunno about you, but lunch sounds like a good idea right now. How about you?"

"I do feel like a chicken salad and a smoothie," Gwyn grinned back as Tristan snorted back in response. "What is it?"

"Never pegged you as a smoothie kinda girl... So wanna stay here or go out?"

"I think we might as well stay here since the Lara thing is strangely prowling around... I'll go buy them myself and earn a whole truck load of stares since AD would be apocalyptically out of her office," she chuckled. "Just tell me what you feel like having... then we can have lunch here and continue looking over the brochures if you like."

"Mmm... there's a sandwich shop that me and the others tend to frequent a lot - we also usually get your sandwiches or salads from there too and it's just around the corner - and if you could ask for my regular, they'll know what it is. And... should I get dressed or does AD prefer my current state of attire?" smirked Tristan.

"Might as well stay like that if you like," she commented as she put on her vest again and slipped on her coat. "It would make it easier for me later on..." she winked back. "As for the sandwiches... it's fine for me. Drink?" 

"'Easier for later on', hmm? I like the sound of that. And for my drink, it's part of my usual."

"Think the others would want anything?" she asked as she wrapped a deep violet scarf around her neck.

"Probably best to ask if they do," commented Tristan as he let out a whistle. "And don't you look like a high-powered Assistant Director. Absolutely stunning..."

"Mmh," she leaned in, kissing him. "Phone them up for me while I go ask Cynthia..." 

"Bit suspicious if it's coming from within here, don't you think? Though, not as if they'd be all that surprised."

"But I won't let you out of here in your boxers so, I'll go by Cynthia's desk," she smiled as she headed out. "Regular right?" 

"I know you won't as you don't want a repeat of last Tuesday... so I'll just make the calls from here. And yeah, regular."

"See you," she smiled, exiting the office to walk up to Cynthia's desk. Surprised at the fact that Gwyn was actually leaving the office for a short while on her own to get lunch, Cynthia prepared a paper and together wrote up the list.

Grinning, he walked over to the phone and called them both to expect Gwyn stopping by. Once done, he gave her another smile. "They're ready whenever you are."

"I'll go check on them then, see you soon."

"Sure you don't want me to come with you?" Cynthia asked.

"Not a problem, just relax and I'll be back soon."

Thinking that Gwyn had come to check out on them to give further instructions with respect to the Advertising project, James and Cole were positively surprised to see that their boss had come to ask what they wanted for lunch. Slightly taken aback by her generosity and after a couple of trials of refusals, the two nodded in unison and gave Gwyn their orders, insisting to accompany her since she would be bringing lunch for five people back to the office. However, Gwyn wasn't one to change her opinion easily once a decision had been taken, so after shaking her head, and placing the scrap of notepad that Cynthia had provided her with the orders, the AD headed out of the company's building towards the sandwich shop Tristan had talked to her about. 

The friendly shop attendants and the fact that she had managed to find all of the food the others had requested turned Gwyn's mood into a very content and relaxed one. To make matters even more lighthearted, she chuckled at the fact that the cashier had explicitly asked whether the food had been for a certain Tristan Faraday made Gwyn giggle slightly even more - Tristan was actually becoming a VIP when it came to food consumption. With a lithe step and carrying the small bag of food in her arms, Gwyn starting making her way to the building, smiling at the thought of planning her vacation with Tristan all through her lunchbreak.

"Well hello there, Assistant Director. It's so rare that you would actually grace the common folk with your presence. Finally managed to get off that high horse of yours?" sneered Black as he was on his way out of the office.

"Shut up, and it's not your business anyway Black," she muttered, walking straight ahead while he kept his pace by her side.

"Ah, but it is my business to keep tabs on a fellow Clan member... Also, I've heard an interesting rumour that we're to have a new addition to the Clan and that you're personally seeing to it. Now who might this potential newborn be, hmm?"

"As I have already said, it's none of your business... plus, I see that your little spy network is doing its job perfectly, isn't it?" she sneered back, keeping up with him without letting herself be taken by surprise at his statement. 

"Mmm, spy network? Me? Oh please... if you're referring to my new little pet, well then I think it's little of your concern," he growled back. "If anything, you should be rather grateful that I'm keeping tabs on you and little pretty..."

"Oh so, Howell spying on Faraday was your doing, how surprising..." she told him, with a sarcastic tone of voice.

"How exactly could Howell be spying on little pretty if Fred personally told me that Howell was on sick leave? That's quite the accusation for you to be making, Princess."

That noun he had just used made her cringe in disgust, but she managed to keep her composure as much as possible. "It's an assumption, Black, considering that I got a report from Manager Faraday that he saw Howell who greeted him in one of the corridors, and more than that... how do you explain the newborn aura that could be felt all over the place this mid-morning? Mmh?"

"'Newborn aura' you say? Whatever do you mean, Princess? As for little pretty claiming that he saw Howell roaming the corridors, you would trust his word without confirming the claim yourself? That's showing a bit of favoritism on your part - or has lust and infatuation clouded your view on everything non-Faraday?" he whispered into her ear while giving her one of his predatory smirks.

"Lust and infatuation have nothing to do with this - oh well, if you have to verify every single report that you get from your staff, without holding trust to their word, you just have to admit you really waste your time on every single detail, don't you think? It's not favoritism, that's the power of delegation and trustworthiness that you don't have with your personnel," she concluded as she gave him a stern gaze. "If you think that you can intimidate me this way, Black, you are sadly mistaken."

"Intimidate you? Hardly. No, if I was truly trying to go for harming you, I'd easily start with your PA, as well as Thompson and Purcell. Then, I would go after _you_. Finally, I would personally attend to breaking Little Pretty Faraday - right before your eyes. Mmm, I wonder, if I had my way with him, would he scream like a little girl or like a woman...?"

"Just try and even dare get close to any one of them and I swear I'll kill you myself," she snarled, in almost a hiss.

Maliciously grinning at Gwyn, he continued to circle her as he gauged her reaction. "Hmph, such a noble claim, but remember, you can't always protect them..."

"One. Single. Bad. Move. And I swear Black I'd make a massacre out of you," she blurted out. "I'm not a Commander for nothing, just remember that. And now, I need to head back off to my office. Regards," she told him, as she hurried off back inside, grinning inwardly. 

"Of course, Princess, of course. Good day to you," bowed Black as he headed towards the building's exit.

-

Leaving the bag on Cynthia's desk for a short while, after asking her to call the others in order to get their lunch, Gwyn excused herself and headed straight towards the bathroom. She actually needed to calm down from that wickedly exhilarating feeling of that mind-match with Black. After letting out a laugh of pure satisfaction and exhaling a deep breath, she headed back to her office, finding Cole and James next to Cynthia's desk, making her smile again.

"Hope I got everything right... oh and there's a small brownie for each of you too." 

"Everything's perfect. Thanks again for your generosity," replied Cole as he began dressing his sandwich with the provided condiments.

"Ditto what he said and... I take it the other bag's the Kid's?" chuckled James as he ate his pickles separately.

"Yes it is," she grinned back, taking the bag in her hands. "I'll see you later and enjoy," she smiled as she looked over at Cynthia. "I don't want to be disturbed Cyn, please," she told them as she opened the door to her office.

"Yes ma'am," cheekily replied the trio of friends as they watched Gwyn disappear into her office and locked the door behind her.

Hearing the rustling of a bag and the door closing, Tristan looked up from his reading and saw a rather triumphant-looking Gwyn. "So, what's up? Any problems? I felt a few spikes here and there not to long ago, regarding your mood..."

Resting the back on the couch by his side, Gwyn sat on his lap, grinned back in response and gave him a deep, lingering kiss. "Now I feel better..." she smiled.

"If kissing me made you feel better, then... would I be correct in assuming you had a run-in with a certain classless asshole?"

"Yes, but, I'm quite pleased with how the exchange went," she smiled, nuzzling her head into his neck while resting peacefully in his arms.

"Good to know, but if you need a little more than a kiss, could it wait until after lunch?" grinned Tristan as he held her close. "The deli guys give you a hard time when grabbing my order?"

"We can wait after the brownie," she chuckled. "And no, not really... the cashier realised that it was for you though."

"Yeah, apparently I'm pretty easy for them to remember. I know that when the owner's there, he always calls me 'Skinny Boy', which has stuck everytime I set foot in there. Great people there though, very friendly and prompt." 

"Well they told me to say hi to you actually, right when I was leaving... then it's on my way back when I came across Black," she muttered.

"Must've been a joy... He make any more crude remarks about you?"

"You... me... well, he started lashing up a whole list of threats you know... but this time, I spat back at him in the same way."

"Feels good, doesn't it?" he whispered while caressing her thigh. "Fighting back. I mean, despite my hungover rage - it felt _really good_ kicking his ass..."

"Trust me, I really felt like kicking him in the groin when I heard him utter your names... but restrained myself into a more psychological combat, so to speak."

"Mmm, excellent job, my Queen." Tilting his head up, he kissed her soundly. 

"Thank you dear," she chuckled as she looked back at him. "Now, lunch time?" she told him, pointing back at the bag with the food.

"Sure. But I have to admit, you're pretty comfy right now..."

"Tris?"

"Hmm?"

"If you come across the Howell girl again, let me know immediately, please."

"I will, you know that there's something fishy about her, right?" 

"She's become Black's own personal puppet... now even more than before," she told him, with a serious look in her eyes.

Nodding, he held her tightly. "If today's anything to go by... looks like things just got a bit more complicated."

"We'll manage... I won't let that bastard even dare touch any one of you."

"Same." Kissing her cheek one last time, the pair got up from the couch and made themselves comfortable on the floor as they ate their lunch. "If we had spread out your blanket, this would be like a little picnic..."

"That's true," she told him, resting against his shoulder. "Maybe we should get the blanket anyway..."

"Sounds like a plan," he smiled as he got up and headed over to her wardrobe. Opening the doors, he found the blanket easily and carried it over to where they were sitting. Once Gwyn had moved their stuff, Tristan spread out the blanket and helped her place their items back onto the soft, comfortable blanket. "Ta da." 

"Thank you," she whispered as she laid down, her back resting against the blanket.

"You're welcome," he replied as he began eating the rest of his sandwich.

Reaching out for her drink, Gwyn turned on one side to rest her head on her hand and elbow and smiled. "The food's really good by the way."

"Definitely. That's why we love going there. Place is usually super-busy, but it's worth the wait."

"And just to let you know, I'm having an apple, an orange, a mango, a banana, pineapple and passion fruit in this," she grinned, drinking down the mixture.

"Quite tropically refreshing I must admit," he smiled back as he sipped his chocolate milkshake. 

"Wanna have a try?" she asked him, handing him the glass.

"Uhh... sure." Taking the glass, he took a sip but made a face afterwards.

"Oh come on it's not that bad," she laughed. "You made it look as if it were medicine!"

"It doesn't mix well with the chocolate..." 

"Right..." she replied, finishing the drink off.

"It tasted sour, alright?" pouted Tristan, as Gwyn burst in a fit of laughter. 

"As if I'd let Black touch my baby," she whispered thoughtfully, placing a kiss on his forehead.

"Do I even want to know what type of _touching_ he wants to do to me? Or would I be correct in assuming once again that he wants to break me in front of you through humiliation?"

"That's what he said, however it didn't affect me at all. Instead, I snapped back at him. If he thinks he'll catch me by surprise like he did the first time, he must be dreaming."

"Probably. So vacation planning time? I'd like to squeeze in another personal meeting with Gwyn Coulston afterwards, since I'm caught up with my work and have started working on the stuff for later in the week."

"Yes dear, let me get some papers and the brochures," she winked back at she got up and walked towards the desk.

"Okay," he smiled as he cleaned up their lunch containers before tossing them. While gathering the needed materials, Tristan began humming slightly, which caused Gwyn to muse on the fact that watching her currently boxer-clad boyfriend milling about her office was quite endearing.

"Maybe I should really declare my bedroom underwear-only zone," she laughed as they sat back on the blanket together.

"And what about your office? Hmm?" Wrapping his arms around her, he hugged her warmly.

"No, that's out of the question," he chuckled as she kissed his temple before turning on her tummy. "Now... shall we start my dear?"

"So only I get to hang out in your office in my boxers? Not exactly an equivalent exchange..." he mumbled before staring at the brochures.

"And what exactly would equivalent exchange mean?"

Smirking, he pushed the brochures away and settled himself on top of her. "I think I might have an idea or two..." Teasingly, he began kissing her neck while unbuttoning her shirt before working on his spot.

"Didn't you want to plan the vacation? We have all the time in the world for the preview you know," she chuckled, closing her eyes.

"Or we can still plan once we catch our breath," he whispered back as he kissed her deeply while working on the rest of her clothes.

"Let's just call it a change in schedule then..."

"I can live with that..."

"Definitely," she replied, as she helped him remove her clothes, leaving her in her bra and panties.

"Hmm... something's missing..." Chuckling to himself, he rolled her onto her stomach and promptly unclasped her bra using his teeth before helping her onto her back. Giving her a cheeky grin, he bit the middle of her bra and pulled it off.

"Oh that's new," she laughed as she wrapped her arms around him and held him close.

"Somewhat, as the last time I did that, it was a corset. This time it was your bra," he grinned as he played with the waistband of her panties.

"Take it off already..." she whispered in a breath, kissing him while she felt him lower his hands down her thighs right to her knees.

"Fine." Sliding down her body, he kissed down her stomach as he pulled her panties down before settling on kissing and attending to another favorite spot of his.

Gasping as she sensed his touch against her skin, Gwyn moaned his name in a low voice, making him grin and move back up, placing random kisses all over her body. 

Kissing her, he removed his boxers and eased himself against her, moving slowly. "Love you, Queen Gwendalynn," he whispered as she wrapped her legs around his waist.

"Love you too, Prince Tristan," she muttered back, nuzzling against his neck as she pulled him closer to her as he slowly made love to her.

-

After some time had passed, the pair were cuddling against each other while wrapped up tightly in the blanket. Grinning at one another, Tristan kissed her forehead. "So, any ideas of what you want to do while on vacation?"

"Apart from this? Mmm..." she chuckled.

"Yes, aside from doing me, what else would you like see and experience while on vacation?"

"Swimming, as long as it is in non-crowded spots, is a must... then uhm... sight-seeing... long walks... maybe some sports for you, or something which we can do together... dancing should be in your list too..." she smiled.

"'Swimming in non-crowded spots' now why would that be a priority? Hmm? Will we be engaging in something _other_ than swimming?" he smirked mischievously.

"I wasn't referring to _that_ , naughty," she laughed, giving him a quick peck on his forehead. "It's just that I hate swimming in crowded places... I never really do go swimming myself anyway, but I don't want to see people stare at either you or me, it's irritating."

"Ahh, it's because we're such a beautiful couple, gotcha. I have a friend that runs a cooking school down in Rio. They specialize in making foods from various places in Europe and maybe we can put your cooking skills to the test..." 

"Sounds like fun," she chuckled. "Considering how fabulous those skills are... you got a friend there from your trips?"

"Actually, he's one of Cath's friends. He moved down there because he loved the city...as well as wanted to try something different. As you can guess, he was a chef."

"Neville would absolutely adore meeting someone like him," she smiled. "And I think that will be serious fun, despite the mess... I know Anne hates it when I try and help her," she laughed.

"I'll definitely pass on Neville's number to him. John loves extolling his knowledge and virtues to up and coming chefs. While I was working in my sister's restaurant, John often stopped by and taught me as well. Which is why I can easily make something from my mother's homeland and still make a dessert that you would recognize from here."

"Apart from that, I'd want you to teach me to cook yourself..."

"I think I can properly motivate you..." he grinned while running his hands all over her body and working on his spot.

"You definitely have already... then there's the historical sightseeing and exploring which I could do a little research for..."

"Yep, and not only that, but you can also see the cultural impact from civilizations long past melding with religion. It's rather fascinating really."

"Another thing to look forward too," she grinned. "We'll have to decide on accommodations now..."

"Taken care of. John's got a few places that he likes to rent out - I gave him a call, and it seems like we'll have a nice little place by the beach and it's also really close to town."

"Should have known," she smiled.

"I just called ahead and talked to him for a while. He said that we were more than welcome and that we were his guests. Another reason why I chose to leave after the twins' birthday was because Cath wanted me to bring him a few goodies from here. So it works out for all of us pretty much."

"Which reminds me, we need to get them a present," she remembered. "Do you have any idea what to get?"

"Ethan is into bike riding and football. Claire is our little artist. So probably something along those lines."

"And that should be..." she asked, trying to remember when he had mentioned the birthday party was.

"Forget already? I mentioned it last week, but from here, it's about two more weeks away," he whispered while continuing to kiss her chest.

"It's not that I forgot... it's just that I need to plan out the coming weeks. We also mentioned doing something with Cynthia and the others too..."

Nodding slightly, Tristan continued kissing lower until he settled his lips over one of her breasts.

Chuckling as he did so, Gwyn looked down and gently kissed his hair. "Really now Tris... lunch break's almost over you know," she smiled. "And shouldn't we talk to James now?"

"Still have that meeting with you, y'know," he mumbled as he continued attending to the task at hand. "And James' meeting isn't until three, it's only two right now... we have time..."

"Oh true, _this_ meeting after lunch... well then... since you insist _Manager_ , we should get down to the details," she whispered, pulling him closer to her with a smirk.

Rolling her onto her back, Tristan began moving his hips at a faster, harder pace. "Give me half an hour of your time, and I'll give you slow and gentle later," he smirked back before kissing her deeply.

"Sounds perfect to me..."

And just as Tristan had promised, almost thirty minutes later, Gwyn had her head rested on his chest and her arms wrapped around him tightly, chuckling as she raised her head up to look straight into his eyes. "That was quite the meeting," she muttered, stifling a small laugh.

"It was rather _urgent_ , you must admit. After all, we do have a lot to get done in a few weeks," he whispered while kissing her forehead. As they held each other, he could feel her heart beating rather fast. "Left you breathless, did I?"

"Yes, you actually did..." she whispered. "But I don't mind at all... it'll make me survive the day better," she smiled. "Especially after those unwanted encounters we had..."

"Mm-hmm. Like I said, I'll give you slow and gentle tonight..."

"Since you've promised..." she told him, with a giggle in her voice. "Now dearest, we need to get dressed up for that meeting of ours..."

Letting go, Tristan sat up and grinned at her before getting to his feet. "Most probably," he continued to smile as he unwrapped the blanket from Gwyn. "And no slacking on your part, babe," he laughed before pulling on his boxers. "We'll probably need to have said blanket washed now... after, y'know..."

"Guess I have... I should bring it home with me this evening." Stretching out her arms to make him help her get up, Gwyn merely tilted her head and smiled. "Please?"

Grabbing her hands, he helped her to her feet, the blanket falling harmlessly to the ground and giving Tristan another view of her completely nude form. "Mmm, you look gorgeous."

Blushing just like the first time he had commented on that, Gwyn moved over to the couch and sat down while she started slipping on her clothes. "Thank you..."

Buckling his belt, he bent over and kissed her as she was sitting on the couch. "You're welcome."


	13. XIII

"I'm glad you've already talked to Cole about your duties... that's very good to know and shows how efficient you two are in your work, I'm very pleased, keep it up."

"Thank you AD Coulston," replied James as he bowed his head slightly.

Sitting in the chair next to him, Tristan made a few notes regarding the placement of both Cole and James' offices within the Advertising space. As Gwyn continued to talk with James, he had drawn up the final floorplan and had set up his interview schedule for the employees that were to be working with Cole, James and Izzy. The final interview for the heads of Advertising was to take place tomorrow, with Ismail Jones' interview at eleven, which Tristan would be attending before interviewing with the employees by himself starting at two and lasting the entire rest of the day. Grinning, began jotting down some potential questions he wanted to ask the new employees as James and Gwyn were wrapping up their talk.

"So, Purcell, I'll be sure that you and Thompson will have prepared your business objectives by next Friday when we'll be having our next meeting in my office. I'll have Cynthia phone you up to arrange a time for this, since I don't really remember what's on my agenda for the day," she told him, while turning to look at Tristan. "Faraday, any other comments you wish to add?"

"Nothing really. I'll be interviewing the incoming employees starting tomorrow and from one of them, I'll be selecting a PA for both Purcell and Thompson to share, since the two will be working together mostly."

"Good good," Gwyn nodded in response. "If you don't have any other questions, we can proceed this way. Should you need anything, call me."

"Will do and thank you again." Standing up, James shook hands with Gwyn and Tristan. "AD, Brat. Good afternoon to you both again."

"Good afternoon," Gwyn smiled, resting her elbows on her desktop. "Oh and one other thing James. Stay away from Black and any of his people, please."

"Oh definitely, those guys give me the creeps. Whenever I used to visit Cole at his old desk, I saw them fairly often..." Chuckling, James gathered his stuff and smiled at the pair before opening the door.

"Bye!" waved Tristan as he went back to work on his notes once James had left the office.

"Cyn, can you set up a meeting between myself, Tristan, James and Cole for next Friday at my office please and inform the two accordingly?" Gwyn told Cynthia on the phone immediately. "Just keep a note for me and then let me know, yes thank you. Later." Then, getting up from her desk, Gwyn started pacing around the room for a while, making Tristan raise his head from his notes to look at her.

"Something the matter?"

"No nothing... really," she paused. "So, we've got the managers set, up and running already... you'll have interviews for their future PA pretty soon... now, offices are set too and the staff compliment that will work with them has been chosen, for the most part. Am I missing anything?"

"Well, technically, you have one more interview tomorrow with the final manager... and I have a few questions jotted down to ask the incoming staffers," he replied as he handed her his notepad. "If you have anything to add, feel free to. Once I'm done with the interviews, I'll notify the office staff that we'll be setting up the space soon."

"Yes, that's perfect," she replied, flipping through the pages of the notepad.

Standing up from his seat, Tristan straightened his jacket and rested his palms against Gwyn's desk. "So, looks like I'll be fairly unreachable tomorrow and perhaps Wednesday. Good thing we got done with the vacation planning."

"That's right... and yes, I think so too... told you we'd be pretty busy in the coming weeks..." she told him, placing the notepad back in his hands. "And I don't need to add anything else to what you've already mentioned here."

"Yep and okay. Looks like the only quality time we'll have together is at night. Then comes vacation time, and I'll have you for an entire two weeks to myself. Ahh..." smiled Tristan.

"As if you didn't have me to yourself already," she chuckled, smiling back at him.

"Well, we'll be in another place and away from the office, so I'd like to savour what I've got," he replied cheekily as he gathered up his reports. "Want the brochures?"

"You can leave them here if you like. We can continue the discussion at home, but... seems everything's ready now," she grinned as she moved up to him to place a kiss on his cheek. "Off to your office?"

"Yep. Gotta get that place ready for the interviews tomorrow."

"Need Cynthia to help?"

"I'm a big boy, I think I can handle straightening up my office. We can deal with the fanmail later this week..."

"I wasn't referring to that... I know you can do that on your own, I meant... I don't want you to be in your office alone."

Stilling for a moment, he gave Gwyn a warm smile. "I'd ask Cole, but he's pretty busy today. Sure you want to lend me Cynthia?"

"Yes, I'll be fine here," she winked back at him. "I don't want any one of you to stay alone for too long."

"Gotcha, and if Blackie decides to spread rumours that I'm hooking up with Cynthia while I have you on the side... Care if I play up that angle a bit to piss him off?"

"Oh you could," she grinned. "Especially since only us three, apart from Cole and James of course, are aware of how things really stand. I'd use that for my advantage if he'd come blabbering about it... no kissing on the lips though," she chuckled.

"Aww... how about no making out? I mean, between us, a peck on the lips doesn't really mean anything... or are my lips your personal property as well?" he joked while grabbing his reports again.

"Everything is," she winked back, laughing light-heartedly. "Just imagine it the other way round, what would you do?"

"You kissing Cyn? Ooooohh... that's a nice fantasy," smirked Tristan as Gwyn started blushing when she felt his emotions.

"Will you stop that?" she told him, sticking her tongue out at him. "I wasn't saying that."

"I can dream, can't I? And it sounded like you were... But anyways, if we're both cornered by him, would it be okay if I really kissed her? For appearances' sake and all..."

"You can dream other things not that. Plus, I was saying if I had to kiss another man," she pouted playfully. "And as for you and Cynthia... if it's for your safety... yes..."

"No need to be jealous, trust us. Besides, I'm not really her type anyways," he replied sincerely. "After all, she knows where you and I stand and she'd never do anything to break us up. Only thing she'd do is go into Mama Bear mode in protecting us. Also, you kissing Neville, James, or Cole is just... awkward looking, no offence."

"I know... as for that, I can't even imagine myself doing it other than with you so no."

"Fair enough." Carrying all of his reports and the brochures, Tristan headed back to Gwyn's desk and set them down before standing over her. Bending down, he gave her a mischievous smirk. "And here's something to remind you that I belong to you..." Threading his fingers through her hair and holding her head in place, he gave her a sound, passionate kiss that lasted until they both pulled away due to the need to breath.

"That was... self-explanatory..."

"Just checking and not that you minded the explanation at all..."

"No it didn't... well, if you do end up kissing her... I demand that you come here immediately and give me an encore of this," she laughed out.

"I can do that, and then give you a few more _demonstrations_ of how much I belong to _you_." 

"That surely tickles my interest," she grinned, raising an eyebrow in the process. "Off you go now," she smiled. "And if something crops up, call me."

"Will do." Leaving the brochures, Tristan took his reports and opened the door. "Hey Cyn, you get to babysit me for a bit, hope you don't mind," he playfully called out.

"That's my second job in life, sure I don't mind," she laughed.

Giving Gwyn another grin, he left for his office with Cynthia in tow.

"What's that grin on your face about? And... what's with me coming with you?" she asked him as they made their way together towards his office.

"She didn't want me or you to be alone for too long while the asshole and his bitchy little toy are roaming about. The grin is because you're my bodyguard."

"Oh really?" she laughed. "And... bitchy little toy is her eh?"

Opening the door to his office, he shut it quickly. "Personally I think that Lara chick is probably a total slut, but..."

"It's not that _you_ think that... everyone thinks that, trust me," she nodded back. "I mean, she doesn't openly act like it, but she has these looks towards certain males that really makes them shudder more than anything else. I've even heard some of the technicals downstairs mentioning it when they needed to talk to the CEO once."

"Wouldn't surprise me if she was blowing them while on her coffee break..."

"The mental image is disgusting, stop it..."

"Sorry..." Placing his finished reports on his desk, he began straightening up his office. "Need to get this place in order for the interviews tomorrow..."

"Right..." Sitting down at his desk, Cynthia started re-arranging the documents chronologically and according to subject, while Tristan moved around his office and started re-arranging the couch, the chairs, seeing that the rug in the middle of the room was clean enough...

"I think you should clean off your furniture..." she told him, without raising her head from the papers she was looking through.

Blowing his bangs from his face he glared at her before locating a rag and a bottle of cleaner from one of the drawers and started wiping off his furniture.

"That's a good boy," she grinned, looking at him with the corner of her eye.

Grumbling, he continued to clean while still making faces at her behind her back.

"I know you're making faces _darling_ ," she chuckled, as she finished off rearranging the documents and stood up from his desk. "I know you're not too fond of household chores anyway."

"I can keep a clean house, as you well know, but I hate doing so..." he shot back before blowing a raspberry at her.

"Now you're getting pretty lazy since Anne gets to do everything," she grinned.

"She won't let me clean... she's always shooing me away when I try to help clean. I can clear the table - then get kicked out of the kitchen, my clothes? She takes the laundry bag before I can get near the washing machine. I'm practically only allowed to clean food..."

"Spoiling you silly for sure, but... she's merely doing her job after all."

"I know, and I'm starting to think when she's done tending to Gwyn's apartment, she goes to my place and straightens up. I mean honestly Cyn, do I have a look about me that makes everyone want to baby me?"

"You do have that cute flair on you," she winked back. "Makes one want to baby you, in a way."

"But... you always baby me anyways..."

"You think he or the bitch could do anything to you?" Cynthia asked him, with a far more serious tone of voice. "Or to any of us?"

Slumping onto his couch, he scrubbed a hand over his eyes and stared at the ceiling. "I honestly think that they'll try. For the most part, they have something against Gwyn and myself... but they might actually try to use you guys to get to us. I don't know what it is, but from both of them... I honestly think that they're not afraid to kill to get what they want..."

"Kill?!" she gasped. "Do you mean they both... oh God," she muttered, pacing nervously across the room. "But you haven't done anything to them, what's the point of it all?!"

Watching her pace nervously, Tristan got up and pulled her into a comforting embrace. "Shh, I might be overreacting in my assumptions, but... they seriously scare the living shit out of me. But, I'll do everything I can to keep you guys safe, you have my word on that. I don't honestly know why they seem to have this vendetta against Gwyn and I... but I do worry about it a lot - I just try not to show it..."

Rubbing his back in return while holding him close, Cynthia smiled and inwardly thanked Tristan for being just like he was - if it were others, they could have easily panicked and chickened out of the situation, but he didn't - for the sake of all of them. "Do you think something more serious happened between Black and Gwyn in the past? Maybe this sort of revenge could be related to that... I don't know..."

"They've both have hinted at something in the past. Mostly that he tried to have his way with her, but she denied his advances. Obviously the fact that he beat her... hints that he probably tried to take her by force in the past and failed and tried to have his revenge that way. As for my role in all of this, I think he sees me as Gwyn's interest or perhaps her personal 'plaything' while he thinks that I see her as someone worth following around with my tail between my legs... Either way, he's a total asshole."

"I have the impression that he's one of those masochists... I mean, he's creepy... and has taken it on Gwyn... he tried with you... who knows if he'd try with any one of us..."

"That's my point... and I guess Gwyn's reasoning as to why she doesn't want us to be alone for too long is because of what he could possibly do to any of us. I'm lucky in the fact that I got a jump on him, but... that was just one instance. Now... I honestly don't know what'll happen now, simply because of my encounter today with... yeah. You get the idea..."

Smiling, Cynthia gave Tristan a quick kiss on his cheek and looked back up at him. "We'll just have to stay safe as much as possible..." 

"Definitely." Giving her a smile of his own, he kissed her cheek before giving her a quick kiss on her lips as well. "That's just me personally promising that I'll keep you safe, my bff."

"You shouldn't be kissing girls on the lips now Tris," she smiled. "You've got your soulmate now, you know."

"But you're not just any girl. You were my first love and my best friend. And I'll always love you, despite not being meant for you." 

"Just promise you'll stay safe," she whispered back. "Both you and Gwyn..."

Hugging her tightly he rested his head on her shoulder. "I promise that I'll keep us safe," he whispered back and quite thankful that his office had no windows as he didn't want either Black, Lara, or anyone else spying on him and his friends. "Promise me that you and the guys'll watch each other's backs." 

"We will, we will..."

"Good. Now, what's say I we head on back to your office... or is my office not up to your standards of cleanliness?" he joked while still hugging her. 

"And why is that? No it looks fine now, but might as well go back, but... now decide, it's either we stay here or go back to Gwyn," she chuckled. "At least I'm not seeing dust any more."

"Well, I have my questions ready for tomorrow and I'm all caught up with my reports. Actually... I got a jump on my work so I'm technically ahead with everything - but I have to wait until everyone else is ready too. James and Izzy'll be moving to their temporary offices here too as we'll have the movers set up their offices. Hopefully by Friday they'll be ready to move to their permanent space. Now I just have to find a PA for those two idiots... but don't worry, I'll find a great one for them. So... if you want we can look through my fanmail?"

"Oh no problem, actually, that might be pretty entertaining," she smirked. "And I'd know who to torch."

"Oh yeah? Who?"

"Whoever sends you crap," she laughed. "Gwyn would be very proud." 

"Guess so..." he chuckled as they both got settled on the floor and began sorting through the various bags. Once they were finished, Tristan found himself leaning heavily against Cynthia. "So, have fun?"

"Now I understand why Gwyn wanted to do a bonfire out of all of this - think the flame would be pinkish in colour?" 

"Now that you mention it... I think it was - and it had a faint whiff of super-flowery perfume, in between the smell of fire accelerant."

"Oh stop it," she laughed. "As if the fire can have a smell..." 

Getting up, they placed the sorted items in different bags: keep and burn (which Cynthia drew a smiley face next to the word 'burn'). Once finished, Tristan helped Cynthia up. "Head back now?"

"Yes sir," she smirked. "Make sure to call me when you'll burn that stuff, it can make me feel insanely wicked." 

Opening the door to let them out, Tristan grinned at her as they exited together. "Oh, I'll do one better - you are personally going to be in attendance when it happens."

"Awesome! And I'll ask Gwyn to come along... personal revenge on those who sent you the crap," she snickered.

"No need to ask - she'll def..." 

"What's wrong?" she whispered.

Tristan stopped walking and pulled Cynthia aside as he saw Ryan Black approaching their location. Whispering, he held her close. "Just saw the asshole. Just play along with me and if I kiss you... well, it's because I have permission to do so - strictly for keeping up appearances, of course. Got it?"

"Y-yes..." she replied in a slightly panicked tone. "Tris, you need to calm down too..." she whispered back, feeling his heartbeat racing faster.

"Whoa whoa whoa. Just be cool, I'll take care of this... and I'm calming down. Trust me." Wrapping a friendly arm around her shoulders, Tristan led them back out into the corridor and continued walking as Black approached them.

"Ahh, if it isn't Little Faraday and AD Coulston's PA. Enjoying a nice romantic rendezvous?" he snickered as he fixed his stare on the younger pair.

"Unlike your rather tasteless assumptions, our meeting was by coincidence," Tristan replied smoothly and neutrally.

"Is that right? Hmm, now what would Princess Coulston think if her little pet was secretly dating her PA behind her back? And you call me tasteless..." 

Trying to keep his anger in check, Tristan was about to respond when Cynthia tightened her hold on his arm and stepped into Black's personal space. 

"I don't think we should report to you each and every move of ours, Mr. Black," she stated coolly. "It's really not within your remit, plus, you should be pretty busy with other commitments..." 

"Mmm, trying to lecture _me_? How deliciously bold of you... No wonder you're Princess Coulston's PA - and that Little Pretty here is so smitten with you... Always chasing after the unattainable, hmm?" sneered Black as he began circling around Cynthia and running his fingers through her hair lightly. "Though I must admit, you do have rather impeccable taste..."

Growling slightly, Tristan moved Cynthia slightly behind him. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't treat people as if they were inanimate objects. One might think that you can't keep track of your own _toys_..."

"Don't imply knowledge on what you know nothing about, boy..." Black warned Tristan as he invaded Tristan's personal space.

"Hmm, you're right... After all, Ms. Howell is free to do as she pleases... and I'm pretty sure that she's not simply doing just _you_..." snickered Tristan as he led Cynthia away from Black.

"Leave Howell out of this, and anyway..." he grinned maliciously. "I let her do what she pleases, but she's still _mine_... if that's what you wanted to hear."

"Oh really? Hmm, I heard a rumour that she's been propositioning a few of the male employees in one of the empty offices... Are you there to watch as she's letting them fuck her like you never do?" Tristan shot back with his own wicked smirk. "Must be jealous, knowing that you can't get it up so that she has to look for someone else to give her what she wants..."

"That's what you think, Kid," he replied, laughing out in a sinister way that even made Cynthia shudder. "Experienced is how I like it... and, just for your information, she's got my full permission but always comes begging back to me..." he grinned. "If you want, I might prove that with your harem, I wouldn't mind that at all..." 

"Mmm... probably comes back to you for a pity fuck - as in she feels really sorry that you have such a small dick. As for my _harem_ , sorry, I don't really have one. I'm a one woman guy, and the reason why they come back to me is because they know that I'm more than just a pretty face."

"Why you..." he smirked with an evil glint in his dark eyes.

"Now if you'll excuse us, we'll be on our way."

"Just give me time to get hold of your little ladies, and we'll see who's boss, Faraday." 

"I'd like to see you try. Who knows? Maybe Ms. Howell would come crawling to me if she wanted to have a go with a real man."

Winking mischievously at Cynthia, Tristan leaned in and gave her a passionate kiss as Black fumed as he watched the pair.

"Quite the thing to inform _your_ AD and CEO of... thank you," he laughed again, while heading away from them.

Making sure that Black was gone, Tristan broke the kiss and kissed Cynthia's forehead. "Thanks for playing along... and hope you didn't mind." 

Blushing, Cynthia looked away and smiled. "You're welcome... and no I didn't... just, brought back a couple of memories..."

"If anything, I've probably gotten a bit better at kissing since then," chuckled Tristan as he was blushing as well. 

"Hell yes," she exclaimed, with a slight giggle and her cheeks still flushed red. "Now you... off you go to Gwyn... you need to go tell her what happened." 

"Yep... and I owe her a kiss... and a bit more... Tell anyone that comes calling she's in an urgent meeting..." Tristan replied with a mischievous smirk. 

"I will... and thank goodness for the soundproof walls," she chuckled as she held his arm tight. "Thank you though... that was indeed... scary." 

"Not a problem, told you I'd protect you... And... just mention nothing about my meetings with Gwyn to the idiots... not all of the meetings are of the carnal kind..."

"I won't," she chuckled. "Plus, most of your meetings are related to Advertising... so... there isn't pretty much to say about them, so boring," she giggled, rubbing his arm.

"Exactly..."

-

Once inside his office, Black began throwing a tantrum as not only did Gwyn not fall into his verbal trap, Tristan had also managed to turn the tables on him. Grabbing his phone, he immediately called a number that led to an office that was supposed to be empty. "Get in my office, NOW!!!" he snarled into the receiver.

"Why did you have to shout at the telephone, I was leaving anyway... you were lucky enough to find me still in there," Lara told him, as she entered his office a few minutes later. "What's wrong?"

Slamming his door shut, Black roughly tore at Lara's clothing and proceeded to take his anger and fury out on her. "If you ever think about fucking anyone else but me, I'll make goddamn sure that you come begging to me," he growled as he bit her neck while thrusting erratically.

"I'm not seeing anyone else but you, I swear Ry... who in hell made you think that?!" she shouted out, while letting out a gasp as he started draining blood from her.

"Just shut the fuck up!" Black shouted as he raked his sharpened nails all over Lara's body, reveling in the blood that was seeping out from the cuts. "Little pretty got under my skin, and I'm warning you, stray from me and I'll personally fuck you in the middle of the office like the slut you are..."

Grinning, Lara kissed him back roughly and wrapped her legs around his waist, clinging closer to him. "I'm promising that to you with my own blood."

-

"...So that's that... In any case, I'm pretty sure that asshole fell for it," murmured Tristan as Gwyn was holding him close.

"I'm proud of you two," she whispered, placing a kiss on his hair. "Really. That bastard tried to catch you unattended and you were prompt in your actions... he's probably throwing a tantrum in his office right now."

"Most likely he's taking out on her - which is creepy beyond belief... And... I know we just had our own little meeting earlier, but I need you, please..." he whispered before kissing her deeply.

"I don't mind," she smiled as their kiss ended. "You still need to calm down after that lash out."

"Guess that you felt what I was feeling - just like I was feeling what you were when he confronted you earlier," he replied inbetween kisses as he lead her over to one of the couches and laid her down gently as they began removing each others clothes. "I love you."

"Love you too," she whispered softly, as she placed a hand on his cheek to carress his face gently. "And yes, I felt that... as much as you did when I was in the same situation this morning. He doesn't know the level of connection there is between us. And he could never understand it anyway... he's too... heartless so to speak, so overly ambitious and obsessed... I'm glad you weren't afraid of him, neither that time, nor today." 

"And I'm glad that despite whatever he tried to do to you in the past, that you're more than strong enough to remain not afraid of him, as well as go toe to toe with him at his little game..." he whispered as he began kissing his spot and held her close. 

"I still am a little afraid, but rather than of him, I'm afraid for you. It's not that I can constantly be on the look-out for all of you... including Anne, Neville, Lisa... even the puppy. He could easily aim for any one of them if he likes... and that's what I'm afraid of..." she confessed, nuzzling against his neck. 

"Don't worry, we'll all look out for one another. That's what friends, family... lovers do. And we'll protect one another with our entire being..." Kissing her, he settled himself over her and slowly and gently made love to her.

"I promise," she smiled, sometime later, while still lying in his arms. "I promise I'll protect you..."

"And I'll protect you..." he smiled back as he continued slowly moving against her. "I promise with all my heart and soul. You are what's most precious to me."

"Thank you..." she whispered softly. "So much..."

"You're welcome... and thank you too."

"Tris, do I have your permission to be sappy and overly romantic?" she laughed, placing a kiss on his chin.

"You've always had it, but go ahead," he grinned as he rested on top of her to catch his breath and began kissing his spot.

"You're the best thing that ever happened to me in all of my life... arrived unexpectedly and which I cannot live without now," she told him, as she passed her hand slowly through his hair.

"Funny, I could say the same about you." Giving her a smirk, he began moving against her again. "And I guess I've already proved how much I belong to you... or could you do with a few more reminders?"

"I could," she smiled back as she pulled him closer to her. "I could..." 

"Was hoping you'd say that," he whispered as he continued to move his hips faster as he kissed her senseless.

"I'll have to work from home after this," she chuckled, placing a kiss on his forehead. "At least for an hour or so after dinner..."

"And yet it was worth every minute," grinned Tristan as he felt her hold him tighter and her breathing become more ragged. "Still with me?" 

"Mmm-hmm." 

Kissing her gently, he continued to move a bit longer until he stilled his movements and held her tight. "Very nice job, _Assistant Director_ , seems like you're not tiring out as fast as before..."

"That's because..." she replied, catching her breath. "Someone's making me get used to the feeling." 

"Feels good, doesn't it?" he smirked as he rolled onto his side and entwined their legs together on the narrow couch.

"Yes... it does," she answered. "Too good actually." 

"Glad I could be of service then."

"I might agree to a continuation later on," she smiled.

"Mmm? Continuation of what, pray tell?" teased Tristan.

"You, me, bed cuddling?" she grinned as she hugged him close.

"In our bed? I could live with that. I'll play you something while you work tonight, okay?"

"Yes please," Gwyn smiled, kissing his cheek.

"Can we just go home early today? Or are you still super-busy? I wanted to avoid Black and his personal little slut if possible..."

"We can... plus, an employee in a managerial position can work till lunch break, then continue working from home - he would just need permission from his one-off superior."

"Well then, Assistant Director. May. I. Leave. Early. Today. With. You. Please." Tristan smiled as he punctuated his request with a kiss over her heart. 

"Yes you can," she chuckled. "Especially since I don't want to see Black either - I'd end up killing him."

"How about I kill him and you go after his little bitch?"

"Fair enough, since the slut put her eyes on you."

"Oh I get the feeling that she'd do more to me if she had the chance... I'm pretty sure she greatly dislikes me to an extent, but probably that hate would feed her need to have her way with me... she's probably as masochistic as the small-dicked asshole..."

"Small-what... Tris," she tried to chide him, bursting out in a small laugh.

"It makes total sense as to why he's the way he is. 'Little Man Syndrome' as he's trying to compensate for it by taking it out on everyone else... as well as force himself onto women..."

"Could be... Stop giving me horrid images though," she giggled, kissing him.

"Both you and Cyn accused me of doing that... even when I'm probably telling the truth... And God I love this... I had always fantasized about you and me having sex in your office many times before we actually happened, so it really still blows me away that we've actually done this a few times. Granted though, I'm still waiting for use of your chair and desk, mind you."

"Correction - we made love now," she smiled. "And... naughty, those can wait."

"Let me see... Day when I was stuck in my boxers and you had that meeting with Freddy... that was a combination. Day of when we met with Cole regarding his official move was sex. Today, during lunch we made love. Shortly before our meeting with James was pure sex again and yes, just now we made love," he replied with a self-satisfied smirk.

"Idiot," she chuckled, stifling a laugh.

"You have to admit that I'm pretty accurate with my definitions, as when we make love it's usually accompanied by a lot of whispering punctuated with a few moans here and there. When it's sex, well... I'm rather glad that your walls are soundproof..."

Blushing, she placed a kiss on his chest and sat back up on the couch. "Yeah, guess we should..."

"I'm sure Cyn and Anne appreciate it too actually," chuckled Tristan as he sat up as well and held Gwyn close. 

"The soundproof walls? Probably," she smiled, resting her head in his shoulder.

"Yeah, as Cyn kinda mentioned to me in passing after our run-in with Black..." 

"She mentioned what?" she stared back at him

"And I quote, 'thank goodness for soundproof walls', after she told me to report to you once we got back... and told her to tell anyone that came by looking for you that you were in the middle of an 'urgent meeting'. To which she replied something to the extent that our Advertising meetings can be quite 'boring'."

"We're mad," she laughed. "Totally."

"Madly in love, yes I'll agree to that sappy sentiment," laughed Tristan as he got up and stretched out a bit.

"That's for sure," she replied, stretching out her arms towards him.

Grabbing her arms gently, he hauled Gwyn off the couch and wrapped his arms around her, ignoring the fact that they were both standing completely naked in the middle of her office at work. "Mmm... so, can we implement the underwear-only zone in our bedroom starting today?" 

"Yes, as from today," she kissed him. "Even though... the t-shirt only option isn't too bad either."

"I can't exactly do the t-shirt option only, Love, as my t-shirts only reach to about my waist..." 

"Darn," she laughed. "Underwear only it is then."

"How about... you can do the t-shirt only thing, so long as you're _not_ wearing panties underneath and I'll stick to the underwear only thing..."

"No way," she replied. "Bra and panties it is... or vest... but at least something... t-shirt thing would only be effective with a long shirt."

"I do have longer t-shirts in my laundry... so if you wear any of those shirts, then no panties if you're in our bedroom - otherwise you're free to wear them if you step out of said bedroom."

"Sounds like a deal," she smiled. "Let's get dressed now... I'd love to have a nap before continuing with any work, to tell you the truth."

"See, I can be quite the negotiator. And yeah, a nap sounds good. Good thing Anne bought me proper pajamas... at least that way I won't be terribly tempte-nah, I still am." Letting go of Gwyn, he began picking their clothes off the ground. After they finished dressed up, with Gwyn rearranging Tristan's tie once done, she gathered all the documents she needed to take back home while he went to tell Cynthia that they were leaving early.

"Hey Beautiful, we're checking out early - long day and the meeting was _dull,_ " he replied with a wink.

"Cyn, you can leave too if you like..."

"What, really?" she smiled as Gwyn came up with the documents in her arms. 

"Yes, you have my permission. It was a tough day on you too..."

"Hold on, I know what'll make this day a bit easier on us all..." Tristan smirked mischievously.

"Eh?" both of them blinked back at him.

"Anyone up for a _cookout_ on the beach? If it's pink, purple, or something that I could never physically wear because I lack certain assets, it's gonna go up in a wonderful blaze of glory."

"Burning that stuff? YES!" both of the girls replied, staring back at each other and bursting out laughing.

"Without staying too long out though... you should go to bed and rest..."

"Rest? Why do I need to rest? I'm totally rested right now... actually, more than rested really..."

"You're worse than a hyperactive kid sometimes."

"How can I be worse than a hyperactive kid when I was one and still am?" 

"Don't we just love our baby?" she grinned, winking back at Gwyn.

"Yep," Gwyn smiled back. "Now, see if you got everything from the office Tris, and we can leave."

"Yes ma'am," grinned Tristan as he led them back to his office so that he could grab their stuff - as well as the 'burn' bags. "And I'm not kidding - I think the doctor told my mom that I was a hyperactive genius when I was little..." 

"Really?" Gwyn asked while walking by his side.

"Yeah, I heard that story some time ago. And the fact that he was an artist at a small age just reinforced the theory."

"Hey now, no need to make me blush now," he joked as a dull blush appeared on his cheeks as he followed them outside and unlocked his bicycle. 

"Don't we just love seeing you like that?" Cynthia grinned. "Tris, just place that bike of yours in my car and we're off. And you can drive if you like. Probably we should head out together, and Gwyn leaves a few minutes later. What do you think?"

"I'm fine with that, if Sweetheart agrees," she grinned.

"I'll agree to that," laughed Tristan as he wrestled his bike into Cynthia's car and tossed the fanmail bags inside afterwards. Giving Gwyn a slight wave, he grinned back. "Meet at our spot on the beach?"

"Yes," she winked back at him as she got inside the car while Tristan got into Cynthia's passenger seat.

"Cool! See ya! Hey-I thought you were gonna let me drive?"

"Too bad," she grinned as she started off the engine and drove off.

"Fine then... just needed to warn ya though, we need some fire accelerant for it..."

"You know where we can get that?"

"Hardware store?"

"I know the place then," she drove off, going slightly faster. 

"Cool then..."

"She managed to calm you down, hasn't she?" she smiled, as Tristan turned to look out of the window.

"It's amazing what a little cuddling and sexual healing can do for one's soul after feeling like you've faced off with the devil himself."

"I can imagine," she smiled. "You were furious."

"You were too, to an extent..."

"Well, he was blabbering idioticies about the three of us so I couldn't really keep calm..."

"Guess my remarks hit home then..." snickered Tristan. 

"Plus, I was really feeling like throwing up when he touched me."

"I figured as such. My kiss calm you down?"

"Uhm... sort of yes... sort of no," she mumbled as she looked straight on.

"Care to extrapolate on that? You won't exactly hurt my feelings if you do."

"It's not that I'd hurt your feelings but..." she blushed furiously. "You made me realise how much I miss that closeness from you..."

"Oh... sorry... Didn't mean to put you on the spot like that..."

"Nah don't worry, I'm over it..." she smiled. "It just caught me by surprise as I didn't expect that reminder to be so vivid in my mind, after all these years."

"Don't worry... I felt it too, and remembered..."

"You shouldn't think about it, really," she smiled, as she stopped the car next to a hardware store. "Go get what you need now."

Placing a hand on her cheek, he caressed it gently before climbing out of the car.

"Sometimes you really make me regret the decision I took years ago," she whispered, resting her head against the steering wheel as she continued observing the passers-by.

After locating the lighter fluid, Tristan paid for it and headed back to the car, noticing that Cynthia looked a bit down. Climbing in, he patted her thigh. "What're you thinking about?"

"Mmh? Hey," she smiled. "Oh nothing really... so, found the fire accelerant thing?"

"Don't... please, just tell me. You're thinking about us, weren't you?" he asked quietly.

"A little bit..." she replied, starting off the car to head towards the beach. 

"Any regrets that you care to share?"

"Saying that I miss you's too obvious a thing to say... especially when things like the one today happen. But seeing you happy with Gwyn just makes those regrets disappear. Trust me, I love you two too much to let regret get me."

"Thank you. Means everything to me to hear you say that."

"You're welcome dear," she smiled as they got on the coast road. "Think Gwyn's already there?"

"Might be. She's really anxious to get rid of that stuff..."

"Think so? Well I would be if I were in her shoes. I mean, the pink frilly crap is just... ugh."

"Yeah. Blues are more your style and reds and black for Gwyn... And yes, I do remember what kind of lingerie you like... hence your naughty Christmas present from me last year."

"As if I ever used that, dork," she laughed. "I preferred the non-naughty present for sure," she told him, recalling the two presents she had gotten from him.

"You do, I mean, it wasn't that bad - just a bra and matching thong... nothing too naughty. And I know you love my other present."

"That bag was beautiful... and I still use it for special occasions, or whenever I really feel like it..." she smiled. "As for that... never used them anyway. I keep them yes, but never used them."

"Aww... you'd look great in it... Who knows? You might get lucky if you wear it one of these days..." he smirked back at her.

"Oh shut up," she retorted, stifling a laugh. "As if."

Grinning, he kissed her cheek as he directed her over to the spot on the beach. "Love ya, Cyn."

"Love you too," she replied as she parked the car right behind Gwyn's. "You were right, she's already here," she smiled.

"Call it a feeling I had," he grinned as they climbed out of the car.

"Thought so."

Laughing, he removed the bags from the car as Cynthia carried the lighter fluid over to Gwyn. "Hey, fancy meeting you here. Been waiting long?"

"Not at all... watching the waves' pretty relaxing as always..."

"Alright, for your viewing pleasure, I present the latest burn pile," smiled Tristan as he carried the bags over to the fire pit while Cynthia and Gwyn looked on.

"Yay for bonfires!" Cynthia exclaimed, giggling at the thought of seeing that rubbish burn.

"Doesn't take much to make you happy."

"No, it's a wicked revenge dear. Very wicked."

"Gwyn, Sweetheart, do you agree with my best friend's assessment?"

"Sure, it's a pleasurable vengeance over those girls that send you that crap."

"But I'm such a hot commodity at work..." he joked as Cynthia handed him the lighter fluid. 

"Just burn that stuff already and we'll all be so happy."

"Fine fine," he replied while taking a scrap of the fan mail and pulling out his lighter. Lighting the scrap piece, he tossed it onto the pile and ran over to where Gwyn and Cynthia were. "Job well done, Ladies."

"Indeed, ha ha! Too bad I can't take a picture of this," Cynthia grinned as she watched the bonfire intently.

"There will be many more to come. Trust me..."

"Ugh..." Gwyn growled, turning to face the sea. "Can't they just do me a favour and stop it?"

"Don't count on it, babe," laughed Tristan as he continued to watch everything burn.

"You know that we're surrounded by idiots Gwyn," Cynthia nodded.

"Yes, the kind that give me migraines."

"Not to mention a particular small-dicked, masochistic, sociopathic son of a bitch and his equally slutty and perverted pawn of a... I don't even think she's his girlfriend..."

"Could be his... partner, technically speaking..." Gwyn commented. 

"Quite the unrealiable one, you just have to admit," Cynthia chorused back. "But I suspect he got pretty pissed off after our little encounter, that much that he might keep her on a leash."

"The leash thing works in this case..." Tristan muttered. "Guess the asshole's into bondage too..."

"Tris..." the two women chided him.

"What?" 

"You're doing it again," Cynthia pouted.

"Whu?"

"Giving us horrid images," she continued. "As if I was so looking forward picturing the asshole and the slut into... _that_ ," she shuddered.

"What? He's a sadistic bastard... and she's probably into all that anyways... so it's not that much of a stretch to imagine..."

"Disgusting," Cynthia mused, rolling her eyes in distaste. 

"I'll bet that they probably have sex in his office and that-" Both Gwyn and Cynthia clamped their hands over Tristan's mouth and shook their heads.

"Tris..." Cynthia mumbled. "Stop thinking about those two," she told him.

"Fine, I'll think happy thoughts...like what's for dinner tonight. Wanna come over for dinner, Cyn - that is, if it's okay with Gwyn..." 

"No problem... it's just that I'll need to have a nap as soon as I get back home."

"So... nap for Gwyn. Dinner's not for a few more hours... so, meet up later?" he asked Cynthia. 

"Ah no problem for me, just give me a convenient time for you and I'll drive over, it's not as if it's too far a drive anyway." 

"Dinner at say... seven?" he looked over at Gwyn. 

"Make it eight, as long as it's alright for you Cyn..." she asked them. 

"Told you, no problem at all. It gives me more time to enjoy a bath," she winked back at the two of them. 

"Ooooh, sounds relaxing." Smiling over at them, Tristan sat down on the sand and continued to watch the bonfire burn. "Told you that there was pink in the fire..." 

"Huh? Where?" she asked him, blinking back. "I don't see pink." 

"Watch the fire closest to the bottom..." he pointed to a particular spot near the bottom of the pile.

Looking more closely, Cynthia realised that Tristan was actually right... which ended up with her bursting out laughing. "Okay, now I can rest my mind that the most stupid stuff has rotted away," she grinned. 

Feeling Gwyn sit next to him, he wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "See it, dear?"

"Mmm-hmm," she hummed, resting her head on his shoulder quietly.

"Tired?" 

"Guess so... more than that, today's been too much..." 

"Yep. Cyn?"

"I'd love a punching bag right now... and a thick hot chocolate."

"Whoa there..."

"Whoa what?" she turned to look back at him.

Wrapping his other arm around Cynthia, as she sat on his other side, he laughed. "Just remember, I'm not your personal punching bag. Remember the last time you tried to hit me?"

"That was because of someone rather than you though... tried to hit on me and I was all pissed off... you were the first person I could vent my anger on..."

"I know and what exactly happened to your hand the moment you tried to punch me in the stomach? Try it again and I foresee lots of ice and bandages in your future again." 

"I won't even dare to now, you're more trained out so, no," she laughed.

"Trained out?"

"As in you exercise more."

"True, but I've always exercised... though it's probably fair to say that I've gotten better with age."

"That's for sure, and Gwyn got the best... of... you," she replied, smiling. "Tris, have a look at your princess."

While staring at the fire, he felt Gwyn begin to lean heavier against him. "Hey, you... Cyn?"

"Asleep," she confirmed, winking back at him.

"Figures. I'll get her into the car and then I can help you clean up the bonfire. Deal?" 

"Nah, just take her in the car and wait for me, I'll clear this in a minute - don't leave her alone in there, and it's not a problem."

"You sure?" he asked as he easily picked up and cradled Gwyn against him.

"Oh sure that I'm sure," she laughed. "Go on, I'll be ready from here in a couple of minutes."

"Carry on then," he smiled as he proceeded to carry Gwyn to the car. Tucking her into the back seat, he took off his coat and jacket and covered her up to keep her warm before sliding into the driver's seat to wait for Cynthia to finish. 

In a few minutes, Cynthia walked up to Tristan's car, grinning as she had finished ever earlier than she had imagined. "See? That was fast," she told him, handing him the fire accelerant. "So, I'll be seeing you in two hours or so?"

"Yep yep. Keep my junk in the car, I'll get it out later."

"Alright, then. See you later and try to rest a bit please," she smiled, waving back.

"Will do," he waved back as he waited for her to get into her car before driving off.

-

"Hi Anne, hey Puppy. How are you two today?" Tristan smiled as he carried Gwyn inside. "Oh and, she just needed a nap, no worries."

"Ah," she exhaled in relief. "You frightened me for a split second," she told him. "We're fine thank you. You? Had a nice day?"

"Other than a run-in with Black and his little pawn... we're pretty good. Oh and Cyn will be joining us for dinner, hope you don't mind," he called from the bedroom.

"No problem about Cynthia and... you had another run-in with those two?!" she gasped. 

"Yep, on separate occasions too, but if anything, we probably pissed them off even more as we didn't fall for their flame bait," he grinned as he dressed Gwyn in one of his t-shirts and his boxers before tucking her into bed.

"You didn't get hurt, right?" she asked, concerned.

"Me? Nah. I probably just destroyed his pride," chuckled Tristan as he changed into a t-shirt and his pajama bottoms. "Anything I can help you with in the kitchen?"

"Go rest with Gwyn... I don't have much to do, to tell you the truth. I'm almost done here," she smiled.

"Alright, I know when I'm not needed. See you in a bit Annie," laughed Tristan as he climbed into bed and settled next to Gwyn as Anne placed Jasper onto the bed and quietly shut the door as she left. 

"You came?" Gwyn mumbled as she felt Tristan pull her closer to him.

"Came? Honey, I've been here the entire time." Kissing her hair, he snuggled closer. "Go back to sleep, you're safe here with me."

"Mmm-hmm, I know," she smiled sleepily, nuzzling closer. "Love you."

"Love you too."

Seeing that more than an hour passed, Anne went to check on the two of them, smiling when she found them huddled in each other's arms, with Jasper resting on their feet in a deep sleep. Walking softly towards the bed, she nudged Tristan's shoulder slightly, whispering that more than an hour had passed and that Cynthia would be arriving within minutes.

"I'll be waiting for you in the dining room..." she finished, heading outside. "Jas, you come," she ordered as the puppy immediately raised his head and jumped off bed to follow her.

Shaking himself awake, he yawned before leaning over and kissed Gwyn.

"Already?" she groaned as she opened her eyes.

"Apparently babe. Need to get dressed or do you want to go super casual for dinner?"

"Casual should be alright," she smiled, sitting up as Tristan continued kissing her. "We're comfy enough with Cynthia at home."

"Fair enough. At least now we don't have to explain why you're wearing my stuff," he replied before kissing her one more time and climbing out of bed.

"Your boxers?" she laughed as she stretched out and crawled towards the edge of the bed.

"You're too short for my pants... so I grabbed the next best thing. Besides, they're clean," laughed Tristan as he headed out the door.

"I would have tortured you if you'd make me wear dirty ones," she laughed. "Tris? Nah, I'll change these..." she chuckled as she fetched a pair of knee-length leggings and put them on.

"Hey you, glad you could make it, and the sweatpants are so fetching on you," he smiled as he greeted Cynthia.

"Are they alright? I didn't have much time to get changed into something more decent, I mean... I just had a shower, bought you this," she told Tristan as she handed him what seemed like a food package. "And came here."

"I'm standing before you in my pajamas Cyn, you're fine."

"Yeah, you're right," she laughed. "Gwyn managed to rest a bit?"

"Sure did, and it was a well needed nap." Taking the package, Tristan looked down and kissed her cheek. "You always know how to make me happy - lemon cookies for the win!"

"Hey Cyn, glad you made it," Gwyn smiled, as she walked inside the living room, still with a sleepy look on her face, that took Cynthia by surprise. 

"You said the same thing."

"Mmh?"

"You and Tristan. You told me that you were glad that I made it. You said it together."

Glancing over at Gwyn, he started chuckling. "I guess we're just awesomely connected like that."

"Indeed," she winked back at him. "And Cyn, you didn't have to buy anything..."

"Nah, just take it and enjoy it together. Put in goodies that both of you should like," she grinned back at them.

"Aww, you're too kind sometimes Cyn. And Jas wants to say hi," smiled Tristan.

"Oh hi puppy," she crouched down, taking the dog in her arms. "Wanted to say hello didn't you? You cute puppy you," she smiled. 

Barking, Jasper began licking Cynthia's face as the four of them headed into the dining room.

"Hey Anne, sorry for hassling you more this evening..."

"Nah, don't worry, I'm glad you're with us," she grinned as she finished arranging the table. "Just have a seat and I'll bring dinner soon."

Once they all took their seats, Anne brought out dinner and sat down with them as they talked about everything but their respective run-ins with Black and Lara. As they ate, both Gwyn and Anne were able to witness just how easily Tristan and Cynthia were able to slip into the roles of not only a big sister/little brother, but it was very apparent that there definitely was love and affection between the two. For Gwyn, she could easily see how they fell in love when they were much younger, but at the same time, could also see as to why they could never work out as lovers over time. Knowing that, as well as seeing Tristan constantly glance towards her direction with a warm, loving gaze that usually held a flicker of desire as well, Gwyn knew that Tristan was her one true love and soulmate.

"That was awesome..." Cynthia muttered as she finished off her food. "Amazing."

"Yep, aside from the company, it's the food that Anne makes that keeps me here. She spoils me rotten sometimes," laughed Tristan as he drank his water.

"Ah really it's for the food and the company that you stay here? Mmm... interesting..." Gwyn chuckled as Tristan rested against her.

"Well there's _that_ too, but... I'd say that you, Annie, and Jasper are definitely what makes this place home for me."

"That's for sure..." Gwyn winked back at him.

"Yes, very much so," he grinned as he kissed her cheek. "So, shall we have dessert now?"

"Well, there is a certain creme caramel waiting for you in the fridge Tris..." Anne winked back at him, getting back on her feet.

Grabbing the dirty and used dishes, Tristan cleared the table in record time and headed straight for the kitchen. After placing everything in the sink, he opened the fridge and let out a cheer that was clearly heard from the dining room, causing the others to laugh and smile.

"Found it eh?" Gwyn called back as they saw Tristan coming back inside the room with a dish containing the dessert.

"Yes yes and did I mention, yes?" he grinned as he set it on the table.

"I think you did," Cynthia grinned as she took one of the small bowls.

"Good and just checking." Settling down in his seat, he grabbed the serving spoon and began dishing out the dessert to everyone.

"This looks great too!"

"Probably tastes just as good as it looks Cyn. Eat up, there's plenty enough," Tristan smiled as he began eating after serving everyone else. "If Black considers you two as part of my 'harem' well then, at least I'm enjoying the good company and love."

"Harem?" Gwyn repeated, raising her eyebrow at him.

"He meant it as a dig at the fact that I hang around either you or Cyn. He was trying to get under my skin saying that while I have you, I have Cyn on the side. Or something to that effect. Either way, he's a totally classless asshole."

"I agree wholeheartedly with that, believe me..." Cynthia agreed as she had her first taste off from the dessert.

"Agree with what?" asked Tristan as he continued eating.

"To the fact that Black's a classless asshole."

"Ah yes, I agree with that."

"I think we all do," Anne nodded as Gwyn grinned back in response.

Nodding while polishing off his dessert, Tristan began serving himself a second helping. "Definitely."

"Geez, you're taking another one?" Cynthia gasped. "You're really insatiable."

"Apparently I'm insatiable when it comes to all things... eating, exercising, sex-oops, I meant _lovemaking..._ " chuckled Tristan as he began eating again.

"Idiot," Cynthia stated, smacking his head slightly. "This is from both me and Gwyn."

Dropping his spoon, he rubbed his head. "Why is it when I'm honest, you keep hitting me? Jeez..."

"You know I hate that, it's almost degrading when you call it that way," Cynthia pouted as Gwyn nodded back at her. "And someone here agrees with me too."

"Hey hey, take it easy. I'm just teasing you guys... Obviously I'm not saying 'I love you' if I didn't mean it. Yes there's love there, yes it's quite the intimate act and yes, I can't get enough of indulging in it with the woman that I absolutely love and adore with my entire being. Granted yes, it's quite degrading to call it that, especially when you're whispering 'I love you's, but at the same time... Ah forget it... it's like I'm constantly being held to a higher standard when it comes to you two and can't even tease you about it..." Sighing as he rolled his eyes, he placed his spoon in the empty bowl. Carrying it off to the kitchen, Tristan disappeared into the living room through the other door while leaving the three women at the dining table slightly stunned at his action.

"What the..." Cynthia gasped as Gwyn smiled back at her. "What the hell's got him?"

"He's just a little shy about all of that," she replied, blushing a little herself. "I'll go talk to him," she told them as she stood up and headed towards the living room.

"No sense in trying to make me someone I'm not. It's almost like I have to tip-toe around being myself around you two sometimes. Mind what you say, don't act like just any other guy... so forth and so forth. I'm no saint, never have and never will. I don't want to be perfect as that's what everyone seems to expect out of me. So again, I hate being forced to be 'the bigger man' and not be so much like other guys... when I really am just like anyone else," he replied without turning around as he continued to play.

Sliding on the bench next to him, Gwyn smiled and rested her head on his shoulder. "If I say sorry, would you accept it?" she whispered. "I love you just the way you are... well correction, I adore you the way you are so... that's just nitpicking..."

"And yet it seems like you point it out more often than not. I mean, you do it in a teasing manner, but at the same time, it's almost like you do it to constantly remind me of that fact. And you don't have anything to be sorry about, since you didn't do anything. I know I'm being stupid so... yeah..."

"Didn't think you minded that much... if that's the case, I'm sorry," she finished as she stood up and walked away from him.

"Wait. Don't go." Halting his playing, he ran a hand through his hair. "I should be the one apologizing. To you, to Anne, and especially to Cynthia."

"Mmm?" she replied, turning to look at him.

"I'm sorry. Really I am." Getting up from the bench, he placed a hand on her shoulder as he headed back towards the dining room.

"What... Tris come here," she called out, following him back into the dining room as Cynthia and Anne looked on.

Pausing, he gave her a curious look. "Sure, but in one second?" Turning back to both Anne and Cynthia, Tristan bowed before them. "I'm sorry for what I said earlier and I'm sorry for acting the way I did. Neither of you did anything wrong and I'll try not to wrong either of you again." Bowing again, he stepped away from them and made his way back to Gwyn. "Yes?"

Smiling as he walked over to her side, Gwyn rested a hand on his cheek and moved up to plant a kiss on his forehead. "Sorry I got you embarrassed..."

Placing his hand gently over her wrist, he gave her a smile. "Like I said, you don't have to apologize for me being stupid. It's just who I am. I have all my little idiosyncrasies and my baggage. Just as I know that you have yours. Feel free to correct me, but... just don't overdo it - as I have my mother and sisters constantly nagging me," he replied with a laugh. "And the furthest thing I want to associate you with is how you treat me versus how my mother treats me."

"Well now it was Cynthia correcting you, not me..."

Turning over to Cynthia he gave her a sly grin. "The speech applied to you too, and you've known me since we were in diapers. You are my sister and my best friend - but at the same time... no nagging please."

"Yeah, alright alright... I shouldn't have..."

Dropping Gwyn's hand, Tristan crossed the room and hugged Cynthia, kissing her cheek. "Yeah yeah. I'm a good boy for the most part, but come on, let me be me once in a while - and I am just like most guys - just not like sadistic or anything of the sort."

"You're just less obsessed than most men are..."

"Exactly my point, as you always seem to pick on me the least, but at the same time, I do have my thoughts and desires. Luckily for me, the woman that loves me seems to indulge in that fact. And we all know that when I fixate on something, I usually give it my all."

"I'm sure you are," she winked back at him. "But I don't really want to hear the details in relation to that..."

"No you don't as you have a pretty vivid imagination anyways." Giving her another kiss on her cheek, he moved over and gave Anne a hug. "Sorry for having you witness some of my weirder breakdowns, but since I'm in this for the long haul, I guess it's best to get used to it."

"Your breakdowns are milder than Gwyn's so, I'm pretty used to them," she smiled. "Don't worry."

"Just know that mine will most likely be weirder, so don't mind me," he joked as he kissed her cheek as well before moving back to Gwyn.

"Better now?" she smiled back at him.

"Quite."

"You need to be more convincing..." she chuckled, giving him a huge smile.

Pulling her into a hug, he sweetly kissed her. "Yes I'm better. Sorry that it seemed like a major thing when it was really insignificant, but being held to a double-standard most of the time is kinda annoying. Hell, it's not even you guys that do it - James and Cole hold me to one as well - so I guess I was just wanted to say that I'm tired of it. I can't be anyone else but myself - that much I know and I'm sticking to."

"I never said I wanted anyone but yourself, baby," she chuckled. "It was just a little teasing from my end, it always is."

"I know, I know. I'm stubborn."

"Mmm-hmm," she smiled, gently rubbing his back.

Hugging her again, he rested his forehead on her shoulder and chuckled quietly.

"My baby needs a bit of cuddling, doesn't he?"

"...Yes please."

Chuckling, Gwyn placed a hand on his head and caressed his hair gently. "Something of the sort eh?"

"I like the constant reassurance actually - makes me feel wanted, safe, and secure."

"I'm glad it does..." she whispered. "Let's go help Anne clear up now, I'll take care of you later," she smiled back at him.

Kissing her one more time, he glanced over at both Anne and Cynthia - who were both grinning back at them - and nodded before helping to clean up the rest of the table. Despite Anne's protest, Tristan, Cynthia, and Gwyn managed to help her clean up the dishes and sat around the living room, sharing some coffee and tea as they talked. Finally, the hour grew late and Cynthia bade farewell, but not before Tristan got his bicycle and the remainder of his belongings out of her car. After Cynthia had left, Anne and Tristan had retired to the living room as he played a few songs for Gwyn as she worked for nearly an hour to catch up with her remainder work. Once Gwyn had finished her work, she joined them in the living room for a spell before Anne retired for bed, with Jasper curling up in his own bed soon afterwards. Once the other two were fast asleep, Gwyn and Tristan headed back to their bedroom, hand in hand.

"Lovely evening mmm?" she smiled as they got back inside the bedroom. "Definitely needed something this relaxing..." she yawned.

"Yep and I really need to do something about my insecurities..." mumbled Tristan as he flopped onto the bed.

"Not that I mind..." she crawled up in bed next to him, wrapping an arm round his waist. "Makes you the human I adore so much."

"Well, you're my ideal human too... even when you throw tantrums over the incompetence of some of the other morons at work..."

Giving him half a smile, Gwyn grabbed one of the pillows on bed and turned with her tummy down on bed, huddling the pillow close to her. "Yeah..."

"Yeah." Leaning over, he wrapped his arms around her middle and held her tightly before kissing her.

"I think we should sleep tonight... just that..."

Pulling up the covers over them, he simply grinned. "I can do that. Love you Gwyn."

"Love you too," she whispered sleepily, placing a kiss on his nose.

-

"Is there any way that I can break that alarm...?" grumbled Tristan sleepily as he buried himself under the covers and began kissing Gwyn's neck.

"What day is it?" she mumbled, chuckling as she felt Tristan's touch against her neck. "And no you can't destroy it."

"Tuesday... I think...?" he murmured while working on his spot and sliding his hands under the t-shirt she was wearing.

"Workday..." she growled. "Just a few minutes and we're up."

Smirking, he felt her hands tugging at his boxers. "Oh I'm so glad we implemented the underwear-only rule... and that the t-shirt you're wearing is one of my longer ones..." whispered Tristan as he began teasing her slightly with his fingers, making her gasp. "Oh and good morning, my Queen."

"Shower Tris, since you seem pretty apt this morning...?" she grinned back at him, placing a quick kiss on his lips. "I wouldn't mind..."

"I think we have enough time for here... as well as another go in the shower..." he grinned back as he kissed her deeply while continuing to move his fingers against her.

"Choose," she told him. "Here or there..."

"Mmm... both?"

"One."

Removing the t-shirt as she pulled down his boxers, he gave her a sly grin. "Despite the shower being fun, it's easier to get you into different positions when we're here in bed," whispering, he removed his fingers as he eased himself into her. "Nothing like making love first thing in the morning."

"Talk about boring mornings..." she whispered pulling him closer to her while looking at him straight in the eye. "They've become practically obsolete now in his house," she muttered, kissing him back. "I don't even remember the last boring wake up I had of late..."

"My life is anything but boring when I'm around you," he smirked as he began to rock his hips against hers while kissing her and holding her tightly.

"I agree," she smiled, holding him close. "Let's just say, it was simply empty before."

"Agreed," grinned Tristan as he began moving faster, moaning her name every so often in between other incoherent phrases.

"Tris..."

"Gwyn...?"

"Can we continue this... intense... _discussion_..." she gasped at each of his moves. "In the bathroom?"

Kissing her deeply, Tristan rolled onto his back and made sure that Gwyn's legs were wrapped around his waist before carrying her towards the bathroom. With practiced movements, he deftly maneuvered them into the shower before turning on the taps. "Better?" he replied with an easy smirk as he pressed her against the wall of the shower stall.

"Yeah honey," she chuckled, kissing him deeply. "Now..." she grinned. "Seems my Tristan still has something in store for me," she whispered as she felt him pull her closer.

"I might... since I hate leaving any job undone," he replied with an innocent look as he began to move his hips.

"I think I'm aware of that..." she muttered. "Finish _our_ shower, then we go get changed, baby... it's still a work day after all..."

"As you wish..." whispered Tristan as he began making love to her again.

-

"Eh? Tomorrow?" Cynthia asked, while she was typing off on a small typewriter at her desk. "It's Friday today Tris, shouldn't you have thought about it earlier?"

"Uhh... I'm more of a spontaneous kinda guy... You know me," he replied with a grin.

"Your and Gwyn's plotting isn't it? Right right... should I tell the others, Prince Charming?" she chuckled. "Time and meeting place?"

"More like... I voiced a suggestion, she runs with it. So... it'd probably be best to tell them and for time and place..." he scratched the back of his head as Gwyn came into view. "Hey, so time and meeting place for tomorrow?"

"How about we meet at your place, then the others follow us? Or else, we could meet there if they know where..." she suggested, as she placed a couple of reports on his desk.

"So... camp-out at my place? We'll get Anne and Jasper after work before we head over. What do you think? Oh and you didn't have to bring me the reports..."

"No problem... needed a little stroll out of my office..."

"I think it should be fine," Cynthia replied from the other end of the telephone. "I'll call James and Cole already."

"If you want," replied Tristan absently as he continued working on the stack of reports that Gwyn had dropped off. Yawning, he grabbed his glasses off his desk and put them back on after rubbing his eyes.

"Sorry," she smiled, placing a kiss on his hair and taking the receiver in her hands. "Cyn, can you check if I have other meetings scheduled for this afternoon?"

While Gwyn waited for Cynthia's answer, Tristan grabbed her free hand and kissed it. "It's okay. No worries."

"No... you actually had one scheduled with CEO this afternoon at 15:00 but it's been cancelled... his secretary phoned up this morning advising that it's being postponed for a later date," Cynthia confirmed.

"Postponed? Oh that's... strange of him... Anyway, just check when the next meeting is then, please. And... all set for this evening and tomorrow then?"

"Yes m'am," she chuckled. "And, you'll be away for a meeting for this coming hour?" she smiled as she heard Gwyn chuckle at the other end. 

"Something like that. I'll see you soon," she finished, hanging up. "Report submissions are increasing again... sorry for that new lot."

"It's fine, don't worry about it," mumbled Tristan as he was fully engrossed with the report in his hands.

"Cole's report writing skills are really impressive by the way, already got five new progress reports from him that didn't require any of my input... I've already sent them to CEO for endorsement. That was quite the good choice Tris," she smiled, sitting down on his couch.

"He may be one of my oldest and best friends, but I knew that he'd be absolutely perfect for this position. James is really good too - just needs to be prodded by Cole, which again, is why they're the perfect team. And as a team, they'll need a really good PA..." Reaching over to the other side of his desk, he pulled out a notepad that was covered in his notes. "I've narrowed the choice down to a few, but I'd like for your input as well." Smiling, he held the pad out to her. "I'm leaning towards Jacob Richards...but if you have any other suggestions, that'd be great."

"You included Emily Stewart in your list too... quite the diligent PA and works efficiently where she's posted now, but I don't really want to move her from her current place... maybe Jacob would be..." she mused, getting lost in her thoughts for a short while.

"Yeah, I included her, as though she's great where she is now, the fact that she's already working for Izzy works to both their advantage so I wanted her to move over to where he was. As for Jacob, he's got a lot of promise and he knows his stuff. I wanted him on the junior team, but there wasn't enough slots so I've been thinking that he'd be a great asset if he were able to train under both Cole and James. Maybe in the future, he'll be quite the top player..."

"Indeed he could," she grinned, resting her head backward. "Much more than you realise."

"Mm-hmm. Gonna stick around and look beautiful while I do my reading? Also, how come you don't have to meet with Fred? Something come up?"

"I don't know actually. Cynthia mentioned that his PA... well yes her, don't cringe, phoned up saying that it's being postponed. Pretty unusual for Fred..."

"Probably for the best... I want to avoid crossing paths with that slutty-ass bitch..." shuddered Tristan as he let out another yawn.

"Sleepy aren't you?" she smiled, as she took some of the reports in her hands. "And yes, I'll stay here for a while, if you don't mind."

"Not really sleepy, but just... I think I need a break from reading for a bit..."

"That's why I came here... the last one I read was the tenth report of the day..." she replied.

"Ahh, gotcha." Stretching out, Tristan stood up to his full height and ambled over to Gwyn, before flopping onto the couch and rested his head on her lap. "Think we should wear our costumes from last time or should we dress up in something different?"

"We could try another dress once we're there, no need to take our own dresses," she smiled as she started passing a hand through his hair slowly. "I think Cynthia will love doing that..."

"You and her love dressing me up..." he grinned as he took hold of her free hand.

"Mmh... I'll take care of dressing you up again myself, Cynthia will have James and Cole to take care of," she smiled, giggling lightly.

"Those two couldn't dress themselves properly if the perfect suit slapped them both in the face... And as for me... will it just be dressing me up or will dressing me down be part of the experience too?"

"We could easily have both," she told him. "On the other hand, you'd pretty much enjoy putting a corset on me..."

"Correction, I enjoy _removing_ it off of you," he whispered as he placed his hand on the back of her head and pulled her down for a lingering kiss.

"It's a two-way thing," she smiled, placing a small peck on his nose as their kiss ended.

"True."

"And let's not forget to take a lot of photos..." she whispered, as she continued caressing his hair. "You know, we actually don't have a photo with the two of us together."

"We should take one tomorrow for sure. It'd be a nice memento."

"More than one."

"Yeah. It'd be a good thing."

"I'd need a billboard-sized photo of you in the costume in my office - would make quite the wallpaper," she chuckled. "Maybe there'll be that boy photographer again."

Laughing, he grinned back at her. "Obsessed with that costume much? Also which office?"

"The one back home, since I can't have a picture of you here... And no, it's not obsessed... it's just that I appreciate beauty when I see it," she smirked. "Ever seen one of those royal portraits you see in museums... that."

"'Appreciate beauty'? Me? Beautiful? If you say so..." he replied with a wry grin.

"I said it so it's true," she laughed lightly.

"Huh... I mean, sure I think of you as the most gorgeous woman on the face of the planet...but, I always thought of myself as rather average-looking, to be honest. Nothing about me that really stands out..."

"And how many times have I replied to this saying that I don't care and that you're the most handsome man I've ever met?" she replied, leaning down to rest her forehead against his.

"Well, I only really hear you and Cyn talk...maybe I'm too hard on myself? I guess I'm a little better than average..."

"Can I tell you something you probably never heard me say?"

"Uhh... okay?"

"I remember the day you came to work for the first time, as I was with Fred in the office that day... I just thought you were pretty average looking and that you probably were just a normal looking twenty-two year old. But, my opinion changed when Fred starting questioning you about your ambitions and goals... and why you had accepted the job and all, and that opinion changed in an instant... you stood out of the crowd immediately Tris, far from average."

"Yep... average. Like I thought and yet most women look at me like I'm the most gorgeous guy ever... which I don't get at all."

Smiling, Gwyn placed a kiss on his forehead and chuckled. "I'm glad that gorgeous guy's mine though."

"Wait... but you said I was average... and now you say I'm gorgeous... be honest then... was I average on first glance or not?" he asked with a really confused look on his face.

"Even if you were the most handsome man on earth, trust me, I wouldn't have cared less at the time... so, can't really tell," she admitted.

"So... I'm still average?" 

"No. Not one bit. Not average at all... Will you keep in mind that you're the most beautiful man on earth to me, as cheesy and fluffy as it might sound?"

Grinning, he gave her a wink. "I'll bear that in mind then. So... go home now?"

"Yes," she smiled back at him.

"Okay. Might as well get Jasper acclimatised to my place. Ahh... I'm liking this leave work early midday... but it serves another reason. I'd rather do all this reading in bed - that way if I pass out, at least I can sleep in my own bed and rather than the floor of my office..."

"Let's call it teleworking then," she chuckled, leaning closer to him. "I actually don't mind, working in another atmosphere rather than in my office, come to think of it..."

"Sounds like a good plan," he whispered before pulling her down for another kiss.

"And we could have a decent break before we get down to working," she whispered back.

"Sure. I wouldn't mind taking a walk on the beach - Jasper would love that too - before we get back to work. Then dinner will be of your choosing and we can have a nice night in."

"Sounds wonderful... should be a relaxing weekend then, mmh?" Gwyn smiled as she rested her back against the couch and placed a hand on his cheek caressing him.

"I think so. Then you'll be meeting the rest of my family... Wow, this month's sure gone by pretty fast..."

"And then comes our vacation," she concluded, letting out a small giggle that made Tristan smile.

"Yeah, our vacation. Ahhh... two glorious weeks away from work and with just you by my side. This will be absolutely lovely..."

"Haven't had a vacation for... ages?" she laughed, leaning down to rest her forehead against his again.

"Nope. Last one I had was just before I joined the company - and that was nearly two years ago..."

"I can't even recall when my last was," she smiled. "I'm being more relaxed ever since I have you around, trust me."

"I'm bringing out the best in you... since I'm such a good influence... _most_ of the time..." replied Tristan with a sly wink.

"What was that _most_ about?" she smirked back.

"Well... I have been causing you to break your own rules regarding my conduct in your office, _aren't_ I? Because I'm pretty sure that nearly two years ago, you never would even let me kiss you in your office - hell, not even earlier this year actually. But now... we've done a little more than kiss, _Assistant Director_..."

"I'm pretty aware of that, _Manager_..." Gwyn smiled, planting a kiss on his hair. "And trust me, I don't regret it one bit."

"Then... am I free to have my wicked way with you in this office? I think we can do this rather quietly - as we were able to at Neville's place..."

"There's no storm outside, and... your office isn't soundproof... and... I don't feel that... safe so to speak, considering that there might be Black's pawns prowling around. We are aware only of Lara after all... we don't know whether there are others and who they are..." she sighed. "Let's just wait till we get back home... please?" 

Instead of frowning, pouting, or whining, he gave her a bright grin. "Just teasing."

Blushing as soon as she saw his reaction, Gwyn smiled and placed a small kiss on his lips. "I'm overprotective... aren't I?" 

"A bit, but I love you for it. Shall we get going?"

Nodding, Gwyn let Tristan sit back up on her lap, chuckling as he wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his head on her shoulder. "Yes we should," she replied, rubbing his back gently.

"I'm not too heavy, right?" he asked as he continued to sit on her lap and hugged her tightly.

"I would have complained much earlier if you were," she smiled. "Love you Baby."

Chuckling, he kissed her temple. "Love you too, Sweetheart."

"So... shall we get going?"

"Yep!" Giving her one last kiss on the cheek, Tristan slid off Gwyn's lap and got to his feet before holding his hand out to her and pulled her onto her feet. He then began to grab the remaindered stack of reports off of his desk and shoved them into his worn leather and canvas satchel. Once Tristan locked his door, the two headed towards Gwyn's office, informing Cynthia that they'd be away for work for the rest of the day. Smiling, the secretary merely smiled and nodded, and took note of the fact that Gwyn had asked her to forward any urgent calls, with Tristan's approval, to his house. 

After grabbing her bag, coat and scarf, and a few other reports in the process, Gwyn closed her office and after bidding goodbye to Cynthia, she and Tristan made their way out of the building from the usual exit route and headed towards their car. Within minutes, the couple were on their way towards Tristan's apartment, relaxing as Gwyn had switched on her radio and put on some jazz music - much to Tristan's approval.

"So, wanna grab a really light lunch before we get back to work? Since it's such a nice day, wouldn't mind hanging out on the balcony while we finish our work. As our break...well, I'll leave that up to you."

"I _think_ I have an idea..." she smiled, resting her hands against the steering wheel as she stopped at an intersection.

Drumming his hands on the dashboard, he gave her a grin. "Oh yeah?"

"There's still the blanket in the trunk..."

"Yes... and...?"

"Grab lunch and reports, and go read on the beach rather than the balcony... deal?" she told him, as she drove off. "Then we could have a nap, and maybe go dine out tonight..."

"Sounds even better. Let's do that... Oh! When should we pick up Anne and Jasper?"

"After our break? What do you think? We could take them for lunch out, how about we head off to Neville's and surprise them both?" she suggested.

"Let's do that. I'm sure that they wouldn't mind the company. Plus, I'll bet that Annie would love to help out Lisa. And then maybe you and I can steal some time alone together as well?" 

"That's a definitive must."

"It's a date then. Anything in particular you want for lunch? Soup? Sandwich?"

"A chicken salad and mmh... something sweet... with chocolate."

"Mmm... there's a little cafe near the dessert bar... we could go there?"

"Wherever you say, wherever you say," she chuckled.

Laughing, he simply sat back in his seat as Gwyn continued to drive towards the dessert bar.

"What's the laugh about?" she asked, grinning as she spotted a parking space. 

"You know me well enough and you already knew that I was gonna say that you should just head on over there. That's why I laughed, as you were already heading towards the dessert bar without having me tell you. Like you read my mind."

"Wouldn't be surprised if we actually did one day."

"Nope, wouldn't surprise me at all." Once Gwyn had parked the car, Tristan climbed out first before helping her out. Though dressed in their work clothes, they seemed to cut quite the striking pair, but once Gwyn threaded her arm through Tristan's and he kissed her cheek, they instantly transformed into the loving and affectionate couple that they were. Leading her inside the cafe, they examined the large display board that listed all of the choices. "So, see anything in particular that you like?"

"Well... I said I'd have a salad eh... baby, I lied... I just saw something that tickled my fancy more," she laughed, leaning against him.

"Might as well get what you want then, though I'd guess it'd be fruitless to tell you to save room for dessert, since I'm sure you'll make room for it anyways," he chuckled as he spotted a sandwich combination that he liked as well as spotted the hotpots for the soups and found a soup he liked as well.

Grinning as she ordered a small spinach and tuna pastry, accompanied by a cup of tea, Gwyn came up with a tray as Tristan was waiting for his serving of soup to come up. "Chosen?"

"Grilled five cheese sandwich and a bowl of creamy tomato. They're just adding some roasted red pepper to it." Looking at her lunch, he shot her another grin. "Another thing I love about living here - big portions for an inexpensive price. That 'small' right there would be considered to be a full-sized meal anywhere else for twice the price."

"That's true... and... what you got sounds pretty good, I'll have to steal some from you," she whispered, placing a kiss on his cheek.

"Not like I wouldn't let you anyways." Taking his tray of food and glasses of water, he followed Gwyn to a small table that looked out the window. "I'm glad that everything's going pretty smoothly. With Cole, Jamie, and Izzy in charge, Advertising's finally in competent hands," replied Tristan as he dipped his sandwich in his soup before taking a bite.

"Mmm-hmm, makes me feel more relaxed, really..." she agreed, as she gathered her hair in a ponytail before taking her first bite. "We can finally rely on someone instead of doing practically everything ourselves."

Grinning, Tristan nodded. "Definitely. I would've loved to have firebombed Advertising during their meltdown... but rebuilding, though long and exhaustive, has been completely worth it if it gets good guys like Cole doing what they love best or up and comers like Jacob to get their feet wet."

"Very true..."

"How's your lunch?"

"Go ahead and take a bite if you like," she smiled, as she gazed out of the window. "Pretty good, you were right."

"Glad you like it. Wanna try mine?"

"Mmh? Yeah yeah sure..." she replied, turning her attention back at him. 

Smiling, Tristan leaned over and kissed her.

"Sorry about that," she smiled as their kiss finished and she continued eating. "I was thinking about something, that's all..."

"I could figure. Granted, I'm not trying to monopolize you and your thoughts all the time, but...you know you can always talk to me."

"I know, I know. Not to worry though, nothing major... it was just a fleeting thought about something, I'm alright now."

"If you say so," replied Tristan as he continued to eat - but not before Gwyn stole the remainder of his sandwich out of his hands. "Hey!"

"Told you I would have stolen it at some point," she chuckled as she gobbled it down in a couple of bites, grinning back to him once finished.

Running a hand through his hair, he gave her a warm and sunny smile. "Guess I'll just steal back something else..." After wiping his hands on his napkin thoroughly, he placed his palms on her cheeks and kissed her soundly - completely ignoring everyone but Gwyn at that moment.

"I think I'm going to start stealing food from you more often," she laughed, resting her forehead against his.

"Well, you could, but there's no guarantee that I'll do the same thing twice. I could've easily spilt the soup on your lap on purpose," he smirked back as he drank her tea.

"What? No..." she replied, shaking her head. "I love this one scenario better," she smiled, letting out a giggle as she noticed him drinking from her cup. 

"Hmm, I'll bet," he chuckled as he placed the now-empty cup of tea back on the table.

"And now tell me what _I'll_ be drinking..."

"Tea? Just go refill it with hot water, since the teabag is still on the saucer," Tristan shot back innocently.

"See if you want to get something for you too... can you get me a camomile tea please?"

"You're making me get you more tea?" he playfully whined as he got up from their table and headed back to the counter, where the girl was smiling and chatting with Tristan as he simply nodded back.

"Thanks," she whispered as she took the cup in her hands and immediately sipped the tea slowly. "Ended up chatting?"

"A bit. She was telling me that there's going to be a sculpture art festival this weekend - which I totally forgot about. Wouldn't mind checking it out to see what's going on," he replied as he drank out of his water glass.

"How about we go check it out on Sunday?"

"We can do that. Almost done? I hear a certain dessert calling your name..."

"You mean my usual? Think we should buy it as take away and have it by the sea?"

"Sounds good."

After getting back on her feet, the two, with their hands entwined in each others, headed out of the cafe' to fetch dessert just as they had planned. With a small vanilla-flavoured warm waffle topped with cinnamon ice-cream and a warm brownie with vanilla ice-cream, each in a separate container, the two walked briskly towards a particularly sheltered spot on the beach and sat down by each other's side, watching the low swell waves breaking slowly against the shore.

"Despite the grey clouds and the smell of incoming rain, it's still really beautiful out here, isn't it?"

"I actually like this kind of weather," Gwyn replied, opening her dessert container. 

"Same here..." he replied in kind as he opened his dessert container and gave the first bite to Gwyn. "I love the ocean. It can be calm and still as well as angry and dangerous..."

Looking up at him while giving him a bite from the waffle, Gwyn stifled a laughter as soon as she heard the description. "Doesn't that sound like someone you know?"

"Just a bit... but I honestly think that it applies to all of us really."

"That's true... we tend to be all of that at times..."

"Mmm-hmm." Maneuvering a bit, Tristan sat behind Gwyn and kept his knees around her as they continued to eat. "To be honest, I don't really feel like working at the moment... as this is terribly relaxing..."

"Would you be surprised if I'd tell you that I agree?"

"Not really," he smiled as he set his empty dessert container back in the bag and held her tightly.

"Want to finish up mine? I think I'm full," she told him, passing him her container.

"I'll be a gentleman and split it with you," he returned as he spooned himself a bite before giving some to Gwyn.

"And that's just... it," she chuckled as she gave him the final spoonful. "That was indeed, lovely."

"Quite lovely indeed." Replacing the empty container in the bag, he placed a sticky, chocolate-caramel kiss on her cheek.

"And now you'll have to clean up that," she laughed, resting her head back to lean against him.

Smiling to himself, he began to slowly lap up the chocolate and caramel from her cheek before kissing her deeply.

"Tris? We stay here and fetch the blanket, or go in the car and find a nice parking space with a view... I don't want us to get caught in the rain," she told him, as she raised her head up to look at the weather.

"Let's grab the blanket..." Kissing her quickly, he grabbed their garbage and ran back to the car and retrieved the blanket before making his way back to Gwyn as the first raindrops began to fall. Laughing, he wrapped the blanket around them and cuddled tightly against her.

"Make it complete then," she chuckled, covering their heads up with the blanket, which kept them warm and comfortable despite the current conditions.

"Sure, if you want," he whispered before kissing her again.

"Better now?" she asked him, even though she started feeling raindrops on her face. "I did something similar once."

"What was it?"

"I was angry at something that happened to me, took the car and drove off somewhere in the countryside to be on my own... obviously, it was mid-winter, got drenched in the process and was accompanied by a lovely high fever the following day... Fred practically wanted to kill me," she told him. "Was still young when I did that..." she whispered, as she recalled the times when Fred used to force her into feeding once she had discovered her vampire nature.

"At least you survived, and are here with me. C'mon, the rain can be fun too," he grinned as he let go and took off the blanket and he stripped off his coat, shoes, and socks before running around as the rain began to increase.

Huddling closer inside the blanket, Gwyn sighed and called back at him. "Tristan, you'll get sick again! Come back here!"

Laughing, he stood before her in his soaked white shirt, his red tie askew, sand caked onto his pants and his bare feet. "I'm perfectly fine, Sweetheart. Live a little." He then took off towards the waterline and began running around on the hard, compacted sand.

"It's not as if you haven't already gotten sick lately because of that..."

Waving, he continued to run around before making his way back to Gwyn. Gently falling onto his knees, he placed his hands on her cheeks and kissed her as the rain continued.

"Baby, you're already cold..." she whispered tenderly, taking a protective mode.

"Care to _warm me up_ then?"

"If you come back under the blanket maybe, you crazy man of mine," she chuckled as she felt Tristan move by her side under the blanket once again.

"Hi."

"Stubborn boy," she laughed as he leant against her for a kiss once again.

"Overprotective girl," he countered back.

"I don't want you to get sick, it's for your own good," she pouted playfully.

"I know, but I want you to enjoy yourself too," smiled Tristan as he laid back on the sand and pulled Gwyn on top of him, making sure that they were safely and completely covered by the blanket as he held her tightly.

"Are you alright with your back on the sand?"

"Perfectly. Don't worry, I'll just strip off my clothes before we get back into the car..."

"You won't strip off anything, you'll catch a cold."

"And you want to get sand all over the car? Don't worry, we're not too far from my place anyways..." he whispered before kissing her again.

"I know that," she whispered between kisses. "Are you so keen in trying to get sick though?"

"Nope, as I thought you were going to warm me up, weren't you?" smirked Tristan.

"I think I was already doing that," she promtly replied, entwining her legs with his.

"So... let's head home to my nice, warm bed?"

"Definitely... and... before that, we phone up Anne telling her to prepare nothing for dinner since it'll be a night out this evening."

"Good plan..." Kissing her once more, the pair headed back to the car, where Gwyn made sure to wrap Tristan in the blanket as she placed his other clothes in the back seat. Driving with care, Gwyn got them safely to Tristan's apartment and they both quickly brought their things inside. 

"Now go get changed into something warmer," she ordered him in a gentle tone once the two of them were in the living room.

Tugging playfully on her arm, he grinned as he started backing his way towards the bedroom. "Or... we still have time..."

"Well, I had actually promised you back at... work," she halted as Tristan pinned her against the bedroom door once the two of them had gotten inside.

"Mmm-hmm..." he replied in kind as he began kissing her neck while holding her arms above her head. 

"Tris," she whispered as he continued working on his favorite spot between her neck and her shoulder. "Sweetheart, you're still drenched..." she told him, passing a hand through his hair as he slightly let go.

Without looking up, he continued to work on the spot as he whispered in a tone that sent a pleasant shiver down her spine. "Then you should probably do something to get me out of these wet clothes now, shouldn't you?"

"Baby we might," she replied, as she moved her hands up his chest and started unfastening the buttons of his shirt, sliding it down slowly as she finished. 

"Getting a bit warmer," he smiled as he tossed the sopping wet material onto the floor and easily removed her coat, scarf, suit jacket, and shirt.

"Definitely," she whispered back, circling her arms around him.

Holding her tight, he started unfastening her skirt and slowly slid it down her body as he continued to kiss her.

"Better now?" she chuckled, entwining her legs with his.

"A bit, but you're completely dry..."

"So? That's the point," Gwyn mumbled, as Tristan continued kissing her neck.

"Is it really?" Tristan grinned as he began kissing down her chest and stopped at her waist, which was still covered by both her stockings and her panties.

"First, you need to dry off," she told him passing a hand through his still damp hair. "Second... shouldn't we go to bed?" she laughed wholeheartedly. 

Rather than answering, Tristan pulled down the two items that were preventing him from reaching his prize. Leaning forward, he placed his mouth over her and began his ministrations.

As he felt her pull him closer to her, Tristan stood up and took Gwyn in his arms, kissing her passionately while taking her into his bedroom. Smiling as he sat her down on his bed and slid on top of her, she chuckled as he kissed her again and rested his forehead against hers.

"Remind me... what was the original plan for this afternoon honey?"

"Dinner with Anne and Jasper at Neville's place. But we still have plenty of time... and I really do hate wet pants... Think we can fix that?"

"Dearest, you're in your own home, it's obvious that you can change into a pair of dry pants..."

"Now that's not fair... since you're the one that's completely naked here and I'm only half. We should definitely even up the odds, wouldn't you agree?"

Grinning, Gwyn rested her hands on his waist, and quickly slipped off first his pants, then his boxer shorts, making her smirk back at him as he flipped her back to rest on the bed once again.

"Much better, isn't it?"

"Definitely..." she whispered back, in a sensual tone that made Tristan shiver slightly. "Oh, so you like that..." she continued with the hint of a giggle in her voice as she noticed his reaction.

"Quite," he whispered back as he began working on his spot again.

"Mr. Faraday," she chuckled, as she caressed his back slowly. "Can we get down to business now please?"

"Only because you said please," he teased as he parted her legs slightly and settled himself on top of her. "Now I do believe that we need to make up for some lost time, don't you?"

"In fact we do," Gwyn replied, meeting his lips in a passionate kiss once more. "Love you..."

"Love you too..."

-

"So you felt that too?"

"Yes, it was the fresh aura of a newborn, but couldn't actually recognize from where and who it is..."

"Neither could I... Sir Fredrick, were you able to detect the aura of the newborn?"

Tapping his spoon against his saucer lightly, Fred poured a bit of honey into his tea. "I did, but at the time, I thought I was mistaken. Commander Coulston also felt it, but again, I thought she was mistaken in her assessment..."

"And I thought it was a surge of power from the old ones..."

"It was a newborn I tell you! And female too..."

"That's because you're obsessed with 'em blessed female 'uns, Reg..."

"Ah shut up."

"Speaking of females, your daughter's not with you today, Sir Frederick?"

Taking a sip, Fred set down the cup with a practiced ease. "Alas, not tonight. She has her own life to live, and I'm sure she wouldn't want to be cooped up in here with us old codgers," chuckled Fred as he took one of the biscuits from the dessert stand. "She's probably working away as usual, the busy little bee..."

"Still haven't found the suitor for her? I thought you'd managed to last time we talked."

"If I were her age, I would have ravished a whole lot of lovely looking vampires or human females. To hell with a suitor."

"As if you don't now."

"A thousand years ago I was quite the handsome looking gentleman, if you don't mind."

Chuckling, he looked over at the Council members and smiled widely. "Ahh, but I have found one for her... and it only took several hundred years for him to show up again..." Reaching down, he took out a worn, leather book from his bag and gingerly set it on the table.

"What's that? Personal diary, Sir Fred?" one of them smirked, nudging him at his stomach.

"Oh... something better actually..." Opening the marked page in the book, Fred grinned as he pointed to a particular figure. "He will be our newest addition - and quite the prize... Ahh, how long have I waited for him to return to us... he has escaped our grasp for far too long."

Gasping, one of the Council members slammed his open palms against the antique mahogany table around which the whole group had assembled. "You don't mean... him?!"

"I do indeed. Afterall, we all agreed that he would be our latest addition... I just didn't realize that they were one in the same person... as he was always right under our noses. But, he's in good care now, Commander Coulston will be taking him soon."

"You asked little Gwyn to turn him?!"

"Wait wait wait... I might need a recap about this, I missed our last meeting after all... what's this about?"

"Ah, yes, let me explain. Nearly two years ago, we had the good fortune of hiring an extremely talented and charismatic young boy. To the surprise of most of us present, the boy turned down his original position and insisted on working his way up - starting with a junior position. Since then, he has risen through the ranks faster than anyone else within the company and is now about to reach the position that he was initially offered. Our good fortune began earlier this year when the boy was personally picked by Commander Coulston to join her Management team - and as of now, he is working with the esteemed Commander in rebuilding our Advertising department. Gentlemen, I was doing a bit of research and had this lovely book fall off the shelf and open to the very page you see before you. Many of you who have roamed the halls from time to time have seen the boy, and I'm sure that most of you were able to detect a rather strange aura from him, yes?"

"In that respect... I think you are right," one of them nodded.

"And that would explain the aura similar to a newborn that I once felt when I came across him a month ago or so in the company building."

"Damn you for ruining my dreams of seeing little Gwyn expecting the Clan's heir."

"Only you would have thought that Reg."

"Oh, he's not one of us yet... but he will be quite soon, I assure you. My dear Gentlemen of the Council, it is with great pleasure that I inform you that Tristan David Faraday is one of our Destined Ones."

"I think I need a drink..."

"And I had thought the age of the Destined Ones was over..."

"So Frederick, pray tell us, what are your next moves in this regard..." another one of the members smirked. 

"Despite the initial reluctance of Commander Coulston, I have no doubt that she will be able to turn the boy... with time. But - again, I assure you that he will be turned before the Winter Solstice. You have my word. It's best not to rush this, as the boy continues to display several unusual abilities. I'm sure you are all aware of the incident with Black two months ago?"

Looking over at the whole group, Reginald burst out in a hearty fit of laughter. "That news had been the best I'd ever heard in ages, Fred. Oh so that was the boy... lovely..."

"That wasn't funny in the least, Sir Reginald. That meant having one of our precious kin tainted by a petty human baby," a blonde vampire, seated on an armchair at the end of the hall voiced out. "And Sir Frederick... are you terribly sure the boy is one of these... prophetised beings? He's still... _human_ ," he winced, as if he was uttering some sort of profanity. "We wouldn't want our dearest Head of Clan to be mistaken and to make your precious daughter waste her time on such a being. Don't you think?"

"Ahh, Lucius, so little faith you have. Believe me, it's the boy."

"You mean... you're pairing your daughter with a _human_ -turned-vampire? You must be mad."

"Though it pains me that he is human, the fact that he is a Destined One more than makes up for it, as I can have Dr. Tomes personally vouch for the boy. The boy himself is in exceptional health and conditioning - he's easily a match for some of our best fighters."

"Particularly the Ryan boy," Reginald laughed under his beard as Lucius gave him a death-glare.

"Will you stop fooling around with the name of my nephew, Reginald?!" the stern vampire snapped back at him. "If it weren't for our vow of secrecy, I would have told the boy everything, trust me," he scowled.

Taking a bite of his biscuit, Fred looked over at Lucius. "And what secret would that be, dear Lucius?"

"I meant the Council's vow of secrecy... Frederick."

"Good, as I was under the impression that it was another secret..."

"No it wasn't..."

"Shouldn't we discuss the other matters now?"

"Yes," Reginald sipped his tea, grinning. "Like, when will you be getting my lunch? Tea's delightful, but I'd appreciate my _main_ course to be served."

"Oh of course." Clapping his hands, the silent servants in the room proceeded to haul out several bodies from the hidden office before carrying them over to the center of the table.

"Now we're talking. Don't you dare touch that one," Reginald ordered them as he spotted a woman he liked amongst all of the bodies.

"He's at it again."

"Oh let him be," smirked Fred as he sank his fangs into the nearest body - a young man that resembled a slightly older Tristan.

"So, does this boy resemble the sketch on that book of yours, Frederick?" Reginald asked as he moved to the next serving next to the Head of Clan.

Wiping his lips, Fred took a sip of wine before reaching into his bag and produced a personnel file - which belonged to Tristan and contained an updated photo of him. "See for yourself, Reg." 

"What the... you must be joking..." he gasped, spluttering blood all over his uniform.

"Reg, no need to make a mess of yourself..." chuckled Fred as he handed Reginald a clean napkin.

"He's the splitting image of that... really now Fred, it almost seems like you've planned everything out for her. Have you told her?" he told him as he took the napkin and cleaned himself up. "And thanks for this."

"No, I haven't. And it was her decision to hire the boy onto her team, not mine. I simply approved his transfer. Also, you're very welcome."

"I wouldn't mind meeting the kid up... looks quite the bright boy, I must admit. And tell me, has your Gwendalynn ever mentioned something about him... not professionally speaking I mean."

"He's extremely bright. Managed to do some digging into his background - he has a genius-level intellect. As for my Gwyn discussing the boy... she's kept rather mum about him, though I'm sure she has some affection for him, as they often smile and laugh around one another. Despite being a human, he's much better suited for my daughter than that Kirkham idiot was..." 

"You still hold a grudge against that boy, don't you?" Reginald asked simply, as he indulged in his second serving.

"He had so much potential... and yet he wasted it away... But, despite all that, I hope he is well..." admitted Fred as he took another drink of wine and selected his next serving.

"Oh really? Apologies for my unexpected eavesdropping... but... I thought you hated your own _son_ to the point of killing him, Frederick," Lucius snickered as he finished off his fourth helping in a row.

"Again, despite our falling out, it's been years since that incident and I've learned to cut my loss. Unlike _you_ , who insists on holding your grudges that are centuries old... Also, if you hold such contempt for _my family_ how is it exactly that a mere slip of a boy was able to soundly beat your own _kin_ ," sneered Fred as Reginald chuckled slightly.

"You're already taking sides with the human boy... how touching," Lucius growled, as he barely lowered his head down and walked away. 

Watching him sulk away, both Fred and Reginald continued to eat alongside the rest of the Council.

"He's always been like that."

"Must run in the family... but enough chat, let's continue with our meal undisturbed. Soon, we shall have a new face joining us..."

"True, true... it all depends on your daughter now..."

While the rest of the Council was proceeding into their post-meeting feasting, one of these members stormed out, flustered at the slight humiliation that he had to endure with the Head of Clan. Rushing inside his mansion, Lucius steadily headed towards his study, slammed the door shut and locked himself inside, leaving the servants aghast at his arrival back home. After being informed of his arrival, his wife Diana, of equally pure vampire decent as he was, headed towards the study, covering herself up as she was already clad in her bed clothes.

"Will you open up... please?" she called out after knocking at the door once.

After several moments, he opened the door to the study. "What is it that you need? I'm quite busy at the moment," he gestured towards the mess behind him.

"What's that?" she asked, as she looked inside, while rearranging the shawl on her shoulders.

"Doing a bit of research... and discovered that Frederick is on the right track... Of course, not only that, but the boy in question...was the same one that easily assaulted Ryan..." 

"You mean it's one of the Destined... just like you had imagined... you should warn Ryan not to mess with him, or with Fred's daughter then..."

"Ohh ho, that's the interesting part... the Destined one is already under the care of Frederick's daughter - she's his supervisor. Not to mention that she is in charge of turning the boy... As for that bullheaded nephew of mine... I'm sure he's already plotting against the boy... nothing to be done about that one..."

"You've warned him, chided him, scolded him over and over again... and it led to what? Nothing... as for you, come sleep Lu, it's been a long day. You should rest."

Running a hand through his long, very blonde hair, Lucius kissed his wife's hand. "You are right, my Love... Let us retire for the night."

"And will you please think of something else, rather than your blessed research?" she smiled as she locked her arm with his while they headed out of his study. "Resting maybe?"

Nodding, he patted her arm gently and led them to their room.

-

"So, anything interesting happen since I last saw you two?" Neville asked Gwyn warmly as Tristan was digging into a bowl of sausage fettuccine carbonara.

"Mmm," Gwyn smiled back at Tristan as she took a bite from her vegetable lasagne plate. "As in, Nev, what do you want to know exactly?" she chuckled.

"Nothing graphic, as I'm sure you're lovelife is quite good at the moment... but any plans for the rest of the weekend?" he replied as he pushed a basket of bread over to Tristan while Lisa and Anne were chatting and Jasper was eating out of his bowl.

"You two are such jerks," she burst out laughing as Lisa and Anne looked on, both trying to stifle a laugh, pausing from their chat instantly when they heard the comment.

Giving her a smile, Neville took a bite out of his shrimp. "What? I can't ask my 'little sister' about anything? And it's all me this time, so no worries."

"We were going to go to the museum with my friends tomorrow. And on Sunday, there's a sculpture arts festival by my place..." Tristan answered thoughtfully.

"See? Wasn't so hard, Gwynnie," laughed Neville as he looked over at Tristan, who went back to eating.

"You're doing that on purpose, aren't you?" Gwyn replied, poking her tongue out at him.

Giving her a cheeky grin, Tristan simply nodded, causing everyone else at the table to laugh.

"Pick on me you, pick on me, I'll have my revenge," she nodded, chuckling at the same time.

"I'm your big brother Gwyn, I'm entitled to picking on you. Besides it's more fun to pick on you than him, as we already know he's a walking black hole when it comes to food."

"You're picking on me about something else, not food," she pouted, before continuing to eat. "And yes I know you're my brother so, it's acceptable... but... ah whatever, you win."

"Of course I'm picking on you about something else - it's fun to see you all embarrassed."

"So, how about you two? How's the baby coming along?" asked Tristan while drinking his glass of milk.

"Fine I suppose, kicks as strong as those of a football player," Lisa laughed as she rubbed her swollen stomach gently.

"Tea helping you to sleep at night?" 

"At least I'm managing to sleep now as she calms down pretty much after I have that drink..."

"She?" Gwyn smiled, as she finished up her food.

"Let's say it's a feeling of mine. Doctor doesn't have a clue even though Neville asked him out of curiosity."

"Good to know. I can make more if you want..."

"I would be very grateful if you did," Lisa smiled, closing up one of her eyes and wincing.

"Gotcha. Be right back!" Getting up from his seat, Tristan headed towards the kitchens to brew some tea for Lisa.

"Is it that painful?" Gwyn asked, with a glint in her eyes that of a curious young girl rather than a lady of her age, as she watched Lisa exhale a deep sigh while continuing to rub her tummy.

"Must be..." Anne whispered back, rubbing Lisa's back gently while Jasper nuzzled against her legs. 

"It is..." she smiled back at them. "But knowing what the outcome will be makes it almost pleasant..." she chuckled as she turned her gaze towards Neville. "I sound like a masochist, don't I?" 

"Not really," grinned Tristan as he came back with a steaming cup of tea. "My sister told me that despite carrying twins, all the pain and discomfort goes away the moment you hold them in your arms and realized that you're the reason that they're in the world because you helped create them." 

"Yeah..." Lisa mused, taking the warm cup of tea in her hands and took the first sip.

"How's the tea?"

"Soothing," she sighed contentedly. "She's not that restless anymore for the time being..."

"Yep, the baby's been relaxed for most of the night. So both me and Lis have been able to catch up on some much needed rest, so thanks again Kiddo." 

"Oh... you're welcome."

"Try being a little more modest Kid, all that ego of yours is gonna suffocate us all," joked Neville.

"Ah, not really honey, Tristan's just being frank... "

"I know Lis, but really Kid, you gotta own up to the praise bestowed upon you. You're a great kid, remember that."

"I know... and thank you again," he replied with a slight bow.

"Kid, no need to be so formal. You're family, got it?"

"Right..."

Smiling, Gwyn nodded and took Jasper in her arms while resting him on her lap and patting him slowly. "That's just how he is, right Tris?" 

"Pretty much," smiled Tristan as Neville began cleaning up the table.

"Yep, adorable as ever. Sit tight kids, I'll be back with dessert."

Watching Neville move back into the kitchen, while Lisa continued to caress her tummy delicately, Gwyn rested her head against Tristan's shoulder and sighed, nuzzling against him. 

"So Anne, everything okay?" asked Tristan as he caressed Gwyn's hand.

"Yes sure," Anne smiled. "There isn't much to do since Neville's the perfect house-husband," she laughed.

"Well, I can't exactly have my wife doing all the housework while she's due in about a month..." chuckled Neville as he arrived with a large platter of dessert and set it on the table. "Not profiteroles this time, but I thought that cookies and ice cream would still be appreciated."

Seeing Tristan's reaction from the corner of her eyes, Gwyn placed a hand on her mouth and chuckled silently, noting his eager anticipation to get his first cookie. 

"They're home-made cookies, aren't they?" Anne noted as Neville placed the tray in the centre of the table.

"Yep. Just pulled them out of the oven not too long ago. And I see you Kid... go for it," grinned Neville.

Faster than anyone could blink, Tristan had already assembled an ice cream sandwich with the fudge chocolate chunk cookies and vanilla caramel ice cream and was already eating.

"I think I wouldn't mind one of those," Gwyn chuckled as she reached out for the double chocolate cookies and the mint ice cream that accompanied them.

"Even the ice-cream's a home-made creation," Lisa told them proudly.

Gaping slightly, Neville sat down in his chair and reached for a cookie. "When did he make that? I swear... I didn't even see him grab anything..."

"He's faster than the speed of light," Anne and Gwyn replied in unison, chuckling.

Looking up from gobbling up the last of his cookie sandwich, Tristan gave Neville a wide grin, causing the older man to laugh.

"Apparently..."

"These are marvelous though, Nev..." Gwyn nodded as she took a lemon cookie and placed some vanilla ice cream upon it.

"At least you're eating slow enough to appreciate my cooking skills..."

"I appreciate them - that's why they're gone so fast..." laughed Tristan as he topped his cinnamon sugar cookies with the vanilla bean ice cream.

"Oh there are cinnamon ones," Gwyn grinned as she grabbed the cookie from Tristan's hands in an equally fast speed. "Thank you." 

"Hey!" Stealing it back, he placed another cinnamon sugar cookie on her plate. "Now you have your own..."

"Too bad, that one had ice-cream with it..." 

"So ebil..." grumbled Tristan as he assembled another cinnamon cookie ice cream sandwich and ate it before Gwyn could even steal it from him.

"Anne, they always like this...?" 

"Quite," she laughed. "It's pretty entertaining to watch them when they're bickering about dessert."

"I can only imagine..." smiled Neville as he watched the couple playfully bicker and feed each other their dessert.

"Ah we used to do that too some years back," Lisa admitted as she took a cinnamon cookie herself and winked back at Neville.

"That we did..."

Looking up, he smiled at the two of them. "You don't anymore? Why not?"

"We bicker in other ways, right Nev?" she grinned as she finished off a chocolate cookie.

"I guess we do, Love." Looking over at Tristan, he smiled paternally. "You'll probably figure it out when you're older, Kiddo."

"Who knows? Maybe one day he will," she chuckled nudging Tristan slightly.

Giving them a blank look, he shrugged his shoulders. "If you say so..." 

"That was lovely," Anne commented, wiping off her mouth with the napkin. "Thanks to both of you."

"Completely our pleasure. Now, it's getting a bit late and since it's raining, you're all more than welcome to stay as usual if you'd like," Neville grinned as he began cleaning up the dining table. 

"Sure Nev?" Gwyn asked, as she stood up to help him out. 

"Yeah, is it okay?" asked Tristan as he grabbed the rest of the plates and glasses. 

"Thanks you two - Anne just stay with Lis, you've already done more than you need too so relax a bit - and I said it was okay. Don't worry about it. We'll get you up before you have to meet with the other kids, so again, no need to worry," he smiled as the three of them headed into the kitchens and began placing the dirty dishes into the overly large sink.

After a few minutes, and without breaking anything, Gwyn and Tristan finished off clearing up the kitchen, with Neville grinning in response to that, as they placed the kitchen rags one on the oven and one on the cooker hob. 

"Didn't take too long after all," she smiled, locking her arm with Tristan on one side and Neville on the other.

"Nope, not at all. Now off to bed you two... as I'm sure you'd rather have some time alone..."

"Aww, you don't want to play spin the bottle as well as truth or dare with us?"

Laughing, Neville ruffled Tristan's hair. "Go to bed, as both Lisa and I are so unless you're going to play by yourself then at least you can make sure that the bottle always points to the other person... but either way, you'll end up kissing each other."

"Only he thought of that," Gwyn chuckled, yawning in response.

"Well a snarky remark deserves one in turn, Gwyn. And you Kiddo, behave for the most part..." chuckled Neville as Tristan stuck his tongue out at him. "Good night you two..."

"'Night Nev," she smiled in return, placing a kiss on his cheek. "Thanks again."

"Night Mr. Neville and thanks!"

Sighing, Neville hung his head and muttered jokingly,"Again with the Mister... I feel so old..."

"You are older than me Nev," she grinned, winking back at her brother as the two walked away hand in hand.

"Right right. See you two in the morning."

Grinning back at Gwyn, Tristan kissed her cheek. "Bedtime?" 

"Mmm-hmm..."

"Then let's go..."

-

While the loving couple quietly made their way to bed, two other vampires at the periphery of the city had just met for the evening, discussing all the happenings of that particular day.

"I thought you weren't going to open... what were you doing?" a calm female voice uttered as she placed her coat on the clothes' hanger next to the door. 

"Been a bit on edge... Princess and little pretty have definitely chosen to fight back..." grumbled Black.

"You could have imagined," she sighed as she walked into the kitchen. "Need anything from here Ry?"

"Just grab a few beers... And yes I imagined, but... I didn't think that princess would've shrugged off what I told her about the baby... Something is definitely up with those two..." 

"Most probably... but... I have more interesting news for you," she replied, as she walked back into the living room with his beers in her hands. "Fred had a meeting with the Council this late afternoon, and should have lasted for the whole evening..."

"Oh really? How interesting... I'm sure the old fossils of the Council have detected the presence of a newborn... best lay low for a bit..." 

"Think they sensed _my_ presence?"

"As ancient as some of the old bastards are, no doubt they sense a newborn. But... I doubt they've figured out who it is... Now... Fred met with the Council... I wonder whatever for..."

"If he lets me take care of the agenda I would have known, but that's one of the things he keeps pretty confidential..."

"No, had you actually tried to do that, you would've been discovered for sure... Not to mention that we'd both be executed..."

"I'd try to if I could."

Rolling his eyes, Black set down the beer bottle and grabbed Lara's throat. "Believe me, if you had done that and not gotten caught, I would've fucked you for a year straight before killing you myself... I'd rather preserve my own life than risk finding out his agenda."

"Won't dare do it then... now, will you let go of my throat, if you don't mind?"

Squeezing tighter, he pulled her into a rough kiss before shoving her away violently. "Down to business... I'd rather track the movements of princess and baby... as they're far more interesting..."

Rubbing her forearm gently as it had hit one of the tables from Ryan's sudden movement, Lara sat up on the couch and watched him as he grabbed a bottle of beer and chugged it down in a few seconds. "What do you want me to do for you, since tracking Fred is out of the question then."

"Track the baby and have Evans track princess. Obviously, be discreet about it... Anything you find, report it to me - but do not let on to Fred that you are a newborn, especially when in the presence of princess and him."

"I will. And I'll let Evans about it too, just like you want."

"Good and mind baby. He's got something to him - he's really easy to track, but I don't know why..."

"No problem, I'll keep an eye on him without any interaction whatsoever."

"Oh no no no... feel free to interact - but don't get too fresh with him... And I've seen your expression when you see him... hungry, aren't you?" he whispered as he made his way to sit next to her and began kissing her neck.

"I must admit I am," she grinned, as she leant against him making Black rest his back against the couch. "And... what sort of expression have you seen... Ry?" she muttered as she clinged closer to him and licked the side of his neck, right next to his ear.

"You want to play with him, don't you? Especially when you see how angry princess gets when you get too close to him... you love watching him squirm uncomfortably... His blood's delicious too, as I had a taste of it when his knuckles split against my teeth... You'd love it."

"Don't tempt me..." she whispered, grazing her canines against his skin. "I might do that occasionaly though... it could be fun..."

"If you do, make sure to clean his scent off of you... as it might tempt me to take him myself," he chuckled as he raked his nails over the underside of her exposed forearms.

"Oh I will... I don't want the scent of that baby over me for too long either... too darn sweet," she grinned, as she dug her teeth into his skin and sucked his blood, making him growl in delight.

Smirking, he dug his sharpened nails into the pliant flesh of her arms and felt her squirm in pain before sinking his fangs into her neck.

Catching back her breath as she felt the warm blood oozing off her neck, Lara looked straight into Black's dark red eyes and grinned. "You do enjoy doing that... don't you?"

"Very much so. I enjoy inflicting pain on you... such a huge turn-on and it gets me off like nobody's business..." he continued to smirk as he snaked his hand under her dress and moaned in delight when he found nothing there. "Had a bit of fun before you got here?"

"I thought you had strictly ordered me to be with no one other than you. And I've respected that order ever since," she replied, leaning closer. "That's just... making it easier for you," she hissed, sensually.

"I did, but that didn't stop you from having a bit of fun with yourself, now did it? Get off before coming here or was it in the taxi? Put on a bit of a show for the cab driver? And like I said, if you want to have your way with the baby... be my guest, but I expect you to come back to me afterwards." 

"Goddammit Ryan, I swear to you I didn't," she snapped back at him, shoving him away as she stood up from the couch and wiped her mouth dry. "To hell..." she growled, storming her way inside the bedroom and shutting it close.

Smirking even more, Black got up from the couch and easily broke down the door to his own bedroom. "Now, who said you could run away," he whispered as he easily caught her and shoved her hard against the wall. "I didn't exactly imply that you had fucked the cabbie, but rather, I implied that you fucked yourself in the backseat of the cab... since your skin's flushed and you're quite... _wet._ "

"Shut up, I didn't," she scoffed, looking away flustered. 

"Aww, you didn't? Well too bad... as I find that quite arousing actually," he taunted as he worked his fingers against her. "Oh yes, you do love that... I know you do..."

Groaning at his touch, Lara pulled Black closer to her and whispered in a rough tone. "Will you stop with the fuckin' chit-chat then, Black?"

"I think not... as you haven't been a bad enough girl... you require more punishment..."

Tilting her head down, Lara circled her legs around him, while biting his neck even more harder then before, sucking his blood faster as if completely addicted to it. "That's much better..." she mumbled as she licked her spot and continued sucking blood off him.

"Yes... good girl...just like that," he groaned as he pulled off his pants and shoved himself roughly into her. "And you like it rough, yes... don't you..."

"As much as you do," she moaned as he ripped the dress off her and pushed her forcefully against the doorframe.

"Mmm... yes..." growled Black as he continued his actions before carrying her out to his balcony and began moving against her.

"Well, well..." she muttered, clinging against him. "This is certainly a first I approve of..."

"I always knew you were an exhibitionist... mmm, I should fuck you in public more often... it's certainly getting you off..."

"It's dark... so I don't give a fuckin' damn anyway."

"Good girl..."

-

Yawning, Tristan rolled over and buried his face against Gwyn's neck before falling asleep again while hiding from the rays of sunlight. Seeing that it was already morning, Gwyn opened her eyes slowly and smiled, passing a hand through Tristan's jet black hair to move down her hand to rub his back. Smiling as the sun's rays started playing with the curtains covering the window frame, she suddenly froze when she felt a strange sensation reach her. As a vampire, and one of her rank and position within the Clan, coupled with her years and experience, she could easily locate the position of most of the members of the Clan itself found within a relatively close range, and some went for most vampires when she contentrated her senses into that particular task. That morning, without realising it, she had identified most of the usual auras found close to her - Fred sleeping at his apartment, Jacob already awake at his grandfather's house, other vampires that were still asleep after a night of feasting, the Council members, Neville still sleeping huddled close to his wife and... Black. Black with... a newborn. Thinking that she was still asleep and not really focusing at her task, Gwyn closed her eyes and focused on that aura again, realising that she was really tracking two presences in the same area, rather than one. 

"And they're both asleep... it definitely is a newborn," she whispered as she shook her head. "Black's gotten another pawn under his clutches, hasn't he... he must really have turned her then..."

A knock on the door broke Gwyn out of her thoughts as Anne peeked inside the room with Jasper.

"Hey Anne, 'morning," she muttered, as she felt Jasper move up the bed and rest by Tristan's side. "Late already?"

"No, it's quite early actually. Jasper just missed mommy and daddy. Go back to sleep, Miss. We'll wake you both when it's time again for breakfast," smiled Anne as closed the door.

"Thanks Anne..." smiled Gwyn, as she started patting Jasper's fur slowly while Tristan shifted in his sleep and wrapped an arm around Gwyn's waist. "There's no real need for you to become like me... really," she mused, kissing his forehead in the process. "Fred and the Clan can wait, right pup?" she chuckled as Jasper moved next to her to lick her cheek.

"I wonder if it's really Howell..."

Shifting a bit more, Tristan began kissing her neck slightly. "Morning..."

"Morning Tris," Gwyn smiled. "Slept well?"

"Very well," he grinned as Jasper began nuzzling against his cheek and licked his face. "Wha-Jas!" 

"Puppy's way of saying good morning," she chuckled as she turned to rest on top of him, rubbing his side gently.

"I can see that. And this is your way, I suppose?"

"Mmm-hmm," she chuckled, softly kissing his nose. "I don't think you actually mind it, do you?"

"Not at all," he smiled back as he kissed her cheek.

"What next?" whispered Gwyn as she huddled closer to him, passing a hand through his hair and smiling. "Shower and we head downstairs for breakfast? We'll need to meet up the others later too..." 

"Mmm... didn't Neville say that he'd wake us up?" whispered Tristan as he held Gwyn tightly. 

"Yes he did, honey... so?"

"Then we still have time to cuddle, don't we?"

"We do..." she smiled, kissing him again.

Giving his 'parents' a bark, Jasper hopped off the bed and curled up on a spot on the floor where the sun shone while both Tristan and Gwyn continued to kiss and cuddle with one another before they headed to the bathroom to clean up.

"Miss? Tristan? Breakfast's ready if you want," Anne grinned as she knocked slightly at their door and waited for a short while.

"Yes Anne, we'll be coming down in a few minutes, thank you," Gwyn called out, as she was in the process of drying up her hair with a large towel.

"As you wish," she smiled as she started making her way back downstairs. "Just don't take too long..." 

"Why does everyone assume that we're gonna take long," wondered Tristan as he was drying himself off from his shower.

"It generally is a correct one though... not too long but we do take our time..." 

"But that's if we're more than just showering..."

"Rightly so," she winked back at him, as she slipped on her trousers and shirt.

"Guess so..."

"Done?" Gwyn looked back at him to see him buckle up his belt and have a good look at the mirror. "Yeah, you look great," she chuckled as she came up by his side.

"Yep," he smiled as rolled up his shirt-sleeves and smoothed down his shirt. 

"More convinced honey please," she grinned, placing her chin on his shoulder as she looked at both of them in the mirror.

"We are terribly fucking hot together."

Laughing, Gwyn placed a kiss on his cheek and smiled. "Quite fitting description, I must admit."

"I know, right?"

"Indeed," she whispered, turning to move in front of him to place a kiss on his lips. "Shall go downstairs now?" 

"Wait..." Leaning in, he kissed her deeply.

Wrapping her arms tightly around him as they kissed, Gwyn realised how many non-vampire ways she had picked up ever since she had gotten close to Tristan - her waking up in the morning huddled close to him, the cuddling, the smiles... something she had never even dared think of after nights of feeding over random victims she has spotted over the same night. True, she still had to do so from time to time because of her natural needs, but she knew that after one of those evenings, she'd always find two pair of warm arms gently embracing her, calming her down, soothing her. Chuckling lightly as their kiss ended, she looked up and gazed straight into his eyes, smiling. 

"Now we can go."

"Fine for me," she replied as she placed her hand in his. "Tris..." 

"Yeah Gwyn?" he grinned while taking her hand and squeezing it tightly.

"I love you..." 

"I love you too, my Queen."

-

"You're meeting up with your friends today? Oh that's nice..." Lisa nodded as she sipped her tea once all of them were assembled at the dining room table.

"Yep! Going to the Victorian museum again, should be fun with the others too," smiled Tristan as he drank his orange juice.

"Victorian? Oh Gwyn give them chance to choose where to go once," Neville teased as Gwyn poked her tongue out at him playfully. "You just have to say that word and I'd know it's because of her."

"Well... actually I was the one to take her there in the first place..." Tristan admitted as he continued to eat his French toast.

"She's gotten you into it too... ah well, should have known," Neville shook his head, chuckling in the process.

"Nuuu... more like I observed what she was into and decided to take her out to a place I was pretty sure that she'd enjoy. Turns out that I had some fun there as well too."

"Oh really?" Neville observed as he watched Tristan and Gwyn sip their tea silently. "So you should know quite well by now that she's a Victorian nerd," he snorted.

"Yep! I even have my own costume - they gave them to us actually..."

"Gwyn always had the flair of a Victorian maiden... but you Tris... well, if you get to wear costumes again, bring me photos, I'd love to see them," he nodded.

"Same here," Lisa agreed as she finished her tea. "If you're spending the whole day, then you'll be leaving soon I suppose."

"I suppose..." 

"Maybe we should help you out with the kitchen first," Gwyn commented as Tristan nodded in agreement. "Then we can make our way."

"That's what I was thinking..."

"But..." Lisa stuttered, as Gwyn and Tristan stood up from their seats, followed immediately by Anne.

"You stay here you two... we'll finish everything up in no time," Gwyn winked back at the two of them, as they headed inside the kitchen.

"So stubborn," Lisa smiled as she leant against Neville and exhaled a deep sigh.

"They are... but that's how they show that they love us..."

"I know," Lisa smiled, turning to lean against him and kiss him deeply.

"Yep. Love you," smiled Neville as he kissed her back.

"Me too, my future daddy..."

After several minutes, the trio had emerged from the kitchen, though the curious thing was that Tristan was covered in soap suds. Snickering, Neville, looked the boy over. "Should I ask?"

"Ask her..." he pointed at Gwyn.

Looking back at them, Gwyn placed a hand on her mouth and burst out laughing heartily. "That was too tempting not to do..."

"She thought it'd be funny..."

"Well, you look like a walking bubble, so yeah, it is..."

"They're worse than children sometimes," Anne commented, letting out a chuckle.

"Anne, if you ever need a vacation from the two of them, you're more than welcomed..." smiled Neville as Tristan proceeded to smear some of the soap bubbles onto Gwyn's cheeks.

"Maybe when they'll be away for their vacation..." she smiled as the three of them watched them.

Laughing, Tristan hugged Gwyn as he found four sets of eyes (three human, one dog) staring at them. "Honey, I think we're making a scene..."

Turning her head slowly, Gwyn realised Neville, Lisa and Anne were grinning back at her amused at the scene that they were witnessing. "I... uhm... yeah right," she stuttered, blushing slightly.

Kissing her hair, he smiled. "Enjoying the view?"

"It's rather adorable, don't you think, Lis? Annie?"

"Definitely," the two women nodded in unison.

"Right right... Anyways, we all set?"

"Yeah, let's get going," Gwyn uttered, placing one last kiss on Tristan's cheek.

Wrapping his arm around the two of them, Neville hugged them tightly. "So good to see my little sister so happy. Really Gwyn, I'm glad you finally found your someone. Now, we want lots of pictures. Anne, make sure that lots of pictures are taken, alright?"

"Will do," she grinned. "I'll make sure of that, since Tristan here will probably be busy having Gwyn and his friends in costume... well, especially Gwyn."

"Most probably," Gwyn chuckled as she looked back at Neville. "And Nev... thank you..."

"More like she'll be having fun dressing me up in costume..." laughed Tristan.

"Not a problem Gwynnie. Take care and come 'round more often. We're expecting you guys to be there once the baby comes."

"Make sure to let us know if you need something... Nev, I'm counting on you," Gwyn told him as her brother nodded back. "And we'll be here, I promise."

"For sure for sure. Go on and have fun you guys. And if you're up for it, you can always come back for dinner."

"You've already offered us breakfast... I mean, that would be too mu-"

"Ah no, it's an offer, plus it's nice to have company," Lisa nodded, as Neville winked back in response.

"Definitely. And remember, it's a restaurant," chuckled Neville.

"Thanks for the generous offer and will let the others know. Though knowing them, I doubt they'd turn down the offer," Tristan replied with a warm smile.

"We're glad of that," Lisa smiled, circling an arm around Neville's waist.

"Want us to keep the pup while you three head out for the day?"

"If you can... especially since we have to spend the day in the museum..." Anne commented before the two.

"Probably best, right Gwyn?"

"Guess so..." she muttered, leaning down to take Jasper in her arms. "Seems you have to stay with Auntie and Uncle little one," she commented placing a kiss on Jasper's muzzle as he wagged his tail happily in the process.

Crouching down, Tristan proceeded to receive doggy kisses from Jasper. "Yep, catch you later pal and be good for Auntie, Uncle, and their little baby girl..."

"That's why I think you two would be awesome as parents," he grinned as Gwyn and Tristan stared back at him.

Petting the dog, he smiled at both Lisa and Neville. "Maybe someday... we'll have our brood of kids playing with yours. See you four later..."

"Sure," Gwyn chuckled as Anne headed out before them. "And we'll see about the children."

Giving them another wave, Tristan and Gwyn followed Anne out of the restaurant, leaving the others to look on before cleaning up to receive their customers.

"So puppy, it's just the three of us... wait, four of us now. Better specify or Amber will start protesting..." Lisa grinned as the two of them were back inside the kitchen.

"Amber?" Neville asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Do you like it?"

"It's cute... yeah, I think it'll suit her just fine. How are you and the kid so adamant that the baby will be a girl?"

"Let's just say it's a mother's feeling honey," she told him, with a radiant smile on her lips.

"Then explain the kid..." 

"Maybe his closeness to Gwyn? I think the fact that he's constantly close to a vampire is rubbing on him."

"It's not that... he... I never wanted to tell Gwyn, but he 'feels' different - like he has an aura about him that's like one of us, but I know for sure that he isn't one... I'll go check my books later - the ones that I managed to smuggle away from Fred before everything went to shit - and read up on it. The boy's familiar, but I don't know why..."

Raising an eyebrow, Lisa rested her head on one of his shoulders and sighed. "Think he might actually be related to you?"

"No... not that. Kid's of mixed descent, so nothing there. It's just... as much as Gwyn doesn't want to turn him... I get the feeling that he's supposed to be one of us."

"And you think Gwyn would be pleased to hear that... Nev, don't tell her about this... I'm sure you'd end up clashing with one another..."

"Nope, was never going to tell her... I don't want to hurt her or him. He's meant to be hers, that much is certain, and if anything, they'll be together forever. Again, I'll read up on it later, but for now, go rest up with the pup. Me and the guys will take care of the restaurant."

"You sure?"

"Yes honey, I'm sure. Jasper, make sure that Auntie goes to sleep... got it?"

Barking, Jasper began tugging on Lisa's legging, which caused Neville to grin.

"Good boy Jas." 

"Oh alright then, if you two keep insisting... well... I'll go rest..." she smiled, as the puppy started making his way upstairs. "Really now pup, no need to rush... and Nev... love you."

"Love you three too." Giving them a grin, Neville entered the kitchens and began working with the rest of his staff.

-

"Glad to see you guys," grinned Tristan as he saw Cynthia, James, and Cole get out of Cole's car once they were waiting outside of Tristan's apartment.

"Wow, you seem to be up and ready to go already," Cynthia grinned as James yawned by her side. "We had breakfast on the way before coming, and Mister James here is still half-asleep. James, you went to sleep at nine o'clock yesterday... don't tell me you overslept..."

"Uhhh... I may have..."

"Yeah he did. He was sleeping so deeply that I stuck his hand in warm water - that got him up really quickly..."

"And you're a total jerk for that Cole... You owe me new bedsheets man..."

Stifling a laugh, Tristan took a sip out of Cynthia's traveler cup of coffee. "Mmm, good coffee..."

"Hey! I know you've already had your dose of coffee so stop stealing," she pouted as she snapped the cup from him as Gwyn looked on, chuckling silently.

"For your information I had orange juice, not coffee," smirked Tristan. "And tea... but that was Gwyn's..."

"What a little thief..." she told him. "That's for the confirmation though."

Smirking at the two of them, he let out a laugh as he started walking towards the car again. "Shall we get going to the museum now?"

"Yeah, we'd better, as I don't want to rush through the place, if you please."

"Cool. Just follow me, I'll get us to the museum right quick."

"Perfect!" all three of them exclaimed as they rushed back into the car and following Tristan as he drove off in the direction of their destination.

Once they arrived at the museum, Tristan, Anne and Gwyn smiled broadly while Cynthia and the others simply stared.

"You were expecting less from these two?" Anne asked the trio, as Tristan and Gwyn stared at the museum building proudly. "You should have imagined..."

"I did..." Cynthia nodded. "But I'm still quite in awe..."

"Wait... you're still with the idea of getting us dressed up?" Cole and James stared back in horror, as the three women plus Tristan grinned in response.

"You must be joking."

"No fuckin' way Tris, no way."

"Just wait till we get inside, you'll see..." laughed Tristan as he began pushing both Cole and James towards the main door of the museum while the others followed him shortly after, laughing and grinning the entire time. As he pushed them inside, he was stopped by a familiar face sitting behind the information desk. "Hi again! Long time no see. Hope you don't mind, brought some friends along that haven't been here before."

"We should really hire you two for a new advertising campaign," Albert, the photographer that Gwyn and Tristan had met with the last time they were there, chuckled as he recognized the couple. "Just give me a second, I'll go fetch Vicky."

"Thanks and thanks for the compliment?" 

"Who was that boy, someone you know?" Cole asked as James by his side was strangely attracted to the high ceiling of the building.

"Oh that's Albert. He's a photographer and was the one that snapped a picture of Gwyn and I when we were here last time. Hey Cyn, how're you doing?"

"Mmm? Where did that question come from now? I'm fine," she grinned. "Can I say I'm quite glad that I'm here, blame that on Gwyn's influence," Cynthia smiled. "And... you said his name was Albert? Quite the coincidence."

"Indeed. Just wait till you hear his boyfriend's name. _That_ is certainly the coincidence," Gwyn chuckled in response.

"Just asking if you like the place that's all... And Cole? James?" asked Tristan as he began looking around for his wayward friends. "Where'd they go?"

"If it's those two staring at the architecture, they're in the middle of the corridor," a familiar girl greeted them, with a warming smile on her. "Didn't think you'd be back so quickly! So happy to see you again you too."

"Great seeing you two and yeah... those dorks had their reservations in coming here - thought all that was gonna happen was that they were gonna be dressed up. How've you been since last time?" smiled Tristan.

"Mmm, something happened," Vicky smiled as she held out her left hand at the two. "Guess seeing you two made someone take _that_ decision..." she grinned radiantly at the two.

"Whoa... congratulations! When did he pop the question?"

"A week after you came here..."

Patting her shoulder, Tristan laughed as Vicky pulled him into a huge hug. "So I take it we were a good influence, hmm?"

"Very much..." she replied, as Gwyn winked back at her. "Tris... shall we do the introductions now?"

"Sure. Go on and introduce yourself - be right back -" Tristan smirked as he ran over to where both Cole and James were standing and physically dragged them back to where the others were, reminding everyone of a little boy dragging his brothers back to see something.

"Right..." she nodded in response as she turned back to the three girls. "So, this is Anne... and this Cynthia..." Gwyn told them as the girls' shook their hands respectively. "And... this is, Victoria," she grinned back as Cynthia gasped.

"Oh, you're kidding. Just tell me that you're kidding..."

"Victoria and Albert... that's lovely," Anne chimed in.

"It's hilarious yeah," Vicky chuckled. "I mean, it almost sounds as if we did it on purpose."

"Nah, probably just coincidence really. Anyways, this is Cole and this is James," Tristan replied as the two shook Vicky's hand respectively as Albert came back into the room with his camera and an envelope.

"There you are, was actually wondering where you were off to... what's the deal with the envelope?" Victoria asked.

"Raided your secret stash for a moment - just to show the friends of our illustrious Tristan and Gwyn how they looked while wearing the costumes," smiled Albert as he pulled out several photos to show the others.

"Let me see, let me see, let me see!" Cynthia repeated excitedly, hoping to get a glimpse of the two. "Oh my God."

"They almost look authentic..."

"Whoa..."

"Cole mov- holy shit! That's awesome!"

"Remind me to show you some of the guestbook comments from that day," Vicky beamed proudly. "Some of the comments we got actually referred to you directly - some asking about the clothes, others about the actors that looked amazing, other quering about where to get ahold of the time machine that we used to get you here... quite the lot and pretty amusing at the same time."

Laughing and smiling, Tristan wrapped an arm around Gwyn's shoulders and kissed her cheek. "So we're actors from a different time period, eh?"

"It's either that, or that we came here from a hundred years back," she chucked in return.

Taking out his wallet, he looked at his ID. "Nope, according to this, I'm of this time period..."

Smiling without actually replying to his statement, Gwyn turned her head towards Cynthia and the others, as they were still eyeing the photographs in thorough detail.

"Can I have a copy of this? Please? I'd love to keep it at home..." Cynthia pleaded, as Cole and James laughed out. 

"Cyn... it's their copy, plus... we could actually have one of our own... with the whole lot... if we do the same thing," James grinned.

"Oh no, don't tell me you really want to do it now," Cole muttered.

"Aww, you mean you don't wanna look like a penguin, papa?" teased Tristan as he got a good look at the pictures. Smiling, he gave Gwyn a quick kiss. 

"Mmh?" she muttered, giving him a puzzled look as Cole started fumbling about the possibility of looking ridiculous in such a uniform.

"Nothing. I just did that because I wanted to. No reason at all..."

Relieved at the fact that it seemed like Tristan hadn't sensed her slight change in mood at the mention of age, Gwyn squeezed Tristan's hand slightly and started walking towards the others.

"C'mon, let's go on the grand tour and then we can make those two look like penguins..."

"Let's get going," she smiled, as she noticed James and Cynthia teasing Cole while Anne was still looking at the photos. Moving by Anne's side, Gwyn chuckled as she looked at the photo and whispered: "Remind you of something?"

"You a long while ago... but... the light in your eyes has changed so much," Anne replied back, as Tristan joined Cole and the others. "They were dull back then."

"Was it that evident?"

"Just a little bit... you were just being the perfect daughter back then, perfect heir of the Clan's headship... perfect in everything... your constant search towards perfection made you... kind of empty in a way... I mean, you were like that the first days I came to your place, then... things started changing a little bit when we got to know each other. Remember how much Neville was glad to see that change in you?"

"Yes. He used that to tease me but... yeah, that's true."

"So now, since you're all ready, let's get going. We've got new dresses waiting for you," Vicky grinned as she chuckled at the horrified looks Cole and James gave her in return.

"Oh no no no... I'm _not_ dressing up like a penguin..."

"Sa-ame... no way..."

"Aww... what's a matter? Big grown up can't handle a little dress-up time?

"Shut up brat!" glared both Cole and James.

"You'd be both awesome," Cynthia and Anne grinned as they followed Vicky to the hall at a steady pace.

"Noo no no..." grumbled the pair as Tristan and Gwyn followed them with Albert chatting alongside them.

"New clothes?" Gwyn asked, interested as Albert started described to them how the museum had actually acquired new clothes. 

"Yep. Vicky's constantly doing research on the clothing of the time... and lately she found some scripts and books with numerous patterns, which she actually managed to send in for tailoring with the superintendent's approval. I must admit, she tried them on herself and look great."

"Oh yeah? Sounds cool. Really awesome that you both love your jobs and are doing really well here. Can't wait to see what you end up sticking us in this time around," chuckled Tristan.

Grinning, Albert pointed out at Victoria who had already hurried inside the dressing hall. "See how excited she is? You'll see... she'll get you in splendid clothes, you'll see."

"I don't really doubt that for one second."

"Oh. My. God!" All of them chuckled as they heard Cynthia exclaim out loud as soon as they got inside the hall. "These are all costumes?"

"Looks like we've just hit pay dirt..." snickered Tristan as he walked over to Cynthia. "Yeah, it's like a period-piece shopping spree... go nuts."

"No need to say that twice," she grinned back at him as she started looking through the various dresses that were there. "Gwyn, Anne, you coming?"

"Gwyn? I need to show you a new dress actually," Vicky told her as Anne went next to Cynthia to look through the clothes.

Standing next to Albert, Tristan watched as both Cole and James timidly began looking through the racks of clothing. "Have you set a date yet for the wedding? Also, where do you plan on having it? The gardens here seem like it'd be a great place..." 

"Vic would love to have it here actually, and the grand hall at the museum would make a lovely reception area together with the gardens... obviously honeymoon's already settled knowing her obsession... and... as for the church, well... she wants it gothic," he chuckled. "Plus, you can imagine how her dress will be. As for the date, gonna be sometime next year."

"Sounds fantastic and I wish you the best of luck. Seems like you two were always meant to be - the names actually being the huge kicker of course."

"Look who's talking," he laughed out. "And yeah, our names are definitely a complimentary addition," Albert nodded.

"Huh? What'd you mean?"

"I mean, we realised what our names stood for, some time after we started dating and we were like... surprised... you know, working in such a place and stuff... so... yeah," he muttered, slightly embarrassed. 

"Ahh, gotcha. I actually meant about-" 

"So need any help here folks?" Vicky chuckled as she got back into the main hall. "Gwyn's in the ante-room trying some of the new stuff out... how are you going?" she chuckled as she watched Cole and James still looking through the clothes.

"I think the others are doing fine. I've probably monopolized a lot of Al's time... See you guys in a bit," he waved as he began wandering through the racks of clothes.

"Wait a minute... Tristan, what was the last thing you were saying about?" he called out at him, as Vicky headed towards the spot where Cynthia and Anne were.

"About who was meant to be," he replied back while studying other props and accessories as the others were busy browsing through the costumes.

"Right..." Albert replied, not really focusing on what he was actually saying. "Listen Tristan, I guess you can go check on Gwyn if you like, the new uniforms are over there too..."

"Oh sure..."

"Especially since Vicky's busy with getting your other two friends in a dress."

"Yeah..." Giving Albert a bright grin, Tristan headed over to where Gwyn was studying several dresses.

"Mmh..." Tristan heard Gwyn hum as she stood still and placed her hands on her hips while staring at the lot, already in her undergarments.

"Wow-hi?" 

"Hey... trying to decipher which one of them to wear... want to pick out one for me?"

"Me? Uhhh... sure?" Tristan muttered as he continued to gape at Gwyn's underdressed appearance. 

"How come you're embarrassed?" she chuckled as she moved over to place a kiss on his cheek. "Think I should attribute that to the corset." 

"Yes... and I'm not embarrassed... just more like all the blood's heading in a southerly direction..." blushed Tristan as he leered at her playfully.

"Oh, I should have known..." she replied, letting out a small giggle. "I should try wearing a modern ballgown one day with you." 

"Doesn't matter... you'd still look real sexy in whatever you wear," he whispered in a slightly seductive tone. "Whether in a corset and panties or my t-shirt and boxers... I still want you no matter what."

Smiling, Gwyn raised on her tiptoes and placed a tender kiss on his lips as she wrapped her arms around his waist. "Same here... as in, wait... not in a corset of course," she laughed.

"Wouldn't do a thing for my figure, baby," grinned Tristan as he hugged her tightly. "Though I think your panties might work for me..."

"No they wouldn't," she laughed out. "I prefer seeing you in your everyday stuff," she finished as placed a kiss on his cheek. "Now, will you help me find that dress? The new ones they got look splendid... I need to get in the underskirt anyway." 

Staring at the choices in front of him, he was immediately drawn to a deep red colored dress and picked it off the rack. "I like this one..."

"Quite the stunning colour... that's for sure," she told him as she secured the skirt round her waist.

"Definitely... Need help or can I just watch you get dressed?"

"I might need some help to get the dress into place, since the dresses are tight-fitting at the waist for obvious reasons..." 

"Mm-hmm..."

"Can you hold it up for me so that I can just slip underneath?" she suggested. "I wouldn't want to rip it in any way."

"Sure, can do." Standing up from his seat, Tristan held out the dress in front of him. "Good enough?"

"Just stay still..." she smiled, as she slid down to get right underneath the skirts of the dress Tristan was holding. Raising her arms above her head and chuckling at the same time, Gwyn stood up and slipped her hands in the sleeve areas, grinning when she saw Tristan's face again. "Now... to get all back into place."

"Well, your place is with me, so I think you're perfectly in place," he smiled before holding her close and kissing her chastely.

"I know that," she kissed back, as she pulled down the dress to fit perfectly. "Really now, was this done on my measurements or what?" she smiled as she turned to give him her back. "Do you mind?"

"Not at all." Finding the strings, Tristan strung up the corset quickly and pulled on the strings to secure it in place before tying it off. "There now, all done." 

"Thank you," she turned, giving him a wide smile and kissing him. "Dress is alright at the back?"

"See for yourself, but then again, you should trust my handiwork." 

"Don't worry, I'll just have a look at everything at the end... mmm... did you choose?" Gwyn asked him as she studied her reflection in the mirror.

Standing next to her wearing his jeans and t-shirt, he gave his reflection a smirk. "Nope, thought you might like to choose for me."

"Well, I've already seen a nice black one... with silver trimmings on the jacket... looks lovely," she mused, pointing at the area where she had seen the uniform.

Taking her hand, he kissed the back of it gently as he escorted her out of the changing room. "Then let's go see it together."

"No wait... I saw that in this room, if I'm not... mistaken," she thought out aloud, having yet another look around the room to try and catch another glimpse of the clothes. "Yes, there it is," she exclaimed. 

"Hmm... looks pretty cool..." murmured Tristan as Vicky came to where they were standing.

"Thought you'd choose that Gwyn," Victoria grinned as she took the uniform from the rack and handed it to Tristan. "This one was designed on one of the gala uniforms of the mid-nineteeth century... I could actually fit you better Tris than the one you have at home, you'll see."

"Oh yeah? Hmm, I'll take your word for it - maybe we could also have my other one fixed up too then. Say, where are the others?" he asked while looking around the room.

"The boys are with Albert, while the girls are finishing up... getting them in a corset was hilarious, especially your friend Cynthia."

"I'll bet. Probably complaining that there was no way she was gonna wear such a thing... Ah well, the payoff will be worth it. Sit tight for a bit, I'm gonna go change and if you want to accessorize me, feel free to find me stuff," Tristan grinned as he headed off to the dressing room that Gwyn was in earlier.

"Sure no problem!" Vicky called out, as she turned her gaze back at Gwyn. "Mmm... I need to get you a pair of earrings and a matching necklace I got with this lot of clothes... plus, I'll fetch the knee garter, belt, sword... boots... mmm... and you can have a look at this," Vicky told her, handing her a trincket box with all sorts of riches. "Maybe you'll come across something interesting."

"Thanks for this... I will," she replied, as Vicky headed out. 

"Just wait for me, I'll be back in a jiffy."

"...So...what do you think?" Tristan asked as he stood in the uniform and his socks.

Still with a cameo brooch in her hand and a couple of authentic medals she found in the box, Gwyn moved next to him and placed a loving kiss on his lips. "You look perfect, baby."

"She was right, this fit's a ton better than my uniform. Guess I'll have it tailored up to match this fit..." 

"Probably they'd have it done in no time," she smiled back, rearranging his jacket while pinning some of the medals on his chest. 

"Now I look all-important and stuff..." he chuckled while tugging on the collar of his white dress shirt.

"Yes you do... check out your reflection... so handsome," she grinned back proudly.

Looking in the mirror, he grinned widely as he saw his reflection then began chuckling as he noticed something on Gwyn's head. "And you look like a queen with that crown. Where'd you get it?"

"It's a mini tiara," she winked back. "Got it from Victoria's trinket of curiosities."

"Is that where the medals are from?" 

"Yeah, amongst a whole load of other things..."

"Cool... I should go find some boots..."

"No need, Vicky's got them for you already... now she's up and about to see whether the others need anything else."

"Very very cool. Know where they are?"

"Probably starting gathering in the main hall... and honey, come here," she gestured as Tristan moved by her side, right before starting to put on his boots. "You need to get your hair combed back..."

"Wha- Hey!" laughed Tristan as Gwyn proceeded into dragging him towards the bathrooms. 

"Now," she chuckled, as she placed him right in front of a large mirror and holding a small comb in her hands. "Just in case you're wondering, I just borrowed this from Victoria... it's not that I go around with a comb in my bag... even though it's technically not a bad idea... anyway, hold still."

Bending his knees slightly to make it easier for Gwyn, Tris watched his reflection in the mirror as his hair was combed back. "You do realize that what you're doing is a very sexy, sexy thing right?"

"Combing your hair back is a sexy thing? Oh really?" she raised an eyebrow at his question as she finished off.

"It is when you're the first girl to ever comb my hair back. Sure my mom did it - but that's my mom. _You_ combing my hair is definitely in a whole other league."

"Well, if you say so," she chuckled. "But I admit, I do mommy you a little bit..."

"The way you mommy me and how my own mother mommy's me are two completely different things, Sweetheart."

"I do have my own original ways I suppose..."

"Very much so. So am I sufficiently ready to meet the rest of the other guys now?"

"Definitely. How about me?"

"Gorgeous as always, so yes, you are quite so."

"Why, thank you dear," she winked back at him, taking his hand in hers. "Going?"

"Yep, let's go."


	14. XIV

Once the pair returned to the main hall, they were both shocked and elated to see the rest of their party all dressed smartly in their costumes. Despite her earlier reservations about wearing the corset, Cynthia was absolutely thrilled about her dress and was spinning about just to let the skirt twirl around her. Anne was adjusting Cole's collar and jacket, the latter who seemed to be far more relaxed than he was previously while James was pulling on his boots and relaxing in a nearby chair.

"Seem you like them after all," Gwyn chuckled while giving a playful pat on Tristan's hand as they had locked their arms in one another's.

"It's not as if - oh WOW you guys look FANTASTIC!" exclaimed James as he saw both Gwyn and Tristan arrive.

"Why... thank you," smiled Gwyn as she looked up to see Tristan grinning back at them. "You look pretty good yourselves, too."

"Though it pains me to say it, you and Cole look pretty good in those costumes as well, I must admit," joked Tristan as Cynthia and the others came over to where they stood.

"Technically Tris... I feel like a princess," Cynthia chuckled as she went by Cole's side and tickled his side lightly. "These clothes are simply amazing."

Laughing, Cole wrapped an arm around Cynthia to make her stop. "Stop already... crazy woman... Despite my reservations, this is really cool. And do you and Gwyn look like a king and queen. Even fixed your hair to make the rest of us look bad, hmm?"

"Well you do look like a princess, Cyn, and I guess that both Cole and Jamie can be... your servants or something. And no, I didn't fix my hair, Gwyn wanted to..."

"True, blame that on me," Gwyn chuckled in return. "I like him with his hair slicked back, plus, being in that uniform is an added bonus."

Laughing out, Cynthia placed her hands on her hips and grinned back at James and Cole. "You actually gave me an idea Tris..."

"What? No!" James and Cole interjected immediately.

"What? Hey, I haven't even said anything yet," Cynthia pouted as she walked up behind Tristan. "See, I've got a servant rebellion."

"What's with the servant thing now?!" James snapped back, furrowing his brows slightly, as Anne chuckled and finished off rearranging the lapels of Cole's jacket.

"And what am I supposed to do about it? I'm no king..." chuckled Tristan as he furrowed his brow slightly.

"Aww, come on, tell them something," she mumbled, placing her head on his shoulder as Gwyn looked on and chuckled.

"But then again, since there's an even split between us... we can just pair up. Cole and Anne can go together while you and James can go together..."

"And see the museum on our own? Mmmh... why not all together? Maybe we could split up later on... what do you say?" Cole suggested as James nodded in agreement.

"I meant split into pairs, dummy, not split up the group. Afterall, you're _escorting_ them around the museum... Geez you two can be so dense at times..."

"Ohh... that makes more sense," replied the pair, as Cynthia and Anne gave each other an understanding look that made the two women burst in a fit of laughter.

Rolling his eyes, Tristan just hung his head. "Still want those two morons as your escorts? Apparently even they can't figure out what to do without being told..."

"Who's the moron?" both grumbled in unison.

"Not a problem," Cynthia smiled, placing a kiss on Tristan's cheek then walking up by James' side, circling her arms round his waist playfully. "I'll take care of this moron myself," she chuckled.

"And I'll lead the way for Cole too," Anne confirmed, winking back at Tristan. 

"Thank you for being the voices of reason," smiled Tristan as he stole a glance at Gwyn, who was holding back from laughing. "Amused, Dear?"

"Quite, as they're definitely not acting in accordance with the dresses and uniforms... it's... curious and cute at the same time."

"For sure..." Offering his arm, Tristan and Gwyn stood in the middle of the room as several museum-goers began to comment about them while Albert snapped a few pictures.

"These'll turn out great, you'll see."

"Hey, sorry for letting you wait guys, I had a phone call and... wow..." Victoria grinned as she caught a good glimpse of all of them.

Grinning, Albert stood next to Victoria and had an idea. "Hey, could all of you follow me for a second? I wanna get a picture of all of you guys."

"What's that about?" Vicky whispered, reaching up to give him a kiss on his cheek.

"Care to get the prop crowns ready? I think the throne room would be a nice spot for a few pictures, don't you think?"

"Oh that..." she grinned. "Perfect setting... I'll go get everything ready then," she hurried off, waving her arms back at him. "Love you baby!"

"Love you too," laughed Albert as he led the way.

Meanwhile, Tristan and Gwyn continued to look at all of the new additions in the museum while the others simply marveled at the museum itself. "Wonder where we're going... I know that last time, this portion was under construction..."

"Victoria definitely knows where she's heading too," she smiled back at him. "And Tris... you look splendid in that uniform... really... I..."

"I what?" Leaning over slightly, he kissed her cheek. "For the record, you look even better in the red dress as you did in the blue one - and the blue one was gorgeously stunning on you too..."

"Really?" she blinked back at him. "Well... you just stopped me from uttering something totally out-of-character," she laughed, as she leant against him to whisper in his ear. 

Smirking, Tristan kissed her quickly and teasingly. "Hmm... well, we do have to change out of them later... and... Just say it already..." he winked.

"You look totally hot in that uniform..."

"Oh really? Maybe we can ask Vicky if we could get the patterns for these ones... wouldn't mind wearing it to a costume party or something..."

"That would be so great," she replied. "And I'd easily manage to get them done for us... I know of a very good tailor myself."

"Hope they do as good a job on it as the person who made these... feels like they were made just for us..."

"He's the person I trust into making my suits done Tris, he's perfect for the job. And yes, these are just perfect," she nodded. "In fact I have the suspicion that it's all thanks to Vic... who managed to take a rough idea of our sizes while we were getting changed last time."

"Wouldn't put it past her..."

"And here we are," grinned Albert as he finally stopped. "I thought that this would be a fantastic place for a few pictures. What do you all think?" 

"Throne?! Oh my God!" Cynthia exclaimed in a squeeing fashion as James chuckled by her side. 

"You're worse than a two-year old at times, and yes, Cyn dear, that's a throne."

"Shut up, I know that."

"Wow... this place is amazing..." muttered Cole as he took in the architecture.

"It's a replica of the coronation chair that used to be used for coronation ceremonies... and it's the major project of the museum for this year. Quite the feat..."

"I almost feel like we've been -" whispered Tristan as Victoria arrived with a box in her hands.

"What's that?" Cynthia asked, curiously as she noticed the box herself.

"Oh it's a surprise..." chuckled Albert.

"You'll see in a moment... Al, how will you proceed with the photos?" she beamed back at him.

"A few by the window and some with the thrones in the background. Definitely want a lot of shots of the various pairs in different places in the room. Finally, we'll conclude with the group photos. Sound good?"

"That's sounds like a full photoshoot," Cole and James gasped as Cynthia and Anne grinned in delight. 

"Are you sure?" Gwyn asked Victoria as she noticed her standing right behind her. "And what's the matter Vic?"

"Ah well nothing, I'm just glad that you're all here," she smiled. "It's good promotion plus, you're really fun, all of you, right Al?"

"Definitely agreed. Now... I'll take some pics of Cynthia and James. Follow me if you please."

"Us first? Why?!" both of them asked, as the rest of the group burst out laughing.

"Really now... I can't say whether you act like kids or like a married couple," Cole commented, snickering.

"Shut up Cole!" shouted the pair.

"Oh alright fine fine..." he grinned. "Mr. and Mrs. Thompson," he cackled as he hid behind Anne, laughing in response. Turning to Anne, Cole began blushing like crazy and stared at his boot-clad feet. "Uhh..."

"What's the matter?" she smiled back at him.

"I'll tell you, first he says stuff about me and James, then he doesn't realise that he's in the same situation... ah, whatever... so... Albert... you were saying?"

"If you two groups are going to squabble amongst yourselves over some simple pictures, I might as well start with the last pair. Vicky? The box if you please and Tris? Gwyn? Follow me."

Grinning, Tristan looked over at Gwyn, who smiled back.

"I'm starting to fear the content of that box," Gwyn laughed as she took Tristan's hand in hers as the two followed Albert and Victoria.

"Now, stand by the window and Tristan, stand behind Gwyn and wrap your arms around her waist - yeah, just like that!" grinned Albert as the pair settled into each other's embrace while the others looked on in awe, and in slight embarrassment - save for Anne, who simply observed and enjoyed her chats with Cole. 

"Just look as natural as possible... yes, like that," Vicky urged them as Albert started taking random shots of the two. 

"Honey... have a look at Cynthia and James... they're really blushing right now..." she chuckled, as she rested her forehead against his. "Think they'd mind if we make them blush even more?" she whispered, placing a teasing kiss on his lips.

"Embarrassing them? I'm all for it really..." whispered Tristan as he kissed her deeply back, wrapping his arms tightly around her waist as Albert continued to snap pictures, Victoria and Anne smiled proudly, Cole grinned, and the pair in question began to blush even more.

"They're doing it on purpose, aren't they?" Cynthia mumbled, her cheeks flushed out red. "I mean, as if I'll do that."

"I honestly doubt we were going to be having pics like that taken, but man...they make everything look so...natural. Besides, not like I haven't kissed your cheek or forehead..."

"Well that's acceptable... actually," she nodded. "But that," points at Gwyn and Tristan who were still kissing. "Is totally out."

Nodding as he patted her shoulder, he grinned though inwardly, he wished it wasn't so. "Definitely."

Breaking their kiss, Tristan gently kissed Gwyn's forehead. "I'm betting they got the message, but I doubt that they'll do anything - save for a hug and kiss on the cheek or forehead. James though probably wishes it could be more..."

"You think so?" she whispered, rubbing his back as he placed a kiss on her cheek.

"Not think... I know so..."

"I think watching them will be fun," she smiled, rearranging the collar of his jacket, as both Victoria and Albert nodded in approval.

"Probably won't be as spectacularly romantic, but they'll blur the lines slightly..." chuckled Tristan as he let go of Gwyn.

"Right then, will Cynthia and James come up?" asked Albert as he began chuckling at the pair as they confidently strode over to the window. "Now, James, pretend that you her consort and simply be comfortable and natural - that's it, perfect!"

"Oh that's impressive," Cole gasped as he watched the other two, while Gwyn and Tristan walked up next to them.

"Told you," smiled Tristan as the pair finished their last shot with hug. Upon seeing Cynthia and James, he knew that things were going to be all right for them and that they'd be even closer than before.

"Finally, Anne, Cole, by the window please."

"That was cute," Gwyn winked back at Cynthia as the latter blushed in response. 

"It was fun - reminded me of the pictures we used to take when we were younger - the ones our parents made us take," laughed James.

"Those were plain stiff though..." Cynthia mused back as she watched Anne and Cole, who equally looked like coming out from an old photograph.

"Wow... now there's a striking couple, don't you think guys?" Tristan grinned as he wrapped his arms around Gwyn warmly.

"Pretty much," both James and Cynthia nodded, while James continued. "I might sound sceptical, but I don't think anything will happen between them."

"Well, even if they remain friends, they're still good," smiled Tristan as Albert finished his last shot.

"By request, Tristan and Cynthia."

Laughing, Tristan stole a glance over at Cole, James, and Gwyn. "Fine fine... Cyn my darling, let's go."

"Coming dear coming," she laughed out as he gentlemanly took her hand and led her to the spot Albert had specifically indicated. 

Once there, Tristan and Cynthia easily took the pictures in stride and had fun, reminding everyone of the extremely strong bond that existed between them.

"That was great," Vicky noted, as she went next to Albert while Tristan and Cynthia joined the others once more. "What next now hun?"

"How about..." Over the next half hour, Albert took various pictures of everyone in different spots and poses before finally settling in front of the two thrones. "Now Tristan, Gwyn, to the thrones while the others move to where...yep, perfect. Oh and Vicky, if you please," smiled Albert as Victoria opened the box.

"Oh... no, you're kidding..." Cynthia gasped as she was the one who caught a first glimpse of the contents. 

"Are you sure it should be us seated?" Gwyn asked, blinking back at the two museum assistants.

"Yep, it's you guys. In the comment book, the consensus was that you two look like royalty so...what better way?"

"Really?!" both of them gasped as Vicky and Albert grinned back in response.

"Yep, again, it's all in the comments. Now, sit... Cynthia and Anne, take the crowns and crown the pair..."

"Crown?" Cynthia and Anne stared back as Victoria handed them the two crowns respectively. 

"Place it on their heads, doofus," teased Cole, which caused Cynthia to stick her tongue out at him playfully.

"Dork, I know what that means, duh," she continued mumbling as Anne at her side stifled a laugh. 

"Just checking!"

Meanwhile, Tristan held back his snickering as he watched Cynthia grab the crown for him, though that didn't stop her from giving him a mild glare. Anne, on the other hand, quietly took the female crown in her hands and walked up in front of Gwyn, smiling in the process. 

"I'm warning you brat, I could drop this on your head at any time..." teased Cynthia.

"Aww... but you love me... don't you?" chuckled Tristan as Cynthia easily placed the crown on his head and tweaked his nose afterwards.

"I do and yes, you were meant to be a king..." she whispered as she kissed his cheek.

"Me? A king? I dunno about that..." he smiled wryly. "I'm not sure I even qualify as a prince..."

"Thanks Anne," Gwyn smiled on the other hand as Anne lowered her head slightly and shifted to Gwyn's side. 

"For what..." she whispered, as Gwyn watched Tristan and Cynthia's exchange. "You know you're a Queen ever since your birth... after all."

"That's what you always say... not that it could happen anytime around..." she promptly replied.

"Who knows... you might never know..." Anne finished off in a whisper, as her attention turned to the others once again.

Once both Anne and Cynthia stepped away from the pair, they both turned to each other and got a good look. Instead of being shocked or amused, both realized that strangely, their crowns suited them completely. For both, it was almost as if it were completely natural. Giving each other a confident grin, Tristan and Gwyn turned their attention back to where Albert and Victoria stood with the others, both wearing extremely pleased smiles on their faces.

"Now, Gwyn, Tristan... just stay there so that Al takes a couple of photos of you on the thrones, then you'll get your group photos and more casual ones... then... natural shots with King and Queen," Victoria smiled, winking back at the two of them.

"I swear Vicky - it's like we've been set up since the moment we got here!" joked Tristan.

"Oh... really," she grinned back mischievously. "I so wasn't aware of that..."

Sticking his tongue out at her, he gave her a mischievous wink before settling back down as Albert chuckled.

"Hey now dear, it's not nice to antagonize the Boy King. Anyways, Tristan, Gwyn just - perfect now stay like that..."

"Go on Tris, funny faces!" James and Cole called out as they were both making idiotic faces at him.

"Will you please stop acting like children, they need to get nice, serious photos!" Cynthia chided them playfully, knowing that it was useless to do so after all.

Once Albert had stopped to change rolls of film, Tristan shot both Cole and James a rude gesture with his hands, which caused everyone that was watching to burst out into laughter, including both Gwyn and Anne.

"Honey, act like a King..." Gwyn chuckled, still with the fresh image in her mind of Cole and James's hilarious reaction at Tristan's gesture.

"I'm no King, Sweetheart. And even if I was, I wouldn't be an ordinary King..."

"I wouldn't really doubt that..."

"Anyways, Your Highnesses, let's have the group photos now, shall we?" Albert grinned after reloading his camera. 

"We'll go by the Queen's side... just like her Knights," Cole and James told the rest in unison as they walked up to Gwyn's side and knelt in front of her, making her giggle slightly.

"Well I have my ladies in waiting, so it's probably fair," smirked Tristan as both Anne and Cynthia flanked both sides of Tristan's throne.

"Technically, looks like a harem," James snickered as Cole burst out laughing in response.

Wincing once James made the remark, Tristan closed his eyes as he waited for Cynthia and Anne's responses.

"You're just jealous," Cynthia grinned sitting down at Tristan's feet. "As if you'd be able to handle all of these women."

Sputtering slightly, James promptly shut up as Cole laughed even harder.

"Face it, you just can't win..."

"Shut up Cole..."

"And that's another win for me dear," Cynthia grinned back at the two proudly as she looked up at Tristan and Gwyn.

"Never doubted you for a second, Cyn," grinned Tristan.

"Thank you," she laughed out as Tristan placed a hand on her hair, while Anne looked back at Cole and stuck her tongue out at him in return.

Upon seeing that reaction, James began laughing as Cole had a dazed look on his face.

"Shut up Jamie..."

All the while the friends continued to joke and bicker playfully, Albert was snapping photos of them while wearing a huge smile on his face.

"That's just what you wanted right," Victoria smiled as she looked over at the group once again. "And still have in mind of taking those black and white, plus the sepias?"

"Sepias are for the formal group and the b&ws will be for the King and Queen... When they get married... I hope to give them an album of the all these pictures. And probably include the pics from the first time they were here..." smiled Albert as he continued snapping the informal photos.

"Which means we'll have to ask them for their address... and actually, it would be nice to keep in touch. What do you think?"

"Definitely wouldn't mind keeping in touch with them, they're great people... Plus, y'know, we do have them to thank for us..."

"Yeah," she smiled. "Especially since they've made someone propose..."

Chuckling quietly, Albert gave Victoria a quick kiss before snapping one last photo of the group, which was a formal portrait, but informal as all were smiling jovially in the photo.

"Was this the last one?" Cole asked, as he gave a quick nudge at James' side making the two of them grab one of Gwyn's hands and kiss it gently.

"The one with you two kissing Gwyn's hands and Tristan receiving hugs and kisses from the girls? Yep, that was the last one," replied Albert as he changed the film once again. "Finally, I'll take some pics of the King and Queen."

"Meaning I can tease the two gentlemen for the time being?" Cynthia grinned, as both Cole and James stared back at her confuddled.

"As well as your fellow lady in waiting if you want."

"Nope, Anne's my partner in crime," she winked back at her, earning a giggle from Anne's end.

"That's what I meant... have you and Lady Anne torment these two _gentlemen_ as you see fit." 

Turning to Gwyn as the others talked amongst themselves, Tristan reached over and kissed her hand. "Probably one of the best days I've ever had..."

"I'm glad you did..." she smiled back, placing a hand on his cheek. "I'm losing count on how many wonderful days I've been spending lately..."

"Me too, but so long as I have you with me, even through all the bad stuff, all my days are a lot better because of you."

"That's so sweet," Gwyn whispered as she stood on her tip-toes and gave him a deep kiss. "Overly romantic... but that's how things are..."

"Pretty much...then again, we're anything but ordinary..." whispered Tristan as he returned her kiss.

Oblivious to what was around them, Albert had managed to snap Tristan and Gwyn's entire exchange, which made him smile even moreso than before as Vicky wrapped an arm around his waist. 

"More than ordinary Tris," Gwyn muttered softly as she rested her forehead against his.

"Yep..." he murmured back as he held her tightly.

"This is all, more than ordinary..."

"I completely agree, Love."

Without the two realising so, the rest of the group ended up watching them closely as the couple interacted together as if there was no one around them. Chuckling as she straightened the crown on his head, Gwyn closed her eyes and smiled, thinking of how much he had actually become her very own King - even on her personal chessboard. And contrary to the rules of the game, she'd always be there to protect him, no matter what... and not place him in the front line, just as the King in chess would do.

"You're very happy right now," he whispered gently. "I'm glad."

"Is it that evident?"

"Mm-hmm... to me, you're shining brightly and all I feel from you is warmth and contentment."

"As you are..."

"Is that right?"

Clearing his throat, which caused the pair to look up, Albert gave them a sheepish grin. "And now, for the formal shots, if you please."

"What do you need now, Albert?" Gwyn asked him, as the others looked on.

"Just return to your thrones, I want you two looking as regal and benevolent as possible."

"Benevolent?" the two blinked back at him as they sat back in their places.

"Sure, you both look like royalty right now, why not act like the kind and just rulers that you want to be?"

"And how should one look benevolent..." Gwyn turned to look at Tristan by her side, who was chuckling quietly. "What is it?"

"Just like you are now, that's the look I want to see on my Queen - happy, warm, and safe."

Smiling, Gwyn took a deep breath in and winked back at Tristan, as she rested her hand over his, while turning her head to look back at Albert. "We're ready here..."

"Perfect. And one... two... three." Smiling, Albert began taking a few more pictures as everyone simply watched in awe of the couple before them, as they simply looked like a real-life King and Queen.

"They look so natural in those clothes... and that pose... I think they were a King and Queen in their past lives," Cynthia added, nodding to herself.

"You believe in that stuff," James counteracted. "They just look good in that... no past lives or anything, it suits them, fullstop... what's with all the fantasy stuff each time?"

"Because I love it, infidel."

"Gonna side with Cyn... If I hadn't grown up with Tris... I honestly think he'd have been a Prince or something," grinned Cole.

"Maybe it's because of Gwyn's influence," Anne told them. "Her upbringing's been identical to that of a noble or a royal, so... that might start rubbing in, even at Tristan's end."

"Growing up, Tris was always treated like a little Prince, especially since he was the youngest and only boy in his family. When I met their family, I was almost four, James was three, Cyn was two and Tris was one. My older brother, Max, he loved taking Tris out to do things - mostly because he rarely cried - but because even at his age, he was actually really well-behaved for the most part. Anyways, all of our families spoiled him silly, but he's always been humble. Quite refreshing really, to see someone as grounded as him. He avoids praise like the plague... which I find to be one of his more endearing traits."

"Don't forget the snarky brattiness... Jeez, when it's unleashed on anyone else, it's hysterical but the moment he turns that on you...man, it's just cold-blooded," chuckled James.

"Oh yeah, there's that too. Never let his well-behaved, good-boy persona fool you...he's quite the mischief maker for the most part. And definitely quite the fighter... but I'm sure him beating up Ryan Black would be proof of that."

"He could use that for protecting Gwyn..." Anne told them in a low tone.

"There's no doubt in my mind that when he fought Black, he was protecting Gwyn as well. The thing with Tris is that if he can avoid fights, he'll avoid them but unless you really provoke him, well, let's just say that you _do not want_ to be on the receiving end..." Cole replied back.

"Definitely not, since I'm sure he'd go all out..."

Adjusting his glasses, James leaned in closer to the group. "That's the thing though... I've _never_ seen Tristan go all out before... Him barely fighting? The other guys looked like they'd gone through a meat grinder while Tristan barely had a scratch on him."

"Well, last time he was just plain pissed because of the things the asshole had said on Gwyn... hence his reaction," Cynthia told them. "Knowing his devotion to her... well, it's more than explicable."

"True, but again, I doubt he was fighting at full strength... Or if he did, having just cuts and bruises on his hand... that's our Little King," smiled Cole as he watched Albert continue to photograph the couple.

"Need any more, babe?" Victoria grinned, wrapping her arms round his waist and placing a kiss on his back. 

"Not that..." Albert trailed off as he saw Tristan playfully pull Gwyn onto his lap as he sat on the throne still. Snapping a few more pictures, especially focused on the pair smiling at each other, he stood up and grinned. "And that's that for the photos. I'll go get these developed and they should be ready when you guys are ready to leave. For now, just go have fun. See you all later!"

As they waved good-bye to Albert for the time being, Tristan rested his head against Gwyn's shoulder. "Where would you like to go next, my Queen?"

"Feel like going to see the hall with the paintings? We actually missed that one last time, then we could take the others to the hall with the clothing displays, I'm pretty sure Cynthia would love seeing that," she winked back at him. "And Tris..." she leaned close to whisper back. "I suppose if we'd really be... King and Queen, we'd have to lock the throne room shut pretty often... setting's damn perfect..."

"We can do that and agreed about the throne room... sitting here with you on my lap like this is giving me _too many_ happy thoughts right now... most of which involve us being naked..." whispered Tristan as he smirked back at her.

"Such an inappropriate thought from you your Highness," she giggled. 

"It's like your desk at work... I wouldn't mind having a go on this throne right now," chuckled Tristan as Gwyn playfully hit his chest while giggling a bit more.

"You behave Tris," she smiled back at him, placing a quick kiss on his lips. "Love you."

Smirking more, he kissed her back. "Love you too. So... you getting up or am I carrying you?"

"I'm getting up, don't worry," she laughed as she realised the others were either whistling, applauding or throwing kisses at the two of them. "Well, most probably better do it as soon as possible," she told him as she got back on her feet and straightened back her dress once again.

Laughing, Tristan got up from the throne and gave it one last look before taking Gwyn's hand in his. "Well, we'll have our fun after dinner tonight... unless you have other plans for us?"

"I agree with whatever you have in mind," she chuckled as she noticed the three girls grinning back at her from a distance.

"Oh don't mind Gwyn and I, just planning romantic stuff..." chuckled Tristan as he led them over to where the girls stood.

"As if the look on your face isn't a giveaway Tris dear," Cynthia smirked, while Gwyn was the first to remove her crown.

"Aww, Gwyn, you should've kept the crown on..." pouted Tristan.

"I wouldn't want to drop it when we're going around the museum," Gwyn replied as she handed it safely back to Victoria.

Taking the full crown back, Victoria reached into the box and pulled out a full tiara. "If you won't wear the crown, then may I suggest this instead? The mini-one I gave you earlier was temporary, as I had planned on giving you this one to wear."

"That's beautiful," she smiled taking the ornament in her hands. "It's just splendid," she smiled as Victoria placed the tiara on her hair. 

"What do you think Tristan?" the museum assistant asked as she carefully placed the crown back in its box.

"She still looks like my Queen... stunning and gorgeous."

Blushing at his remark, and chuckling as she heard all of the comments from the others, Gwyn placed her hand in Tristan's and smiled. "So, live commentary group... feel like coming with us to see something now?"

"Oh yeah, there's tons of things to see...and- " Tristan paused as his stomach grumbled audibly, causing everyone in the group to laugh.

"We'll go round a hall then go have lunch as we have someone protesting already," Cynthia guffawed as Cole and James smirked.

"Not like it was protesting on purpose...it's been a few hours since breakfast..."

"Not to worry, just go and see the upper galleries at your leisure, I'll inform the restaurant to reserve a large table for you guys," Victoria winked back at them as they started making their way out of the throne room. "Now, just follow the indications, it's easy to get to."

"Thanks!" exclaimed everyone as Victoria headed back to the information desk while the group followed her instructions to the upper galleries.

"Now James, no comments on how the paintings resemble porn stuff... it's really not the case," Cynthia warned them, as the mischievous duo were already snickering, while Gwyn and Tristan walked in front of them all.

"Aww.. but they really do..." whined the duo as Tristan and Gwyn studied a few other paintings on their own.

"Not so much as porn... but, this definitely skirts the line between porn and fine art," whispered Tristan as he stood behind Gwyn and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"There's nothing porn in that..." Gwyn commented back, smiling at the same time. "Hey wait... I just remembered that..."

"And what the... hell is this?!" Cole and James exclaimed, laughing out in surprise. "Oh Cyn, you really don't want to see this..."

"See what?" she asked.

"Nothing just, go over there, come on, come on..." James gestured her in order to look at the opposite side.

"You were saying?" snickered Tristan as he heard Cynthia's reaction to the piece.

"If they're seeing what I think they're seeing you actually might be right on that part..."

"Model must have been such a who... whatever," Cynthia continued as she shook her head while the two boys laughed their hearts out.

"Yep they saw it. And as crude and crass as this may sound...yours looks better than that painting's..." chuckled Tristan.

"Oh stop that," Gwyn laughed out, smacking his arm lightly as her cheeks flushed out in a furious red. "And don't you look."

"At you or the painting? Because if you mean you, I've looked... and _tasted_ yours many times over..."

"Again..." she sighed, still totally embarrassed. "And I was referring to the painting."

"Too late - glanced at it, hence why I said that yours is better," Tristan continued to whisper in response away from the others.

"I'll go look around with Anne if you say that again," she pouted playfully. "It sounds gross... well, almost."

"Fine... I'll compliment it again when we're in bed then..." he whispered before kissing her shoulder and holding her tightly.

"Makes me slightly uncomfortable when you talk about it like that to tell you the truth..." she whispered back as she stared at the naval battle scene they were standing in front of. "Even though I know you weren't doing anything bad..."

"Mostly teasing really and sorry to make you feel uncomfortable about it. How about this, I'll save those kinds of comments for when we're alone at home, in our bedroom. Deal?"

"Without going overboard... deal," she chuckled as she turned to have a quick glance at the others. "At least they moved on from that one."

"Yeah...the naval battle looks pretty intense... Love the various shading and colors used for the water..."

"Isn't it? There's one from the same artist with a really good military battle on the opposite wall, have a look," she informed him. "Just turn and glance behind you."

Following Gwyn's advice, Tristan turned and saw the other military painting. "Wow... love the use of the reds and oranges for the burning parts of the ships..."

"Impressive isn't it... and what's even more stunning is that the artist wasn't really there witnessing the event, so he went about it by consulting commander's log books and journals of the time. But I'm pretty sure he was present to watching some sort of battle... he's quite detailed in his visual accounts."

"Definitely... you get the sense of actually being there to witness the battle itself. Astounding feat for someone that wasn't even there to begin with."

"Mmm-hmm, that's why I love seeing these."

"Me too... better than the porn over there..." grins as his stomach begins growling again.

"Oh, that's for sure... and... yes, we should go have lunch," Gwyn laughed as she locked her arm with his.

"Yeah..." grinned Tristan as he watched the others look at the various paintings. "Hey guys? We're gonna go grab some food but if you want to hang out here more, just meet up with us."

"Ah, sure no problem... we'll be there in a few minutes, and we'll grab Anne too, she's all lost in thought, examining each one of them in detail..."

"Except the porn ones of course," James grinned, as Cynthia gave him a sudden nudge at his stomach.

"See you in a bit then!" Smiling, Tristan and Gwyn headed off to the restaurant, but not before Tristan stole another kiss from Gwyn as they walked the halls together.

"What do you feel like eating?" she asked him out of curiosity as they got inside the cosy atmosphere of the place, as quite a few people turned to catch a clearer glimpse of the two. 

"I had a witty and naughty remark all ready for you, but I'll say that soup, sandwiches, and that slice of fudge cake over there should fit the bill nicely. Oh wait... we have a big table for us, don't we? Maybe there's a set menu for it... knowing Victoria... there probably is."

"Considering that she's such a great organizer well... I suppose," she nodded as the two spotted a large empty table overlooking the internal courtyard of the building. "And I _think_ I don't want to know what that naughty remark was all about..."

"You can probably figure it out...since you mentioned the word 'eating'..." snickered Tristan as Gwyn playfully hit him again.

"That's why I don't want to hear about it," she stuck out her tongue at him. "Obsessed," she then laughed out, as one of the waiters bowed slightly and gestured for them to have a seat.

"Well then it's not really a problem as you're the only person I ever lust for anyway," Tristan whispered into her ear before sitting down in his seat.

"True though," she muttered, smiling.

"And you're completely mine anyways, so..." Smiling, Tristan picked up the set menu and glanced at it. "Yep... she did. Apparently, this is supposed to re-create a royal dinner with family, so it's not as formal as it could've been." 

"That girl's really thorough when it comes to these little details," she agreed as she skimmed through the contents of the menu itself. "She's even worse off than me when it comes to these things... seriously."

"Should it even shock you? I mean, her name's _Victoria_ for goodness' sakes..." teased Tristan.

"Dear, she hasn't named herself that way, it's all part of the coincidences... and no I'm not shocked. I'm just surprised that there are people more... obsessed than I am with these things... pretty surprising."

"I meant that obviously if her name's Victoria, then her parents were probably like-minded and passed it onto her. And yes, wasn't aware that there were people in this city that's just as obsessed as you are with this time period. But, perhaps you can get ideas for when you'll be decorating the apartment and your office."

"They're already like that... guess you've noticed that by now," she chuckled.

"Pretty much... but it's not as if you couldn't add a few more things here and there though. Also...maybe we could change up the bed - have a four-poster bed?"

Turning her attention from the large window against which the little splatters of rain were falling so steadily by then, Gwyn looked back at Tristan and smiled. "Would you really consider getting one of those... I mean, you wouldn't mind having it in... say, mahogany and... light sheer curtains..." she asked him as he got hold of both of her hands and caressed them gently with his thumb. "Mmm," she hummed closing her eyes, as her lips curled into a small smile. "I must admit, that gives me quite the mental image... and considering that we're in these clothes... just wonderful."

"I honestly think that we're pretty much to the point where I wouldn't mind moving in with you... that is... if you want me too..."

"You know what bothers me a bit?" she asked him, turning to look out of the window to the courtyard again, as she watched people walking briskly under their umbrellas.

"Hmm? What is it?"

"People's chit-chat. I wouldn't want that asshole to start blabbering about you and me to everyone, it would be just plain irritating," she confessed, also thinking about how his remarks could actually reach Fred and the Council members.

"That's true. Guess we'll just have to continue with the way things are for now..." sighed Tristan as he continued to stare out the window. "But... that doesn't mean that we can't pick furniture out together, since I'm pretty much a fixture at your house now..."

"Just for now though... I promise you," she whispered back. "And... yeah... changing the bed into a four poster one would be a lovely idea, if we can pick it out together. I might know of the right place already."

"I know. And I promise that I'll be there for you, no matter what." Grinning, Tristan kissed her bare shoulder. "Plus, if we get a poster bed... we could have a bit more fun in bed, don't you think?"

"It would have quite the aura," she chuckled, resting her head on his shoulder.

"'Aura' huh? How so?"

"All the room I mean, plus us in period clothes for example," she continued. "That would make quite the atmosphere and make you feel that we turned back time."

"You realize all this talk right now is making me want to skip lunch in favour of finding a bed right now, right?" he whispered. "Because, y'know... you look so good in that dress... and I want nothing more than to take it off you." 

Laughing, she turned to place a kiss on his cheek and chuckled. "There are beds in the furniture hall you know..."

"Think we can ask Vicky to kick out the guests? Because the King and Queen need some alone time..."

"Why don't you go ask them whether they have some secretly secluded rooms by any chance," she smirked, letting out a giggle at the same time.

Smirking mischievously, Tristan got up from his seat and located a courtesy phone by the entrance to the restaurant.

"No, Tris you must be joking," she muttered under her breath while stifling a laugh.

Waving at her direction, Tristan continued to talk on the phone. "...Yeah... oh really? That's great. Sure... probably later. Thanks again. Yeah, cool. Okay. Bye." Once he hung up the phone, he ambled over to his seat and sat down.

"Care to tell me?"

"Mmm... not too sure that I should..." he continued to smile as he heard the others approaching the table.

"Tease."

"Equivalent exchange. You teased me earlier... only fair."

Falling silent for a short while, the two continued staring outside, gazing at the pitter-patter of the pouring rain. With the winds getting stronger and the rain becoming even more steady in its decent, Gwyn looked up at Tristan and smiled, placing a hand on his chest, as people who were passing close to their table were wondering whether they were seeing some sort of illusion created by the museum itself.

"Thank goodness we haven't chosen to go somewhere in the open today, would have been a total ruin of a day."

"Yeah, but it'd been kinda fun to have a run outside in the rain..." 

"Maybe not for everyone... I wouldn't have minded the rain either though. Seriously, a run in the costumes would be tremendously exciting."

"I think it would've been a blast..." grinned Tristan as he leaned in for a kiss as the others watched the scene before them.

"Ahem..."

"Oh let them be Jamie, for heaven's sake!"

"Cyn, get a break, I'm kidding! If you want to continue stare at them, it's fine for me," he pouted in return, as Cole and Anne by their side started laughing.

Kissing Gwyn quickly, Tristan turned his attention to the others. "Y'know Jamie, every time you tease me about kissing Gwyn... sounds like you're jealous. I'll give you a kiss if it'll make you feel better," teased Tristan.

"Ah shut up brat," he snapped back. "What do you know."

"He just wants to make you feel better, Jamie," smiled Cole. "You've been pretty snappy at him for most of the week..."

"Well, he's our beautiful boss' boyfriend, I am just a little bit jealous in a way," he looked away, blushing lightly.

"Whoa whoa... Just because I have a girlfriend doesn't mean that I'll trading her for you and Cole. There's a reason why we keep including you guys in our plans - we want you to still be in our lives."

"Oh he's well aware of that," Cynthia smiled, placing a hand on his shoulder. "What he meant is that..." she leant closer, feigning a whisper. "He's jealous that you have a girlfriend and he doesn't..."

"Hey!"

"I keep giving you advice about what to do... and you still ignore me..." chuckled Tristan. "Just don't be anxious, you'll find someone when you least expect it."

"Yeah Jim-Jim, you bother about it too much," chuckled Cynthia as she sat down at the table and turned to look at the view out of the window.

Chuckling, he gave Cynthia a kiss on her cheek before kissing Tristan's temple. "You guys have always been looking out for me. And... you're probably right. Anyways, what's for lunch?"

"Just have a look at the menu," Gwyn told them as the four of them grabbed the large cardboards on the table, and began grinning widely at them. 

"Holy..." came the awed response as they all looked at the menus.

"It'll be good to take some tips on these dishes, especially for you Miss," Anne smiled back at Gwyn, as she studied the contents of the menu.

"I'm sure that whatever you make, it'll be great," smiled Cole as Tristan grinned back at her.

"Yep! Should be fantastic."

"Someone call the waiter, I'm getting hungry here," Cynthia barely finished as a young waiter walked up to their table, placing small trays with a number of mini-appetizers in front of them.

"When Cyn speaks, everyone listens..." Tristan grinned as he devoured the appetizers in front of him.

"It's like she summoned him," Cole laughed as he shoved a whole vol-au-vent in his mouth.

"For sure..." smiled James as the girls continued eating.

"Someone calling me a witch?" Cynthia smirked looking up as she had the first bite off a small sandwich.

"Noooo..." snickered the boys.

"I should get myself a wand and a black cape and I'd be perfect," she grinned back, sticking out her tongue at them. "Oh, and the pointy hat."

"Mmm... not all witches would have the black cape, wand, and pointy hat..." Tristan replied sagely as he drank his water. "You could have a cape... but maybe if you looked like a very unassuming Lady of the Court, who was a spell-caster on the side... Hmm... very hot..."

"Same as having a witch looking like an old hag, that's totally pointless," Cole commented. 

"True... but let's be honest here. I'd probably be more afraid of the unassuming woman than the old hag..." Tristan admitted.

"You know James, the witch-woman could be all sensual and stuff on you," Cynthia butted in.

Grinning, James began to sink against his seat, making both Cole and Tristan laugh. 

"See? You all know he'd love the idea of getting a sexy witch at his doorstep, and don't deny it," she snickered. "James, you're so obvious at times."

"Carefully Jamie, no need to make a mess of your costume," snickered Cole and Tristan.

Closing his eyes, James realized just what Cole had said and immediately headed off to the bathroom, which caused Cole and Tristan to laugh even more, while both Anne and Gwyn were a bit miffed until Cynthia told them what happened.

"You tease James too much," Gwyn gently chided them as Anne chuckled lightly by her side.

"It's all out of love," the trio grinned widely.

"Seriously," she shook her head while taking another one of the appetizers on the table, as James arrived back at the table, the flush on his face still evident.

"Not a word... _especially_ from you and Cole..." grumbled James as he sat back in his seat.

"Not a word!" exclaimed the pair.

"Ah don't worry they won't," Cynthia reassured him. "One mention of a sexy witch was enough for the time being," she grinned back. "You can relax now."

"James can have his witch, I have my lovely Queen."

With the rest of the main dishes coming in, the group ended up full to the brim with the food that Victoria and Albert had gotten prepared for them. Though the ultimate surprise for the six of them was when Tristan asked for the bill at the end, as all of them were having some tea, mostly either English Breakfast tea or Earl Gray which made Cynthia squeal in delight, and got the response that all of the meal was on the house, courtesy of the museum itself.

"They are seriously spoiling us..." grinned Tristan as he rested his head against Gwyn's shoulder, kissing it gently. 

"Guess so," she smiled in return, turning to whisper back at him. "But I'll leave a hefty donation this time... trust me."

"Same here... though not as hefty..." Tristan smiled sheepishly as Gwyn kissed his hair gently.

"They must be joking," Cynthia gasped as she rested her cup on its respective saucer.

"Nope, we're not," chuckled Albert as he walked over to the table. "Vicky's been fielding questions and calls about the 'King and Queen and their court' that's been visiting the museum today. Tons of donations have been pouring in, as they love the interactiveness and attention to detail we have here."

"Oh that's great!" Cynthia exclaimed again. "Oh! So people have been asking questions about us, that's awesome," she giggled.

"Definitely. It's been really crazy and since it's raining outside, a lot of people have been coming in - as news of you guys have spread all over from the other patrons. Again, you guys coming here has made the experience for so many of the museum-goers a day to remember. Again, it's our way of saying thanks."

"And the meal was really good, thank you," Cole complimented him.

"Quite welcome. Now, you still have the remainder of the day, so please, enjoy yourselves. Oh and Tristan? We have some umbrellas ready for you guys," smiled Albert as he stood next to Tristan and wrapped an arm around his shoulders, giving him a brief hug, before walking off to attend to the other patrons.

"Umbrellas?" Cynthia, Cole and James asked in unison as Anne and Gwyn furrowed their brows. 

"Thought you guys might want to go check out the gardens... as well as for when we leave."

"You need to go somewhere?" Cole asked as he turned to look back at Tristan.

"Yeah. The bathroom," grinned Tristan. "And I wanted to go outside for a bit for some fresh air." Getting up from his seat, the Boy King headed towards the direction of the bathroom.

"And I thought that he was going to say something else..." James commented.

"Which was...?" asked Cole.

"Oh I dunno. Maybe that he needed some private time with Gwyn or something." 

"Ahh, Gwyn, care to have any insight into your boy's thoughts?" Cole smiled.

"Frankly, I don't have a clue, hasn't told me anything," she sincerely replied. "That might be one of the options but can't tell," she told them.

"Best go check on him then, Gwyn. Who knows what Mr. Unpredictable will do next..."

"In the bathroom?" she blinked back at them, raising an eyebrow. "Ah well... will wait for him outside..." she told them, rising from the table and heading towards the corridor leading to the bathrooms. Resting against the wall, Gwyn crossed her arms in front of her chest and waited for him to come out.

Whistling to himself, Tristan washed his hands and dried them off with a towel that was proffered by the bathroom attendant. Smiling at the older man, he tipped him and pulled out a key from his pocket. Tossing it into the air briefly, he recalled Victoria's words to him over the phone. Pocketing the key, Tristan knew that it was quite risky to be so open about his relationship with Gwyn, but he was glad that he at least had this place to enjoy his time with her. Once he exited the bathroom, he was surprised to find Gwyn standing outside in the hallway.

"Hey... you were waiting for me? Whatever for?" grinned Tristan as he wrapped his arms around Gwyn, pulling her into a gentle embrace. "And where are the others?"

"In the restaurant still... what are you plotting, hmm?" she chuckled, placing a kiss on his cheek.

"Mmm... I did want to spend some quiet time with you... alone."

"Here?!"

Placing a finger against her lips, he kissed her forehead. "Not exactly..." Reaching into his pocket, he removed a small key and held it in front of her. "You did ask about secluded rooms earlier..." he smirked playfully.

"There really are? And I thought it was going to be a random idea..." she remarked, still blinking back at him as she didn't expect him to take her word so seriously. "Where are they?"

"Say good-bye to the others and maybe I'll show you...?"

"You're going to let them tour the museum on their own then?"

"The thought had crossed my mind... I mean, it's a museum, and they should be alright on their own, plus... we've got Al and Vicky looking after them too."

Snatching the key from him in a swift movement, Gwyn grinned back at Tristan who gaped back, never expecting her to be so fast. "On one condition though..."

Chuckling, he shoved his hands into his pockets and headed towards the direction of the main dining room. "And what would it be?" 

"Speaking and acting like you really came out from that time period," she told him, watching as he winced slightly at her request. "It'll be just for today, plus, the setting's perfect."

"I should probably ask for a phrase book from Al..."

"I saw you flip through my books at home every once in a while, you should have an idea," she chuckled as they headed towards the restaurant.

"Uhh..." Sighing, Tristan simply kept his mouth shut.

"What is it?"

"I think that I'm a bit in over my head..." Giving her a sheepish grin, he slid into his seat as the others looked on once they arrived.

"How so?" she asked him, giving a light squeeze to his hand. "Oh don't worry about that..."

"If that is what you ask of me, my lady."

"Don't worry about what?" Cynthia overheard as Cole and James grinned back at them.

"Nothing," both replied back with a smile on their faces, with Gwyn's slightly more evident as she heard Tristan talking back to her that way. 

Rearranging his items on the table, Tristan got up and bowed towards Gwyn's direction. "If my lady requires nothing more from me, I shall take my leave for the gardens."

Smiling as the rest of the group gaped back at Tristan, Gwyn winked back at them and got back on her feet, while rearranging the folds of her skirt. "I'll be off with him then, you just continue touring the museum at your own leisure, and we'll meet up later on in the day," she told them, lowering her head lightly to bid them goodbye. "Have a nice time," she concluded as she hurried her pace to reach up with Tristan, locking her left arm with his.

"I just wonder where they're going..." Cynthia mused, as Anne gave her an equally blank look.

Shaking their heads at the girls, both Cole and James shrugged their shoulders at her question.  
  


-

Walking through the halls, Tristan continued to smile and wave at a few passers-by. As soon as he felt Gwyn wrap her arm around his, Tristan crisply nodded his head. "My lady?"

"I couldn't have left you on your own, Dearest. And also, I am quite curious to know what you have in mind of doing..."

"I have been informed by the heads of this fine establishment that there is a private getaway near the gardens. Having been given a key, I was curious to see for myself what was there. Of course, since my lady has pilfered the key from my possession, I have but no choice as to ask if she would do me the honor in accompanying me?"

"You don't have to ask... and, I am already accompanying you of course," she smiled back, patting his hand slightly. 

"As you wish."

Once they neared the entrance to the gardens, there was a large can that was filled with umbrellas. Picking up the large black umbrella, the guards opened the doors for the pair as Tristan popped open the umbrella before heading towards the large greenhouse. As they walked and chatted, a large gust of wind managed to blow the umbrella out from Tristan's grasp. Watching as Tristan chased after the umbrella, Gwyn made her way over to a large tree and continued to laugh at his antics.

"Just let it be and come back here, it's too windy," she chuckled still. "It will end up in some farmer's field somewhere."

Heeding her words, Tristan ran over to where Gwyn stood and removed his crown as his wet hair lay completely matted against his face. "Most likely, but I thought it best to try to recover it for the sake of our generous hosts." Smiling, he easily rearranged the tiara on Gwyn's head. "And there... it wouldn't do at all for my lady to look disheveled despite being soaked to the bone due to this unsavory weather. Shall we be off for the gardens?"

"Well, my King does look scruffy at the moment," she chuckled, raising her arms to move the wet bangs from his face. "I do love him like this anyway," she reached up, placing a sweet kiss on his lips. 

Kissing her back, Tristan held her close. "My appearance is not of your concern, my lady, but rather myself." Unbuttoning his soaked jacket, he held it over her head. "Should keep you dry for the time being until we reach our destination."

"Tristan, you'll get sick that... way," she was stopped as he grabbed her left hand tightly and walked her out from under the tree's shelter.

"Again, please do not worry yourself over me, my lady. I shall be completely fine," he replied promptly.

With the pouring rain pounding against the ground heavily, the two raced across the landscaped areas with Gwyn laughing as if she was in the middle of a childhood prank, engaging with the thrill of going against her parents' orders.

Laughing hard, the pair had finally stood under the awning of the entrance to the gardens. Easing off the sopping jacket from her form, Tristan opened the door to the large greenhouse. "After you, my lady."

"Thank you," Gwyn replied as she welcomed the immediate dry shelter provided by the greenhouse itself.

"You're quite welcome. I've been informed by our hosts, that though the gardens are separate from the main building, it is connected by an ancillary building in the rear that reconnects to the main building. The ancillary building is mostly for staff, which it is mostly unoccupied during the hours of operation. Shall we enjoy the sights of the garden beforehand?"

"Dearest, it's raining..."

"And...? It's an indoor garden, dear lady."

"Right right," she laughed, entwining her fingers with his as she held his hand tightly.

Smiling broadly at her, the pair travelled through the greenhouse in good spirits, despite the humid air that was controlled for the growing plants. As they walked, their clothes began to dry, but began to feel sticky against their skin as time passed. Once they had concluded their impromptu tour, Tristan had lead the way to the private rooms that Victoria had told him about.

"My lady, the key, if you will."

Handing him the key back, Gwyn stood by his side as he proceeded into opening the door and lead her inside.

Once inside, they took in the sights of the room in complete awe.

"Ancillary building for staff? It looks like another mansion in its own accord..."

"Lady Victoria's attention to detail is astounding... especially since even the staff rooms are in accordance to the rest of the museum..."

"They're just lovely..." she muttered under her breath, feeling completely transported into the new settings and surroundings.

"Indeed... quite lovely." Spotting a closet, Tristan opened the doors and managed to pull out some large towels. Unfolding one of them, he gently draped it around Gwyn's shoulders. "Best dry off before you catch cold, my lady."

"Same goes for you," Gwyn replied as she leaned closer to dry his face off.

"Again, you needn't concern yourself with such trivialities," murmured Tristan as Gwyn continued to dry him off.

"Who has to if not myself," she smiled as she huddled closer to him, whilst wrapping a towel around his shoulders.

"I'm perfectly capable of performing such a menial task my-" Tristan muttered under his breath before Gwyn kissed him soundly.

"I know..." she smiled as their kiss ended. "But you should not make your Queen sound useless..."

"I know I shan't, but I assure you my lady, you are far from useless..."

"Thanks Dearest, that's nice to hear..."

Smiling, Tristan maneuvered Gwyn onto a nearby chair. "Now..." Muttering as he removed her tiara, Tristan began to run his fingers through Gwyn's hair before drying it off.

"We could have a look around if you like," she looked back up at him, smiling. 

"If you wish to."

Taking his hand in hers once more, Gwyn stood up and dragged Tristan to see the rest of the building, which looked and felt like a full-blown palace. Gwyn was used to them after all... she had been raised in, especially since both her parents and Fred had owned one back in those days - a must-have for pure-blood families. Strolling around the rooms, with that kind of dress, was a very familiar feeling to her, after all. As the very last room in the corridor caught her attention, Gwyn moved over to turn the doorknob, revealing something that made her chuckle softly.

"Hmm? What is it, my lady?"

"Have a look yourself," she told him, moving at the side of the door to make Tristan look inside the room.

"Wow...how interesting..."

"And trust me, I was totally unaware of the existance of this annex to the main building."

"Same..." Smirking, Tristan hugged Gwyn close. "Should I even bother removing all of your clothing, or should I just pull down your panties..."

"That was one swift move," she laughed, holding him close. "You've got a bedroom, complete with all of my favorite furnishings and you're down to that... the condition is still applicable here you know," she wriggled out of his embrace to close the door locked shut behind them.

Shaking his head as he rolled his eyes, Tristan flashed her a mischievous smirk. "Would my lady allow me the honor of making love to her to rid myself of these carnal desires that are currently plaguing my mind? I would want nothing more than pleasing and fully satisfying her to the utmost of my abilities."

Laughing, Gwyn walked back up to Tristan and planted a passionate kiss on his lips in response. "Well, that regal bed's all ours now it seems..."

Tugging on the ties to her dress, he gave her a look of pure want before giving her an equally passionate kiss in return. "Thought that my lady would see it my way..."

"We're in full agreement to that, my King."

Placing his arm under her knees, Tristan easily lifted Gwyn up bridal style and carried her over to the bed. "As much as I would love to stay in here all day, we do have to meet with our court sometime in the afternoon..."

"You can close the curtains if you like," she smiled in response. "And I'm quite aware of that so..." she turned giving him her back. "Go on, you just need to untie both the dress and the corset..."

Climbing onto the bed beside her, Tristan closed the three sets of curtains before moving behind her and chuckling all the while. "As you wish, my lady..." Grasping one of his boots, he slid them off easily and dropped them onto the floor before taking hold of the ties and pulled them apart slowly. Once he began to loosen the corset, he started kissing down her back - starting with his spot.

Shivering slightly at his touch, feeling him resting his lips on her skin, Gwyn let out a soft giggle and smiled inwardly, while recalling how thankful she was for having found him... for bringing her the warmth that no pureblood vampire could. That no human except Tristan would have...

Easing off the corset, Tristan began working on the dress itself. Kissing the small of her back, he slid off the bed and smirked as he knelt against the side of the bed. Pushing back the flowing skirt slightly, he hid under the skirts as he pulled off her stockings slowly, planting kisses against every piece of skin he exposed - which made Gwyn giggle even more.

"Sweetheart, that is certainly ticklish..." she whispered as she slid down to the edge of the bed.

"Mmm? But how else would I be able to perform the task of removing your hosiery?" Tristan asked innocently, with a not-so-innocent grin on his face.

"I never said you shouldn't do that," she chuckled. 

Nodding, Tristan disappeared under her skirts again and began working on her other stocking as she continued to giggle as he planted random kisses across her leg. Once he finished, Tristan stood up to his full height and leaned against Gwyn. "Does my queen prefer to be standing up or lying down as I commence removing her dress?"

"Probably if I stand up for a short while it'll be easier for you," she replied as she sat up at the edge of the bed, while he placed his hand under her arms and helped her down. "Yeah, they're pretty high beds after all..."

"Mmm-hmm..." he murmured as he tugged down the dress slowly as he leaned in to kiss her gently.

Kissing him back, Gwyn proceeded into unfastening the buttons of his shirt, removing his jacket and removing the sash at his waist holding tightly his pants. 

As they continued to kiss, Tristan felt Gwyn push off his shirt, causing him moan slightly into her mouth as the cool, dry air hit his bare chest.

Looking up, smiling widely, Gwyn started tugging at the waistband of the pants, letting them slide off slowly as she leant closer to him.

Stepping out of his pants, Tristan picked Gwyn up again and set her on the bed before climbing on top of her. Placing a finger against her lips, he kissed her sweetly before kissing down her body and stopping at her panties. Grasping the sides, he tugged them off slowly as he continued to kiss his way downward again.

"My King's still too dressed though," she chuckled as she slid down her hands along his sides, aware of the fact that she was tickling him slightly.

"Then I believe my lady will be attending to that fact... wouldn't she?" he giggled slightly as he felt her tickle him briefly.

"Indeed she will," she winked back, as she slid down the boxers to his knees giving a grin to Tristan so that he could just kick out of them easily.

Kicking off his boxers, Tristan reached over to pull the covers over them as he settled himself over her. Stroking the sides of her face, he kissed her gently as eased himself into her. "I love you, Gwendalynn," he whispered as he stared directly into her reddish-brown eyes.

"And I love you too... Tristan," she smiled as she leaned in and closed her eyes to kiss him, holding him closer to her.

Kissing her deeply, the couple proceeded to make love under the almost magical Victorian setting of their current surroundings, complete with several candles illuminating the room with a gentle golden glow.

-

"Too bad we'll have to get up from here sooner or later," Gwyn muttered as she cuddled closer to her Tristan under the white bedsheets.

"Mmm... this day has been far too perfect..." whispered Tristan as he kissed her sweat-soaked hair. "And before you ask, yes, Vicky set this up for us... she thought it be fun to let us to actually live as a King and Queen for a day - complete with us ending up here in bed. She said the cleaning staff will pick up after us..."

"Remind me that we really have to get a bed like this..." she muttered as she turned to kiss his chest once more.

"I told you that I'm totally entertaining the idea of having a poster bed in our bedroom, as I think we can be a bit more creative once we're in the comfort of our own home..."

"Creative?" she chuckled, looking up. "As if we're not already..."

"Well, I did have a fantasy of you possibly blindfolding me and tying me to the bedposts... it'd make for a fun Christmas romp..."

"Tristan!" she laughed out, smacking him lightly as she blushed a little. "I'm not into... that, I... I mean, what makes you think that... anyway," she stuttured, noticing him stifle a laugh. "Hey..."

"It was a fantasy... relax... Besides, you can just blindfold me and use some feathers... same thing," he chuckled as he rolled onto his back and felt Gwyn settle on top of him.

"Feathers?!" she exclaimed, nuzzling her head against his neck.

"It would make for some absolutely delicious, non-lethal torture..." Placing his hands on her hips, he stroked the bare skin gently. "Ready for another go before we leave? As you know I love having you on top, my Queen..."

"Forget the torture, just you and me is enough," she whispered, kissing him passionately.

"Fair enough..." he whispered back as Gwyn began moving her hips against his as they held each other close.

"And forget about the blindfold," Gwyn whispered seductively, as he moaned her name in response as they made love to one another once again.

-

"So, you two actually were crazy enough to go out in the rain... hope the gardens were worth it," smiled Cole as he saw the couple rejoin the group much later in the afternoon.

Noting their damp hair and clothes, as well as their flushed cheeks, the group had figured that both Tristan and Gwyn simply wanted to look at the gardens on their own while they were left to tour the museum at their own discretion. For Cole, he was in an extremely good mood as he was able to spend more time with Anne - which made him realize that he may have started developing feelings for her. During their time together, they chatted about the architecture as Anne also filled Cole in on the customs of the time period. As Cole continued to soak in the information presented to him by Anne, both Cynthia and James were having fun talking and interacting with several patrons, particularly that of the children that were dressed up in costume too. Most of the questions that they found themselves answering were regarding both Tristan and Gwyn - the young King and Queen that were roaming the halls of the museum.

Grinning as he saw the expectant looks on their faces, Tristan brushed his damp bangs away from his face. "Oh they were definitely worth it. Being able to study all those beautiful flowers in peace was fantastic. We were also lucky enough to see some pieces that will be a part of an upcoming exhibit - they were _absolutely stunning_ to see by candlelight..." concluded Tristan as Gwyn ducked her head briefly to hide her blush, as she knew that Tristan was referring to their stolen moment by candlelight.

" _Candlelight_? How come?" James asked as he grinned back at Tristan.

"Oh, it's part of the exhibit - since obviously there wasn't any electricity back then to power their homes back in that time period. The exhibit will feature how a Victorian era home was illuminated, but of course, instead of a house, it'll mostly likely be several key rooms."

"Hmm... makes sense and probably cool to see," both Cole and James agreed as Cynthia and Anne smiled at the idea of the exhibit.

"They really are keen to get every single detail right, it's fantastic," Anne smiled, giving an understanding wink to Gwyn.

"Oh for sure. The pieces of furniture they chose... I think Gwyn may want to do some redecorating after seeing all this," Tristan chuckled.

"Seriously?" Cynthia asked. "You mean, in more classical furniture?"

"I might..." she smiled. "Especially since some of them really tickled my fancy," she told them as Tristan gave her hand a slight squeeze.

"Well, if you're so interested in the furniture, why don't we go to the furniture hall?" Cole asked the group. "As much as I love the architecture, I'd love to see more of the furniture used during that time."

"I think it'd be cool to go see," nodded Tristan as he continued to hold Gwyn's hand. "After seeing the new pieces, I'm curious to see if there have been any other changes since the last time we were here."

"Mmh, we could actually place your current bed in one of the spare bedrooms, Miss. It would be a pity to get rid of that," Anne commented, already planning how to place the new furniture inside the apartment.

"Hey Cyn? Weren't you saying that you needed a new bed anyways? Why not this: Cyn can have the old bed from the guest room and then we can move Gwyn's old one to there?" Tristan asked with a grin.

"Sounds like a good idea if Gwyn agrees with that, I'd manage to get rid of my squeaky old piece of junk," she laughed out as Gwyn nodded in approval. "I'll pay for it anyways, not to worry."

"What?! Oh no way, you can just take it and that's it, not to worry about money and stuff," Gwyn chuckled. "As if I'll ask you for anything, just take it as a present."

"You're joking."

"No, we're both very serious," Gwyn and Tristan grinned back at her.

"Besides... there's no sense in trying to argue with Gwyn... Thought I warned you guys about that?" laughed Tristan. "I mean, I can't take it, as it totally wouldn't go with my apartment. And you're way better suited for it than me."

"Precisely... no buts, the bed'll be yours when we get the new one."

"We eh?" James snickered as he gave a slight nudge to Cole who grinned back in return.

"Whaaat... not like it 'we' means anything... but yes, it's more or less what you two idiots are grinning about," smirked Tristan.

"Thank you though... really," Cynthia smiled sincerely at the two.

"I'm sure that Gwyn would agree with me when I say that it's not problem. Right?"

"Mmm-hmm," she smiled back in agreement.

"So it's settled. Cyn gets an awesome new bed once we get our new bed. Works out for everyone," laughed Tristan.

"Guests will be courteously placed in bed?" James grinned as Cynthia gave him a death glare.

"I'm gonna pretend I didn't hear that Jamie-poo... Anyways, Gwyn, Anne, how about the bed that Cyn slept in last time? That would seem to be a pretty good fit for her, right?"

"Yes, should be, plus it's a double bed, so she should be pretty comfy," Anne winked back as Cynthia almost felt embarrassed at their generosity. "Is that alright for you Miss?"

"Absolutely."

"Oh and James, you know... maybe someday you can get the bed that Cole slept on - so that at least you could say that you slept in _Cole's_ bed," Tristan smirked wickedly, which caused Cynthia to mirror Tristan's expression towards James as well.

"Hey! Don't add me into the equation now," Cole scowled as Anne tried to stifle a laugh.

Laughing even harder, Tristan, Gwyn, and Anne led the way towards the furniture exhibit as both Cynthia and Cole continued to tease James about beds.

"Your fault," Cynthia snickered as they arrived in the large hall.

"How's it my fault?" whined James.

"Well, you're the one that seems to imply something that there's something more to it than Gwyn simply giving Cyn a bed. I mean, it's a bed from Gwyn's guest room after all, not like it means something. And as for the little King being concerned with Gwyn's domestic affairs and duties? Why shouldn't he as he practically lives there now - but of course, they can't really make anything _too_ official as it would be totally suspicious as work's concerned," Cole remarked sagely before giving James an evil grin. "But don't worry Jamie, we can share my bed if it makes you feel any better - just so long as you remember that I'm on top." 

Looking at each other, Cynthia and Anne burst out in a fit of laughter, making the people passing next to them stare then smile at their light-heartedness.

"Seriously, that was... oh God I'm picturing... _that_ ," Cynthia continued laughing, with tears of laughter running down her cheeks.

As the the others continued to tease James mercilessly, Tristan wrapped his arm around Gwyn's shoulders warmly and held her closer as he was grinning like mad. "I so do love my friends. They're such great fun."

"Mmm-hmm, true," she winked back. "You're really a great group."

"Yep."

Arriving at the furniture hall, Cynthia immediately led the group over to an elegant four-poster bed that was somewhat similar to the one that Tristan and Gwyn had their romantic romp in earlier that afternoon.

"And? What's that look about now Cyn?" Cole grinned as he noticed James looking towards another direction, as he was trying to stop thinking about beds altogether.

"The bed's gorgeous... oh my God, Gwyn...this would be great in your apartment..."

"That's quite something, I must admit," she smiled, already picturing something similar in her bedroom.

Leaning in closer to study the details and intricate work that was needed to replicate the bed, Cole mused aloud, "As a piece of furniture it's quite beautiful, but I wonder just how comfortable it really is...

"I think they were, considering they used to have _twenty_ babies per family," Cynthia grinned in return.

Pulling Gwyn closer to him, Tristan rested his chin on her shoulder and muttered quietly, "Oh yeah, those beds were _extremely comfortable_... I could understand why families would have so many kids..."

"Quite understandable, isn't it?" she whispered back, raising an arm to caress his cheek slowly.

"Definitely..." he whispered back just before kissing her gently - as Cynthia latched onto his arm. "Whoa Cyn?"

"Sorry Gwyn, going to borrow loverboy for a second - wanted to show him the bicycles."

Waving, Tristan slung his arm around Cyn as they walked companionably through the exhibit hall as Anne stood next to Gwyn and grinned mischievously. 

"What's that grin about Anne?" she asked curiously, looking back at her. It was fun and quite a relief seeing her so cheerful and carefree, knowing what she had actually lived through when she were young. Practically afraid of everything and anyone, Anne was getting out of her shell and she was very grateful for that. Nowhere near to the girl who was scared of looking at the woman who saved her life.

"Although it wasn't my intention... I _did_ manage to catch what you and Tristan had mentioned about..." Leaning in to whisper, Anne began to giggle. "Victorian beds. Now... I know you know how comfortable they are... but how does _Tristan_ know about them since your bed isn't the poster one like that. Does his knowledge come from what happened while you two were away, hmm?"

"Can't hide anything from you, mmh?" she smiled back at her. "And... I'll tell you just one thing... they have private rooms, dressed to perfection. Including the beds."

"Private rooms? Now you have me curious as to why they aren't accessible in the first place, Miss."

"Considering that they're fully furnished... makes me wonder too. It's not like there are works in progress or something."

"Perhaps you may want to inquire about them before we leave?"

"I might..." she winked back. "Anyway, I know you're still thinking about something, you still have a certain grin on your lips."

"I take it that the room, the furnishings, the costumes... they all seemed to add to the _experience_ , correct?" 

Blushing slightly, Gwyn lowered her head and smiled as they continued walking side by side. "Actually, Tristan was more gentlemanly that most of the men I used to meet at the time were. Trust me Anne, if Tristan were one of us... at the time... Fred would have made me marry him instantly," she stopped, realising what she had just said.

"Even if he wasn't... would you still marry him?" 

"Yes. Even if that would mean taking the same vows Neville took with Lisa."

"Hmm, I thought so. You love and adore him deeply, don't you, Miss?" Anne smiled warmly.

"Anne, I'd die to defend him. I'd give my life for his safety. And it's not me or my foresaken decent that will take away his friends or his life... He'll have me for as long as he decides, I'll stay by his side till he exhales his very last breath... and follow him right after..."

Patting Gwyn's shoulder, Anne nodded her head. "I know that Miss, I know that you would risk everything for him. I have a feeling though that even should he be turned, he'll be as he is now. As for the depth of his feelings for you? The fact that he has probably risked several times over having... _intimate meetings_ with you, as well as the fact that he constantly places you above his own needs should give you some clue. Then again, the fact that you let him speaks as to how much you care for him in the first place." 

"Anne, I won't turn him."

"For both your sakes, I hope that you'll be able to stick to that promise, Miss," whispered Anne quietly as she saw Cynthia escort Tristan back over to them.

"Cyn... I could've done that myself..." whined Tristan as Cynthia began fussing with his uniform once again.

"I know you could, but I don't want you to look scruffy or anything, right Gwyn?" Cynthia replied matter-of-factly as she continued to straighten his jacket collar.

"Mmm-hmm, right," she smiled, in an attempt to remove those thought from her mind.

"...Fine...but I think I look alright when I'm scruffy..." 

"You look fine anyway," Cynthia smiled, giving him small pats on both of his shoulders. "Back to your Queen now."

"I know I do," teased Tristan, who froze slightly as both Gwyn and Anne were grinning at him. "What'd I do?"

Turning with a small dramatic swirve and with a chuckle on her lips, Gwyn walked ahead without them as both Cynthia and Anne chuckled wickedly at the scene.

"I guess your Queen appreciates more your humble traits, your Majesty," Cynthia curtsied as Anne winked and followed suit.

Pouting slightly, Tristan turned to follow Gwyn but was suddenly surrounded by several children, as well as young adults and parents. "Wha?" Looking over, he saw both James and Cole waving at him innocently as they continued to grin.

"Any idea where Gwyn went to Anne?"

"Probably bathroom."

Ignoring the others, Tristan began to field questions as well as entertain the children while many of the teenagers and adult women kept their eyes on him. Smiling, he began telling the children about how it was to live during the time period, who were entranced by his story.

"Shouldn't we go check on her? She's taking quite a while..." Cynthia asked, getting slightly concerned.

"Not to worry, she's alright... will be back soon."

With a glowing red blush on her cheeks - and with a few unbeknownst sleeping people in the bathrooms - and renewed energies, Gwyn caught back up with the rest of the group, smiling amused at the scene which was unfolding before her eyes. "Excuse me, I think I might need my King back," she smiled, earning some awestruck stares.

"Oh - hey, I mean, good afternoon, my Queen," grinned Tristan as he reached out for Gwyn's hand. "I was telling these kind people about how we live without all of their newfangled gadgets."

"And some of them are quite peculiar," she chuckled as she moved closer to him.

"Indeed they are. Ah, you little miss, in the green dress. How is it that you light your room at night?" Tristan smiled as he pointed out a little girl that was no older than seven. 

"Me? Just reach up for the socket... and uhm... switch on the light... simple!"

"Such wonder! Our servants have to get hundreds of candles lit up every night... What you call 'electricity' didn't exist at our time."

"Mm-hmm, and of course, it is quite the pain to constantly relight a candle every time you have to go to the bathroom, let me tell you," chuckled Tristan as several of the children laughed as well.

As they watched the scene unfold, all four adults suddenly pictured both Gwyn and Tristan as parents, and smiled widely at the thought collectively.

"Technically, it would have been easier if the King carried a small candleholder with hi-" she stopped as she felt something tugging at her skirt. Looking down, she found a small girl, barely two most probably, gazing up at her. With curly blonde hair and deep blue eyes, the little bundle in a princess dress giggled as she tried to crawl under Gwyn's skirts, making Gwyn crouch down to take her up in her arms. "Do I see a little princess here?" she asked, as the girl giggled and hugged Gwyn tightly, almost startling her. 

"Looks as if we do, my lady."

"Now, you might as well go back to mommy little one, she must be looking for you," she whispered back to her as she saw a woman waving back at her with the corner of her eye.

"I'll handle this," smiled Tristan as the little girl reached over to him as he took her in his arms. Carrying her over to her mother, the little girl reached over and placed a kiss on Tristan's cheek before waving farewell as he made his way back to Gwyn's side.

"And now all of you, off you go, myself and the King have some other things to see and do around the museum..." Gwyn told them as some of them reached for a hug while other merely waved back as they headed elsewhere.

Hugging a few of the kids, Tristan waved to the other adults as he wrapped his other arm around Gwyn's waist and pulled her close for a quick kiss. "Looking quite good, my lady."

"Not any different from before," she whispered back.

"No, not really, but I do like the colour in your cheeks. Makes you glow," he whispered gently as he kissed her again.

"Glad you do..." replied Gwyn as she wrapped her arms round his waist and rested her head on his shoulder.

"I love you regardless, but I can totally appreciate it when you're as stunning as you are now. Granted though, I love looking at you just after we make love - you basically look like a goddess at that point."

Chuckling, Gwyn held him close while rubbing his back gently, battling with herself inwardly not to think about the real reason she looked that way at that very moment - as if she could tell him that she had disgustingly finished feeding on human blood...

Sensing a slight change in her mood, Tristan kissed her forehead and held her tighter. "So, have a good chat with Anne? Something tells me that she knew what we were up to earlier..."

"Yes she was... after all, she's the one that can read us most by now."

"At this rate... I wonder if we could actually purchase these costumes? I mean after knowing what we did before and after putting the costumes on... I'd feel really guilty letting anyone else wear them..." Tristan half-joked, half-seriously replied.

"I'd just have to write a cheque with that included then," she smiled, pulling slightly away to look at him.

Feeling her palms against his cheeks, he let out a slight chuckle as Gwyn began to examine his face closely. "What'cha doin?"

"Mmm... nothing," she laughed, noticing his expression.

Leaning down slightly, Tristan looked Gwyn in the eye as she studied his dark blue ones.

"Love you..." she whispered as she rested her forehead against his. "Let's say I was just having a good look at you..."

"Works for me and, love you too, Baby."

"Remind me that we'll need to talk to Albert and Victoria on the costumes. We can take care of everything once I get my bag back."

"You love spoiling me sometimes, don't you, Sweetheart?" grinned Tristan.

"Who else do I have to spoil?" she smiled back at him, glancing quickly at the others who seemed to be in the middle of a discussion.

"Other than Anne and puppy? I guess I'd be the remaining party," he laughed quietly.

"You take serious priority of course," she grinned.

"I can live with that. Can I say that you take priority in my life as well?"

"Pretty much evident, Tris, pretty much."

Hugging her warmly, he kissed her once more time before taking her hand in his and leading them over to the others.

"Ready to go?" Cynthia grinned, as she wrapped an arm lightly around Tristan's waist. "You know what, handsome? You'd look splendid as a daddy."

"You think so? Hmm, I mean, I love my nieces and nephew... but never really thought of myself as a dad before..." 

"Oh you will be, you were perfect with the kids," Cole joined in. "Both you and Gwyn."

"Huh... maybe someday. But not now... as I'd love to get married first before I even think of having kids... but that's speaking for myself. I'm sure Gwyn has her own ideas as well." 

"Which are practically similar to his," she uttered with a shy smile on her lips.

"Really Gwyn, if it wasn't for Tristan, we'd think you're our boss's twin sister..." James mumbled grinning back at her.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that you're so different from the Assistant Director we're used to at work. Don't get me wrong, I don't have anything against the fact of you being stern with everyone and all, but..." James continued in reply.

"He means that you're more easy-going and relaxed as you are now compared to your usual AD-self," Tristan smiled warmly as he finished James' train of thought.

"It is that evident I suppose, isn't it?"

"Not that it's a bad thing, but rather, we're all glad that you're more relaxed and happier now than before. You're definitely more at peace, and it's a good thing."

"I can confirm," Anne grinned as she winked back at Gwyn with a smile.

Instead of saying anything, Tristan continued to hug Gwyn as warmly and lovingly as he could.

"And since someone feels like cuddling his girl... so, where next?" Cole called out, grinning back.

"Dunno. Still feel like staying in the museum or should we head on out? Oh and if you're jealous of me cuddling my girl, I'm sure Anne wouldn't mind if you offered her your arm so that you can escort her around some more."

With Anne smiling and Cole blushing furiously, whilst timidly stretching out his arm towards her, the two walked ahead before the others, arms locked in each others.

"They look quite sweet, don't they?" Cynthia commented, as James smiled back at her.

"They do... but I still think they're too shy to even try anything with each other..."

"And why do you say that, James?" Tristan asked as he and Gwyn stood next to them.

"Anne sure is. And if Cole resembles her character-wise, well... I suspect James is right then," Gwyn commented.

"He is but...I _know_ that they'll have something together, just that it won't be a full romance...but more like they'll be extremely close - with a side of romance. I guess you can liken it to a chivalrous romantic relationship or just simply courtly love, but they'll have something. Bet on it," came the firm stance from Tristan.

"If that turns out right Tris, you'll have to read my future," Cynthia laughed.

"I could tell you, but I don't think you if you really want to hear what I think..."

"As if you'd get that right..." James snickered as Cynthia started shaking her head in disapproval.

"No... I'm pretty certain that it's right... it's just that... well, let's say that I don't want to interfere with it too much..." Tristan replied cryptically.

"If it's related to me and a male specimen of the human being, no."

"Yes it's related to as such and like I said, I'm not gonna say anymore. And you guys know me, I've said that certain things will happen and guess what, they happen. So... at least have a little bit of faith when I call a few things."

"True true... but... don't tell me anything..."

"Lips are sealed, Beautiful," he smiled as Cynthia kissed his cheek.

"Ahem," Gwyn chuckled, winking back at Cynthia who latched at James's right arm and walked off before them. 

Turning to his side, Tristan stood at ease in front of Gwyn as she walked around him while grinning. "Yes, my lady?"

"If you define one of the court ladies as being beautiful, what should I be then?"

"Stunningly, drop-dead gorgeously sexy," he replied with a lazy smirk.

"Mmm..." Placing her hands behind her back, Gwyn winked back at him and paced off hurriedly before him. "Just that, my King?"

Watching her run off, Tristan followed them at a leisurely pace. "No... you're also the love of my life that I want to spend every waking moment with for eternity," he whispered to himself.

With James and Cynthia already at a distance from them, Gwyn stopped in the middle of the corridor and turned, placing her hands on her hips while waiting for Tristan to arrive.

"Waiting for me? There was no need to, dear lady," he smiled as he saw her standing there.

"Yes, and looking at the ceiling actually," she pointed out as she looked up to gaze at the high ceiling above their heads. "It's all decorated..."

Looking up, Tristan did indeed notice the intricate paintings and decorative work that littered the ceiling overhead. "It's beautiful..." Reaching out for her again, he stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Think this might be something to do at home?"

"Depends where though..."

"How about the dining room - no wait, your office as you have some fairly high ceilings in there...?"

"They sure are, but what would you paint there?"

"Not sure... but we could probably look at some books for ideas..."

"Books are definitely not a problem," Gwyn grinned, reaching up to place a kiss on his nose. 

Bending down, he deftly avoided her kissing his nose in favor of kissing her lips instead.

"Sneaky," she chuckled. "We go meet up?"

"Yep, we should."

-

"So, all have fun today?" asked Albert as the group walked into the main hall, laughing and smiling as they did so. 

"You bet!" exclaimed Cynthia. "This place is amazing and I'll want to be back soon! Haven't seen everything anyways. Plus, the fact that you're so passionate about it makes you eager to come back."

"Definitely," chimed Cole and James as Anne nodded in agreement.

"Glad you all enjoyed it - say, where's the King and Queen?"

"Should be on the..." James mumbled as he looked at the end of the corridor to see Gwyn laughing as Tristan chased after her. "Seriously, how on earth are they running in those dresses?!" he exclaimed. "Well, they do feel at ease in them, but that is ridiculous," he snickered.

"Just because you have issues walking in these kinds of boots, doesn't mean that the Kid does... As for Gwyn, running in heels is probably second nature to her... I mean, Cyn and Anne have been getting around without much trouble as well..."

"It seems like she was born in those clothes, that's my point."

"Yeah it does seem like it, but then again... it looks like Tris was too..."

"I must admit they do..." Anne nodded as Gwyn arrived next to them, turning to make a face at Tristan.

Making a face at her back, everyone save for Anne and Albert, groaned.

"Not exactly a shining example of a well-behaved royal..." muttered Cole.

"Agreed," nodded Cynthia and James.

Laughing as she heard the comments and Tristan's half-uttered protest, Gwyn turned to face them and grinned. "My fault this time, I started it," she chuckled contentedly as she felt Tristan's arms embracing her tightly.

"See?! Can't go blaming everything on me... _She's_ quite the troublemaker too..."

"Rarely," she reacted as almost all of the others grinned at their little exchange.

"Pffftt...whatever..." pouted Tristan.

"Love you," she closed her eyes and smiled as he placed a kiss on her shoulder.

"I love you too."

"So... have any other plans for the day," Albert asked as the group had finally reassembled together in one point. "Vic should be here soon, she's going around with a group of visitors but shouldn't take her too long, it's the last of the guided groups after all."

"Dunno what the rest of the Court wants to do..." shrugged Tristan.

"What's the time anyway," Cynthia asked the rest of the group.

"Lessee... last guided tour started at... four-thirty...? So it's close to five-fifteen now..." grinned Albert.

"One last hall before we leave?" James suggested. "What do you propose Albert?"

"Hmm...not sure. Your Highnesses? Any suggestions?"

"How about the jewelry hall?" another voice joined in. "Probably the girls will love it."

"Vic! Already done with the tour?"

"Yep, most of them were already knowledgeable about the subject, so tour can be self-sufficient in a way," she grinned back at him.

"Good to know, Dear. So, jewellery hall?"

"Sounds good, what do you think, my Queen?" asked Tristan.

"Agreed and approved," Gwyn winked back, taking Tristan's hand in hers. "Let's get going."

Following Victoria and Albert, the group found themselves in a hall that seemed to be filled mostly with women who were studying the various pieces of jewellery. Wincing slightly from all of the animated chatter from the mostly female crowd, the boys found themselves split from the main group as their respective 'dates' dragged them towards various exhibits.

"Oh isn't that awesome!" Cynthia exclaimed excitedly, pointing out at one of the royal crowns in a glass display. 

"Cyn, calm down," James laughed out, patting her shoulder. 

"Really now, just imagine walking around with that thing on your head, being revered by everyone... and look, it's real diamonds!" she gasped, while James continued watching her, entertained by her reaction. Looking over at Cole, who was seeking him out as well, both men rolled their eyes as they shared identical tired smiles.

Walking hand in hand, Tristan and Gwyn set about examining several earrings and brooches, all of which were intricately encrusted in various jewels and precious metals.

"Their manufacturing skills were amazing at the time... never ceases to surprise me..." Gwyn commented, particularly interested in one set of earrings. "Remind me to show you some things I have myself when we get back home."

"Wow... you have some of this stuff? Must be really priceless family heirlooms huh? And yeah, I'd love to see what pieces you have..." smiled Tristan as he saw a display with several rings. "Hmm... not sure if I'd ever get something as elaborate as those for when I get married... I prefer really simple bands to be honest. For really formal occasions, I have my father's wedding band on a chain that I often wear under my shirt."

"Really? And yes I do agree with you on the wedding bands," she smiled, resting briefly against him.

"Yeah. Maybe if we go back to my place, I'll show it to you."

"Alright," Gwyn replied. "As for the family heirlooms... yes, some of the things were my mother's... at least that's what Fred told me," she glanced back at the display.

"If they're anything like these, then they must be really beautiful pieces. Plus, she must've been a very stunning woman to pull off wearing some of these pieces, as I think some of them would've overshadowed the woman wearing them at times..."

"Sometimes," she chuckled. "They actually overdid it at time, I must admit."

"Just a bit," he smiled. "So...what other pieces do you want to look at?"

"I think I saw pretty much most of what I wanted to see today... want to go the central hall to wait for the others?" she suggested.

"Sure. And let's be honest here... you saw more than you thought you would..." he whispered while holding her close. "Actually, you also _did_ more than you thought you would today as well..."

"Yes I know," she laughed. "Which reminds me, I'll have to get that cheque written for them."

"Me too - wait... I'll probably mail them a check as my checkbook's at work. Also, gotta ask them about the costumes..."

"Hold it, I'll do that myself don't worry..."

"Huh? It's not problem, as I want to support the museum as well." 

"Alright sweetheart, if you say so," she smiled as she took his hand as they started to walk out of the hall.

"I do say so. How about this, if you want to make a donation - make on behalf of you, Anne, and myself. Then I'll take care of our costumes?"

"Quite the feasible option... if you like. But, don't feel forced on taking care of the costumes for me, I don't mind Tris, really."

"I don't feel forced... Can't I spoil you this one time? Pwease?" 

Sighing, Gwyn merely chuckled lightly and rested a kiss on his right cheek, realising that he was right on the fact of letting him spoil her once in a while. "Alright..."

"Yay!" Laughing, Tristan wrapped his arm around her waist and led her back to the central hall where Albert and Victoria were putting things away.

"Think you might give us the key for the changing rooms please Vic? I need to get something from my handbag..."

"Oh, about that, we have your stuff here - in separate bags again..." smiled Albert as he located Gwyn's belongings. "Ah-ha! Here you go." Picking up the large bag, he held it open so that Gwyn could locate her purse.

"There it is, thank you," she chuckled as she took her stuff in her hands and looked around to spot a chair at one of the side of the hall. Sitting down, Gwyn took out her checkbook and a pen, and after a brief thought about the exact amount, she jotted down the total and snapped out the check from the packet. Standing up again, she moved over to where Tristan, Albert and Victoria were chatting up and placed the piece of paper in Victoria's hands. 

"That's for you and the museum, no questions asked."

"Hey wha- oh no no no... Gwyn, that's..." uttered Albert as he glanced at the cheque.

"No seriously Gwyn, we... we can't take, all this!" Victoria exclaimed, almost trembling as she held the paper in her hands. 

"It's yours and I mean it," she nodded in response. "Hence why I said what I said..."

"And on top of that... I was wondering if I'd be able to purchase the costumes that Gwyn and I are wearing. Unfortunately, I don't have my checkbook, but I could mail one out to you guys. Again, the donations are our way of saying thank you for everything that'd you've done with this museum. It's a fantastic place." 

"What? Checkbook? Oh Tristan, you've got to be joking... this will help us restore the whole of the east wing, with extra money left too!"

"Forget about the costumes, they're yours, taken them as a thank-you token from us both!" Albert smiled, as Victoria almost ended up with tears in her eyes.

"Wha-? No, really, I'd love to pay for these - you gave us so much today that I can't really describe in words how much it means to us..." grinned Tristan.

"Mmm," Albert snickered back, giving Tristan a mischievous grin. "Right right, I don't want to know the details, trust me... as for paying, forget it."

Blushing slightly, Tristan smirked back. "Considering that it was fully furnished - complete with candles... Let's say that it was fully taken advantage of. And if you won't let me pay for the costumes, then I'll just donate. Fair enough?"

"Yeah... yeah, fair enough... I suppose," Victoria muttered, glancing back at Albert. "I still don't..."

Laughing, Tristan continued to smile at the pair. "Jeez you make it sound like you don't want my money... Kidding kidding. But really, we love the place and apparently our friends love it here too, so it's the least we could do, really. And for the costumes... they fit us perfectly - especially mine - so... care to tell us how you knew our sizes?"

"Someone's pretty observant when it comes to these things," Albert grinned as Victoria chuckled quietly.

"Guess so... but my pants are actually kinda tricky to get right... so... And if you peeked at my jeans last time, you can admit it..." Tristan continued to smile playfully.

"Well, I was folding it you know, so I had an idea of the sizes and such..." she replied, blushing slightly as Albert placed a kiss on her cheek.

"Fair enough, and really, fantastic job on getting these made. They were for us all along, weren't they?"

As they both nodded in response, Gwyn looked up at Tristan and smiled, knowing that he was right yet again when he had mentioned that to her - she actually hadn't expected it...

"Thought so and thanks again. They're perfect...oh and Al? Got the pictures? Also, Cynthia was wondering if you have the pictures from last time - I think she wanted to see what we were wearing that time..."

"Sure do," he grinned back. 

"Someone mentioned me?" a familiar voice called out from the far end of the hall.

"Yes Cyn. Because my awesome telepathic powers summoned you here from the other room," Tristan smirked as Cole continued to tease a blushing James. "What's with him?"

"Come on James, tell 'em," Cole snickered, winking back at Tristan. "Not too difficult."

Mumbling a few words, Tristan began cracking up. "You not only got hit on by some older woman, but got _felt up_ too?!"

Laughing out loud, Cole grinned back wickedly at Tristan and continued cracking up. "Seriously Tris, you totally missed the look on his face, epically hilarious. I thought I was going to die."

"Oh God... that would've been pure gold right there to see..." Tristan snickered as he began to laugh even harder as Cole wrapped an arm around his shoulders as he kept laughing too.

"Will you two, shut up," he muttered under his breath, still blushing furiously while walking up by Cynthia's side.

Instead of answering, the pair looked over at James and began to laugh harder.

"And trust me, that woman really _wanted_ him, Tris," Cole guffawed as Anne gave him a stern look, noticing how embarrassed James was.

Sensing the others', Tristan stopped laughing and grinned at James. "Sorry buddy. But y'know... karma and all. The fact that you kept making fun of me today well... we all know how that goes sometimes..."

"What the heck does karma have to do with this?" he pouted back.

"Simple, all the crap you tease me about is going to bite you in the ass... case in point," smirked Tristan as he gestured towards an older, heavy-set woman who was blowing kisses in James' direction. Waving at the woman as she headed off towards another hall, the others found James cowering slightly behind Cole, making them hold back their laughter.

"Stop acting like a kid James, be a man!" Cynthia called out, stifling a laugh. 

"Bu... the lady scares me..."

"Wha-?" Tristan and Cole looked at each other, bursting out in a fit of laughter.

Despite trying to glare at the laughing pair, the more James thought about the situation, the more he realized he _was_ being rather stupid about and began laughing as well. Shaking his head, he gave Tristan a smirk. "Trust me though, having been felt up by a woman like that, I doubt you would've acted any differently."

"I think I would've... I mean, I get hit on by _guys_ too whenever we'd go out for drinks. But, I also have backup," he smiled back as he nudged his head towards Gwyn's direction.

"They wouldn't even _dare_ do that now..." she told them with a wicked grin on her face.

"See what I mean? Even when you guys weren't looking when we were walking the halls, she was pretty much telling all the women that I was taken - with just a look and either holding my hand or wrapping her arm tighter around mine... usual stuff. I know that Cyn usually does that for me too, but mostly because she likes glaring at the really desperate ones that throw themselves at me..." chuckled Tristan.

"You know, I've noticed you Gwyn," Cole nodded. "And, I wouldn't want to be in those women's shoes... man."

"Really?" she blinked back at him, as she felt Tristan loosely wrap an arm round her waist.

Both Cole and James nodded while Cynthia grinned and Anne smiled gently, which made both Tristan and Gwyn chuckle.

"You must admit, it is quite on the amusing side, dear lady," replied Tristan as he held her closer to him.

"Oh come on, it's not that bad..." Gwyn mumbled as she looked up at him.

"I'm not saying it's bad, believe me. Rather, I'm glad that you're willing to defend my honour, as it puts us on equal ground. And believe me, I've never been attracted to a woman that couldn't stand on their own two feet without having to constantly depend on someone. The fact that you're independent, successful, and strong-willed was a major selling point to me - the fact that you were gorgeous too was a bonus really."

"Apart from the naughty stuff that is _obviously_ passing through his head right now," Cynthia nodded, grinning mischievously.

"I am a red-blooded male and I won't deny that I have _a multitude_ of naughty thoughts running through my head, but at the same time, I am a romantic at heart - and Cyn, _you_ of all people know that I am," he replied with a mischievous grin.

"That was called teasing, you dork," she laughed, sticking our her tongue at him. "I know you are."

"You know that I'm thinking really naughty thoughts or that I'm a romantic?" Tristan teased back.

"Both," she replied, as she briefly placed her hand on his shoulder and walked on. "So... round's done?" she asked them, having a look around. "Where's Albert and Victoria gone?"

"Dunno... Gwyn?"

"I saw them gesture that they'd be back soon and they disappeared, we could just wait for them, then leave... what do you think?" she suggested.

"Then we wait," Tristan smiled back as he reached up and pulled off his crown. "It's funny... once it was on my head... I never really noticed that it was on my head the entire time..."

"That's because you've always been my King," she muttered for only him to hear.

"Really? Since when did I become your King? You always referred to me as your Prince before," he whispered back quietly.

"I gave you a silent promotion," she chuckled, reaching up to kiss his cheek.

Smirking, he kissed her nose. "Well you weren't so _silent_ about it when we were in bed earlier..."

"Love you, my King," she smiled, winking as she saw Albert and Victoria return with a grin on their lips.

"Love you too, my Queen."

"So, what's up?" Cole asked them, as the two gestured for the group to get closer to the desk.

"Just tell us if you like them or not now..." Victoria asked them, as Albert rested a couple of photos on the wooden surface of the information desk. "I'm pretty proud of them myself."

"Oh wow..." came the awed response as every began to examine the various photos on the desk.

"Just look at the black and white ones... they're beautiful..." Anne thought out aloud as Cynthia and Cole nodded in agreement. 

"They almost seem authentic."

"They're fantastic, Al..." murmured Tristan as he picked up one particular black and white photo of him and Gwyn. Both were looking out the window, sharing a quiet joke, as he stood behind her and had his arms wrapped around her middle tightly. 

"This one I'm very fond of, I must admit," Gwyn smiled as Victoria nodded in approval.

"Yeah, I'm rather fond of that one too. It was just too good of a shot to pass up. You two really looked like a king and queen in that shot, plus the lighting was perfect..."

Spotting a cute picture of him and Anne, Cole looked up at the two attendants and smiled. "Would it be possible to have a copy of these?"

Grinning, Tristan, Gwyn, Albert, and Victoria examined the photo as Anne peeked over Cole's shoulder and smiled as well.

"Oh definitely. The two of you were stunning in that shot as well. There's a good one of both Cynthia and James... Ah here!" 

"You and Anne almost look like a fully-fledged couple, Cole," Cynthia commented, having a look herself. "I mean, you look wonderful," she concluded as the two ended up blushing furiously.

"Well, you and Jamesie-poo look great in this one as well, Cyn..." muttered Cole as he was fighting his blush.

"We're great actors," she and James replied back, grinning.

Smirking as he continued to hold Gwyn, Tristan rested his forehead on her shoulder. "That's what they say... but I'm not buying it..."

"Just give them time, if it is what we think it is... time will tell us. Just, don't pressure them," she whispered back.

"I know and that's what I said earlier. I already know what's going to happen, but again, I'm not gonna interfere. Promise..."

"That's my boy," Gwyn chuckled as she caught a glimpse of other two photographs she particularly loved. "Really Albert, you're a great photographer."

Blushing at the compliment, Albert leaned against Victoria's chair. "Aww... thanks. It's much easier when the subjects are as relaxed and easy-going as you lot are. Makes the candid photos turn out fantastic and the formal ones stunning. I must admit though, you and Tristan make all the photos look gorgeous..." he grinned as he pointed out the black and white photo of her on his lap while they were on the throne.

"It's the photographer that's awesome too, trust me," she smiled. "Make sure you keep it up..."

"I sure will... especially on one condition..."

"What condition?" Gwyn muttered, raising an eyebrow out of curiosity, while the others were chatting while commenting on the photos.

"Promise that you'll let me be one of your photographers at yours and Tristan's wedding?" he replied with a hopeful smile.

" _The_ photographer," she winked back at him. "What do you think Tris?"

"Oh yeah. Cole an avid photographer as well, but he sticks to environment shots so if anything, he'd probably be snapping pics of the locations anyways..."

Tapping Tristan on the shoulder, Cole ruffled the younger man's hair playfully. "Most likely. So if anything, Albert can take your guys' photos and I'll be responsible for taking pics of the church, the locations for the wedding party's photos, and the reception..."

"I like that idea. Gwyn?"

"Sounds perfect to me..."

"Wait wait, does that mean that it'll happen any time soon?" Cynthia beamed back at them.

"Wha?! No no no... just thinking ahead..." blushed Tristan as he hugged Gwyn closer. "Considering the workplace... best not to do anything just yet..."

"And considering that there's someone called Ryan Black bugging us for the time being... let's say it's our long term plan," she smiled as she gave Tristan a quick kiss.

Kissing her back, Tristan grinned and rested his chin on her shoulder. "I will agree to that... And no Cyn, that wasn't a proposal. If and when I do propose... it'll be in the most appropriate manner."

"Tristan, forget the if," Cole and James chorused. "It's only a matter of when and how."

"Anxious to marry me off already?"

"It's because you two are simply perfect and simply compliment each other to the full," Cynthia nodded. "So I tend to agree with them."

"Hmm..." murmured Tristan as he closed his eyes and kissed Gwyn's shoulder.

"That means he agrees," Cynthia chuckled as she locked her arm with James' and grinned back at the two. "Albert? How about the copies then?"

"Oh right... I put the copies in your bags," he smiled as he gestured to the several bags behind him. "Thought that you wouldn't mind..."

"Not at all!" Cynthia was the first to reply, in exclamation. "Thank you so much for that, really!"

"No problem, and after talking it out with my lovely fiancée, Tristan, Gwyn, the photos from your first visit are in your sets as well as Cynthia's."

"We'll have to think of getting you a very big present when your wedding will come, probably before ours," Gwyn chuckled, as Tristan kissed her temple.

"Oh no need to worry about that, but at least expect the invitations in the mail," chuckled Albert.

"We'll be there," all of the group replied.

Smiling at all of them, Albert hugged Victoria warmly. "Guess we should start planning, hmm?"

"Seems like it Dearest," she whispered as she noticed the group having quick glances at their watches while grabbing their respective bags. "Time to leave right?"

"As much as we'd love to stay, yeah... Right everyone?" smiled Tristan.

"Yep, as much as I'd enjoy remaining here... I'd really love having a good sleep right now," Cynthia chuckled, realising at the same time that James had finally calmed down.

"Agreed... Oh and Cole? Are you sure I can't be on top?" snickered James.

"No Jamie. It's _my_ bed... if we're sleeping in yours, then... maybe," replied Cole without missing a beat.

"Boys, if you continue like this I'll seriously consider locking you two in a bedroom," Cynthia snickered as Anne laughed out at her side.

"Strangely, I wouldn't mind seeing that happen. Who do you think would wear the pants in the relationship?" Tristan laughed as Cynthia rested her head on his shoulder while both Cole and James pretended to flirt with one another.

"I seriously don't know, but... I think Cole would, right James darling?" she continued with the little play.

"Oh yes, I think you're right, Cyn darling," laughed James as Cole kissed his cheek.

"That I would. Now let's be on our way?" Cole smirked as James hugged him, causing everyone else to laugh.

"If you make out here, you'll be to blame for killing me," she laughed out, placing her hands on her stomach.

"It's more like a car crash, Cyn. You don't want to look, but you're compelled to," smiled Tristan as he let go of Gwyn's waist and held her hand instead. "Now, I don't know about you guys, but I'll be heading out now for some dinner. Gwyn, my Queen? Any preferences?"

"Hey, Tristan, dammit you!" James complained in a falsetto tone. "You just ruined my moment!"

Turning to grin at James, he winked. "Sorry baby. I can't stay and play with you because I'm the sole property of my Queen. So unfortunately, I can't make out with you right now..."

"As. If. I have my own darlin' you know," he grinned, winking back at Cole, while Cynthia and Anne observed in silence, trying not to burst out laughing.

"Yes honey, you have me," smiled Cole as he hugged James' waist. "Let's go now sweetie, I want you all to myself tonight when we're at home..."

"Uuuuuuh, that sounds so kinky baby, I like it," he replied, as the girls burst out laughing loud while Albert and Victoria did the same.

Laughing with the others, Tristan took hold of his, Gwyn's, and Anne's bags and leaned over to kiss Victoria's cheek and give Albert a quick hug. "Thanks for everything, you guys. We'll talk soon, okay?"

"Definitely..." they both smiled. "Have a nice evening then, all of you."

"For sure. Oh and," Tristan whispered as he reached into his pocket before handing them the key. "The afternoon was lovely. Are those staff rooms or just private rooms?"

"It's a works-in-progress area so to speak... hopefully we can get it up and running in a few years," Victoria replied with a smile. "And we're glad you enjoyed it."

"Definitely enjoyed it. Oh and, mind if we borrow the key next time? Apparently the costume and the setting of the room got Gwyn into the mood _really quickly..._ though not as if me wearing the costume wasn't enough of a thing for her..." he winked mischievously.

"Ah no problem about that," Albert grinned back. "I'll be sure to hand it over to you when you arrive."

"Great. And... we'll try not to be so loud next time..." smirked Tristan as he slipped away easily and wrapped his free arm around Gwyn's waist. "Ready to go?" 

"There shouldn't have been anyone around so no problem," Victoria laughed, as she looked up at Albert smiling. "I hope you'll be that ecstatic when it happens..." she whispered back to him in a low voice.

"Them getting married or our honeymoon? Either way, it should be a rollicking good time."

"Our honeymoon obviously... you've been patiently waiting on my insistence after all..."

"I have, and to be honest, I don't mind. You're worth the wait."

Smiling, Victoria reached up for Albert's face, and after placing both hands on his cheeks, proceeded to kissing him deeply. "Love you so much..."

"I love you so much too, Vic."

"Thank you..." she smiled, resting her head against his shoulder. "See you soon guys!"

Waving in farewell, especially Cole and James who were holding hands still, the group headed out to the parking lot towards their respective cars.

"Dorks," Cynthia laughed out as she got inside the car first. "Who's driving now?"

"Cyn, probably you should drive, as I think both Cole and Jamie want some alone time in the back seat. Also, where are we going next?" called Tristan as he was placing the bags into the car.

"Seriously, if they do that, I'll leave them snogging in the middle of the highway. As for dinner, well considering that we're still in our... hey! We haven't got changed? Are we taking these dresses too, Tris?!"

"All taken care of, trust me..." he winked as he turned to Gwyn. "Honey? Anywhere you want to go?"

"How about they come over, Miss, if that's not a problem for you of course. That way everyone could stay in their own costumes without going home to get changed," Anne suggested.

"Or we could go back and visit Neville and Lisa..." replied Tristan.

"That's possible too," Gwyn wondered. "What do you think Tris?"

"Since I voiced the opinion, I'm good. Depends on what you guys want as I'm sure that Cyn and the lovely couple over there don't really mind either way."

"Nope, we just want food," Cole grinned as he winked back at Anne who looked away while blushing and got inside the car.

"So they just want food. Gwyn? Anne?"

"Fine for us," Gwyn concluded as Anne nodded in response. "And we'll manage to give Neville and Lisa a surprise that way."

"Great! Cyn follow us. Cole, keep Jamie under control over there... and make sure he doesn't make a mess..."

"Shut up brat!" yelled James.

"...And let's go," smirked Tristan as he started the car.

-

"...So then, once we were all dressed up, we had our very own quasi-photoshoot. At the same time, all of the museum patrons were looking at us like, 'Is this really happening'? It was a great day - especially all the crap that happened to James," laughed Tristan as Neville and Lisa placed their drinks and bread on the table.

"Sounds like you had a day of pure fun, that's nice," Lisa chuckled. "It's good for relaxation too."

"Agreed and what exactly happened to you, James?" grinned Neville as James began to resemble a tomato.

"Will you quit mentioning that over and over again please?" he mumbled embarrassed. "There's no need to remind me about it every time now."

Motioning for Lisa to come closer, Tristan whispered in her ear all the things that happened to James during the museum trip.

"You're joking..." Lisa muttered, frowning slightly. "Sorry James about that..."

Pouting, James began to eat his bread and quickly drained his glass of whiskey before asking for more.

"Calm down with the whiskey Jamie, you'll get drunk in no time," Cynthia chided him maternally.

"Cyn, I just need another drink. That's all..."

"James..." sighed everyone as Neville returned with a barely-touched glass.

"Yep, no sense in trying to get yourself piss drunk, James. It's all I'm giving you tonight. As for what you're drinking with your meal, one beer and that's it. You'll be sticking with water for the rest of the night."

"...Fine..." muttered James. "I know you guys are looking out for me, but really, I'm good..."

"Jamie, just stop. You had a good day today, despite all the weird stuff that happened to you..." chuckled Cole as he pat his shoulder while Cynthia rested her head on his other shoulder and held his hand lightly.

"Yeah, everything's good, so no need to act like this..."

"Uh-huh!" grinned Tristan.

"Right right... I guess the bright side is that you guys didn't leave me with that woman..."

"Exactly," chimed the trio.

"We would have saved you from her if need... be. Hey James wait a minute, can you describe the woman again for me please?" Gwyn queried, straightning up from resting her head against Tristan's shoulder.

"Oh, it was that woman who was blowing kisses at me before we left - the one the brat was waving at. She was older... probably in her forties or so... Red hair, on the heavy side - but not _too bad_... as I think it was mostly in her chest-" James paused as he heard everyone start snickering, including Neville and Lisa, " _Ahem!_ Anyways... not too bad looking, brown eyes... and a _really_ strong grip..."

The last muttered line basically caused everyone, especially James, to crack up like mad.

"Damn..." Gwyn cursed under her breath, making Neville jerk his head towards her.

"No wonder you needed that drink, James. Oh- hey Gwyn, I was wondering if you wanted to choose the wine that you wanted paired with dinner tonight, seeing as how you guys are all dressed up?" Neville replied smoothly as Lisa, Anne, and Tristan understood that the two needed to talk in private.

Squeezing her hand, Tristan kissed it lovingly as he whispered, "It's okay, just tell me when you're able too..."

"I... I will, Sweetheart," she smiled back at him. "Nev, I'll come and check that out with you then," she replied, kissing Tristan's hair as she got up on her feet and followed Neville to the kitchen. 

"Do you have the faintest idea who that person was? I only realised now..." Gwyn whispered in almost a growl, her hands balled into fists.

"The only big-busted redhead that I know of is Anton Scalia's wife... Can't believe a Council member's _wife_ was there... Think she recognised you?"

"Probably not... well, at least I sincerely _hope_ not, I don't want her to blabber all about me and my human circle of friends with the rest of her harpy female chatterboxes in her afternoon tea services."

"Well... I just hope that Fred doesn't catch- Wait a second... this may work to your advantage..."

"How so?"

"If that self-centered bitch blabs to her teaparty, who then blab to their husbands, which then catches up to Fred - you can simply say that you're trying to get close to the Kid...before you turn him. Make sense?"

"In a way..."

"Just let it ride - if she didn't see you then you have nothing to worry about. If she did, you can tell Fred that excuse... How funny though that she would hit on _James,_ rather than Cole or the Kid... I mean, James is a pretty good-looking guy, but that woman usually goes after boys like Cole or Tris..."

"I'm actually glad she hasn't laid her eyes on Tris... _that_ would have certainly made me reveal myself and rip her to shreds."

Chuckling, Neville gave Gwyn a brotherly hug and kissed her forehead. "Territorial much?" Sniffing her slightly, he smirked as he rested his chin on the top of her head. "Got lucky at the museum, hmm? Baby's definitely bringing out your wilder side..." 

Blushing slightly, Gwyn chuckled when she heard Neville talk about her and Tristan's private moment in that museum wing, knowing that her brother would sense those sort of things immediately. "Can't hide anything from you, right Nev?"

"You can, but... it's pretty clear how you feel about him. I'm expecting wedding bells in your future Gwyn... and a niece or nephew or two from you both. Also, you were all in a Victorian museum... which is definitely your thing. And the way he's dressed now? Takes me back to that time and yeah, he wears it really good - actually, he wears it better than any of those morons that were vying for your attention... Oh and I'm starting to bet that you were mentally undressing him the moment he stepped out in that uniform..."

"Hey hey hey, wait, I'm not like that... I love him in that uniform so... it's not what you think," she laughed out softly. "As for the wedding... you're the second person today telling us about it you know. Trust me Nev, I'd even marry him tomorrow if need be, but I still have Fred's order to deal with. It's not as easy as it seems Neville, far from it."

"I know honey, I know. Baby's the best thing that's ever happened to you - and then you have _that_ hanging over your head. Again, whatever you chose, you know that we'll be sticking by you as will Anne. But... if you ever tell him the truth, let _him_ decide what he wants - and if I'm right, judging by how much he adores you - he'll chose to be with you no matter what. If he wants to be one of us... know that it's because he wants live his life with you."

"No... no, no way," she snapped back immediately, taking a few steps away from him and heading towards the kitchen's door that led to the backyard. "Forget it, won't let him do it anyway."

"Hey hey hey... Gwyn, it's okay. It hasn't come to that yet, so again, enjoy what you have with him... I mean hell, if you two want to go upstairs and screw each other senseless, I'll cover for you two... But really, just focus on the now. Okay?" Watching her stand out on the back porch, he sighed slightly. "Want me to tell them to expect you later?"

"Yes please..."

"Want me to send Baby after you? I'm sure by now he's figured that you're not too happy right about now..."

"Don't worry, he'll know when I'll need him," she stepped out. "And thank you Nev," she smiled, walking out of the kitchen to find a bench in the small garden behind their house. 

Nodding, Neville located the wine he intended to pair with their dinner and headed back out and immediately, he found Tristan's dark blue gaze on him. "Gwyn'll be back in a little while - needed some air," he smiled paternally as he set the wine on the table and rubbed Tristan's shoulder affectionately, which made the boy relax under his care.

"Yeah... she's alright..." muttered Tristan, which was only loud enough for Neville to hear, making him smile as he knew that Gwyn had chosen wisely for her mate.

"Mmm... can I have wine instead of beer with my dinner please Neville?" James pleaded like a child, breaking off some of the tension that had built up across the table.

"Oh so now you want wine huh? One glass and that's it - I don't want you passed out piss drunk in here, got it?" came the father-like warning.

"I don't think you'd want me and Cole to carry you back home in our arms, seriously," Cynthia chuckled as she spread some garlic butter over her piece of bread. 

"Probably he'd appreciate being carried by you more than me," Cole snickered as he shoved the last piece of bruschetta in his mouth. 

"Cole, shut it," James mumbled as he finished off his glass of water.

"What? But I thought you wanted to spend the night together..." cooed Cole, with a smile. 

"If it's with you and Cyn and not in a dirty sense, yes please," James mumbled as he poured some sparkling water in his glass.

"What do you think Cyn? Head out to our favorite bar - once we get dressed proper of course - for a few drinks. At least this way, carrying him home won't be so bad..."

Watching his friends bicker amongst themselves, Tristan found Anne resting her head against his shoulder, which caused him to pat her hand gently. "Have a good time today?"

"Very much," she smiled as she raised her gaze to have a quick look at Cole, then up at Tristan. "Plus, it was fun running around the museum in this dress."

Glancing over at Cole briefly, Tristan continued to smile. "He's a good guy. Extremely loyal and caring - he's basically like the 'dad' of our group. If you ever need someone to rely on, Cole will be there..."

"Mmm-hmm... Tristan, why don't you go check out on Gwyn now..."

"Hmm..." Closing his eyes briefly, Tristan kissed Anne's hand and excused himself from the table. As he walked, Neville was just coming out of the kitchens and held the door for him as he walked through, giving him a brief wink before heading back to the dining area to tend to the other guests. Once he reached the backyard, Tristan easily found Gwyn sitting on the small stone bench and sat next to her. "It's beautiful out here..."

"Mmm, yes," she smiled, lifting her gaze towards the moon. "It is."

"After the Sculpture Arts Festival... we could have a picnic lunch by the beach if you want..."

"That's a lovely idea," she whispered closing her eyes as she felt the moonlight softly shower her face.

Leaning over, he gently brushed his lips over her cheek. "I'll see you inside?"

"No stay here, please..." she muttered, reaching out for his hands, squeezing them gently. 

"Sure..." he replied as he settled himself next to her.

"Sorry for that, you must have felt everything."

"You were trying to hide the fact that you knew the woman - almost didn't catch it but, I did. Someone you know? I take it that it's someone you don't really like very much..."

"She's actually more of Fred's acquiantance rather than mine, I'd rather not have you or anyone meet her. Trust me."

"Sounds like she's a total bitch then..."

"That's quite the fitting description," she laughed turning to look straight into his dark blue eyes. "She has this thing for young boys that's horrid..."

"Wouldn't call James a 'young boy' as he's older than me... but eww... sounds creepy..."

"As long as her husband doesn't say anything and doesn't have any problems... anyway..." Gwyn chuckled softly, smiling back at him, as the moonlight gave a silver glint to her eyes.

"Eww... still though... that lady looked old enough to be his mom..."

"People have strange tastes..."

"For sure... guess it's a good thing she didn't see me... If she has a thing for boys... and that I often get mistaken for being younger than I am..."

"It'll be a one-off though, pretty sure of that. I'm quite surprised that she actually was around, she's not too much into... social activities so to speak."

"Probably got bored and was looking for some new blood or something..." muttered Tristan, who was completely ignorant to the phrase he responded with.

Giving him a confused stare, Gwyn blinked back at him with no words coming out of her mouth as she tried to speak. Completely frozen on the spot, she inadvertently held his hands in a firmer mode, slowly realising how true those words actually were. That woman had most probably changed her search area for new prey... just like Tristan had actually described.

"Babe... what's wrong? Something I said?" he asked in an extremely confused tone as Gwyn continued to grip his hands tighter.

In an attempt to regain her composure, Gwyn closed her eyes and slowly exhaled a deep breath, trying to calm down as much as possible - another reaction of the sort and she'd completely blow-off her cover, about something that she didn't want Tristan to know or to be involved with. It was already far too dangerous of him being so close to her - and this, the close encounter with one of the Council Member's relatives, was just one of the few examples of the risks involved.

"N... no, you didn't say anything wrong."

"...Are you sure?" Tristan asked in a tone that reminded her of a little boy.

"Yes, yes," she smiled, placing a hand on his cheek reassuringly.

"If you say so..." 

"Mmm-hmm, since you're here, everything's alright..." she replied sincerely while caressing his face slightly with her thumb.

Leaning into her touch, Tristan began nuzzling into her palm. "Feels nice..."

Placing her free hand on his other cheek, Gwyn moved closer to him as she felt him circle his arms around her. Smiling more serenely now, she rested her arms around his neck and reached up to give him a quick kiss on his lips.

Reaching out with his mind and heart to feel the more peaceful and serene emotions coming from Gwyn, Tristan began to gently return the kiss.

"Didn't mean to frighten you... I'm sorry."

"No... it's okay, really. After dinner, I just want you by my side - we don't have to do anything other than cuddle. Okay?"

"Mmm-hmm," she replied, resting her head on his shoulder as she gave him one last embrace. "Thank you for being you Tris..." she whispered softly.

"...And thank you for being you, Gwyn. I love you..." he whispered back as he nuzzled his lips against her neck.

"Me too..." she replied, slowly passing a hand through his hair.

Kissing his spot, Tristan pulled away and gave her a bright smile before standing up, the moonlight glinting off his eyes which seemed to make them glow slightly. 

"Hungry aren't you?" she chuckled as she got hold of his outstretched arm and stood back on her feet.

"For two things... but that second one can wait..." he winked playfully as the glow in his eyes remained.

"Insatiable," she laughed as she rearranged his jacket. "Your eyes have such a beautiful glow in the moonlight..."

"Really? What's it look like?"

"Blue-grayish, almost silvery... they're just wonderful," she told him, as she continued watching intently those eyes.

"Hmm... interesting..." he whispered as he leaned in for one last kiss.

"Very much so," she chuckled, returning the kiss. "Now, off to eat?"

"Sure... so long as I can have you for breakfast tomorrow..." Tristan smirked as he leered at her playfully and tugged on one of the strings to her corset.

"If it's cuddling tonight and... a _good_ _long_ breakfast tomorrow, it's a deal," she grinned back at him.

"I'll make sure to make it last from the bed to the bathtub at home then... Or is the shower more preferable?"

"You mean tomorrow morning right?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "Bathtub with bubble bath and candles, much much better..."

"Oooohh, an even better option and yes, I mean tomorrow morning," he laughed as he began to escort her back to the restaurant, the glow in his eyes remaining even as they sat back down at the table.

"Better now?" Anne asked, only for Tristan and Gwyn to hear as the others continued discussing some random topic that had been raised by one of them. 

"Yep, we're good," smiled Tristan as he chuckled at the sight of his glass of milk.

"Mmm-hmm, much better now," she barely managed to finish as Neville came around and placed a kiss on her hair. 

"Glad you're better, and sorry for what I said earlier..." he whispered, placing the main dish in front of her.

"Hmm?" murmured Tristan as he was drinking from his glass.

"Small discussion we had earlier Tris," she promptly replied. 

"Oh, okay..."

"Nothing major Kid, not to worry," Neville winked back at him as he moved away to tend to the others.

Nodding, Tristan began eating his roast chicken as the others dined on fish for dinner, while Gwyn started nibbling at her plate as she usually did when something was passing through her mind as Anne and Tristan looked on.

"You okay?" asked Tristan.

"I'm fine... don't worry, it's just that I might skip the main for dessert. I'm just not too hungry that's all," Gwyn replied, sliding her plate towards him. "You can have my serving if you like."

"I doubt I could finish it... Neville and Lisa thought it a good idea to give me a whole chicken..." chuckled Tristan.

"That's because they're getting used to how much you eat now," she chuckled. "Anyway, if you feel like it, you can have mine too."

"We could always have that as takeaway..." he grinned as he patted his non-existent stomach. "Maybe James will want it... or Cole even..."

"As long as it doesn't go wasted, I'm happy with any option."

Looking up from their plates, both Cole and James grinned. "Don't worry, we'll take care of it," both replied happily as they split the fish dish in half.

"That's much better," Gwyn smiled as Tristan placed a kiss on her cheek.

"Guess so... plus, the fish and chicken probably wouldn't have gone that great together..."

"Probably you're right..." she replied, noticing Neville getting up at the end of the table. "I think you're favorite's part coming up."

"Not really, just going to refill your drinks," chuckled Neville as headed back to the kitchens.

"Thought otherwise, sorry," she laughed, as Tristan smiled back at her contentedly. "What is it?"

"Bit anxious for dessert, much? The rest of us are still eating," he grinned as he gestured over to the others, including Lisa who was relaxing as she ate.

"Here," Neville laughed, placing a small plate with a few mini profiteroles in it. "Let's say they're just a teaser."

Staring at the profiteroles, Tristan smirked over at Gwyn. "They're all yours for now Sweetheart..."

"I'll leave one for you anyway," she winked as she shoved the first one in her mouth. Eating them slowly while she watched the other continuing having their dinner, while at the same time speaking to Tristan and Anne on either side of her. Once everyone was done with dinner including Tristan, and with Gwyn still in the mood for dessert, she took the last profiterole left in her plate, and shoved it into Tristan's mouth, chuckling loudly in the process. 

Chewing on the profiterole, he gave her a wide grin. "Why thank you kindly, dear."

"You're welcome..." she replied, as she noticed Neville stand up again with a grin on his face.

"Yes Gwyn, your dessert's really coming up now."

"You know what sounds good right now... hot chocolate..." smiled Tristan as Gwyn began studying his eyes once again. "Huh? See something interesting?"

"No nothing..." she smiled. "Now your eyes look intensely blue and intensely happy..." she concluded in reply. "As for the hot chocolate, sounds like a great idea... but, you know what I'd like right now? A capuccino... with cream on top... and..."

"A piece of strawberry yoghurt cheesecake that someone prepared for you," Neville replied as he placed a kiss on Lisa's hair. "It's that and the tiramisu, I'll bring both dishes here and just help yourself all," he told them as Anne stood up to help him. "Let's just keep it in this familiar family atmosphere, I'm sure you all agree."

"Cheesecake! I approve!" Cynthia exclaimed all of a sudden, making Cole and James laugh out at her reaction.

"Really Cyn, such a glutton."

"I am not," she pouted, making a face at both of them. 

"Hey, let the Lady eat... Afterall, we're supposed to be waiting on them, rather than them waiting on us," Tristan grinned as he leaned closer to Gwyn. "My eyes look really blue right now?"

"Mmm-hmm," she hummed back in response. "And totally beautiful."

Leaning over, they kissed each other gently as Neville reappeared with dessert.

"So... two thick hot chocolates for Tristan and Cynthia, two capuccinos for Anne and Gwyn, normal coffees for the boys, and two normal hot chocolates for me and my sweethearts," Neville said out aloud, winking back at Lisa as he placed the trays in front of them while Anne rested the large tray with the drinks on the table.

Pulling back slightly, Tristan pressed his lips against Gwyn's quickly before pulling back completely with a grin.

"Oh... wow," Cynthia gasped as Neville placed the hot chocolate mug in front of her. "This is splendid really!"

"There she goes again."

"Shut it you two, you're worse than two twin rascals."

"Cyn darling, just drink your troubles away with the hot chocolate..." came the relaxed response from Tristan.

"They won't stop for a minute, seriously," she replied, taking the first spoonful of chocolate from her mug, while Gwyn started cutting a large slice of cheesecake for both her and Tristan, with him giving her a strange look.

"It's for the two of us."

"Hope you like eating multiple slices," Tristan grinned as he already split and devoured his half before her eyes.

"So much for eating it together," she laughed, nudging him slightly.

Skewering a piece of cheesecake from her slice, Tristan fed it to her. "Don't say we didn't..."

"Maybe not," she laughed, chewing up the piece he had just fed her. "It's really wonderful."

"Mm-hmm... it's both rich and light... strange, combo but it works."

Looking at the couple feeding each other in front of them, Cole and James grinned mischievously at one another and turned to face Cynthia once again. "Cyn, do you mind feeding us too, please?" they whined in a very child-like mode, while opening their mouths.

"What the..."

"Close your eyes and she'll feed you," Tristan replied with a wink as both Cole and James did what they were told. Picking up their pieces, both Cynthia and Tristan shoved the pieces not only into the pair's mouths - but all over their faces as well as they held back their laughter.

"Hey!"

"Dammit Tristan I know you came up with this!"

"Serves you right," Cynthia laughed triumphantly as she high-fived with Tristan.

"Ask and ye shall receive," laughed Tristan as he kissed Cynthia's cheek. "Thank you, Lady Cyn."

"Why don't you come here and lick it away now," James mumbled as he stood up and grumbled all the way towards the bathroom to clean himself up.

"Have I heard well?" asked Cynthia, raising an eyebrow at the rest of the group.

"It did sound like wanted you to lick it off," chuckled Cole as Anne helped to wipe the cheesecake off of him, making him blush. "Oh and thanks Anne..."

"Never thought he'd be that blunt..." laughed Tristan. Looking over at Cynthia, he raised his eyebrow at her. "Would you have entertained that request, Cyn?"

"Heck no!" she promptly replied, blushing furiously. "What the hell," she winced back at him.

"Just asking, since it seemed like he was directing that question towards you..."

"Whatever and whoever he was referring the question to, it's a definite no from me... what's about licking stuff from his face anyway," she grumbled as she shoved a piece of tiramisu into her mouth, making her smile a little bit.

Picking up his fork, Tristan speared a bit of Cynthia's tiramisu and fed her. "Just don't think about it anymore..."

"Right," she rolled her eyes, as Cole looked at her slightly worried.

"I'm sorry for that."

"Cyn, if I was offended, I'd have pouted at you," chuckled Tristan, which made Cynthia relax and smile back at him.

"Yeah," she smiled back at them, as she finally calmed down. "You really are two idiots Cole."

"We do it out of love for you, Mama," Cole smiled as he sipped some of her hot chocolate. "And _that's_ fantastic..."

"Isn't it? Really Neville, this is the best thick hot chocolate I've ever tasted in ages, seriously."

"It's awesome is what it is," agreed Tristan as he drained his mug. Looking over at Neville, he gave the older man a boyishly pleading look. "May I have some more, please Sir?"

Smiling, Neville took Tristan's empty chocolate mug and checked out on the others too. "Anyone want another serving then?"

"I'd love to have a cup to go alongside my coffee..." Cole replied as he saw James return, " And a cup for dear Jamie here."

"Cup of what?" James replied, sitting by Cole's side. 

"Thick hot chocolate Jame," Cynthia replied, still looking away.

"Right... I'll be back in a minute then," Neville nodded as he walked away towards the kitchen again.

Once he left the room, the chatter amongst the group began again as Tristan found Gwyn resting against his shoulder. "Hmm?"

"Nothing really, just starting to feel a bit tired..."

"Want to rest upstairs?"

"Why don't we finish off dinner in peace and head off home?" she asked him, nuzzling slightly against him.

"Sure, you can nap in the car..." Studying Anne, Tristan reached for the maid's hand. "Anne, how are you doing?"

"Not too bad, just slightly tired," she nodded. "Listen, how about you and Gwyn head off home, I'll ask Cyn to give me a ride back home... obviously, if that is alright with you Miss."

"If that's alright with you, I wouldn't mind to tell you the truth."

"Sure sure, fine with me. Go out and enjoy the night with the others, we'll be alright Anne," smiled Tristan as he gave Anne's hand a squeeze before letting go as Neville re-appeared.

"There you go," Neville told them, bringing the mugs with the drinks with him.

"Thank you!" chorused the group as they began drinking their hot chocolates.

"Cyn, would it be alright if I come with you this evening?" Anne asked as Cole blinked back at her, with a huge smile forming on his face. "Tristan and the Miss will be leaving soon, so I thought whether it would be fine for you if..."

"Definitely fine! Right Cyn?" Cole replied eagerly, making both James and Cynthia giggle softly as Gwyn and Tristan smiled back.

"It's no problem for us. She deserves to have a bit more fun with you guys," replied Tristan.

"Sure sure, and you can also have the option of staying over at my place if you like Anne... I don't mind, plus, you can borrow my stuff too."

Looking back at Gwyn in search of a reply, Anne immediately smiled as she saw her friend's nod of approval. "You can stay for as much as you like, if Cynthia hasn't any problems... just take your time and enjoy it, you need a break too Anne from time to time..."

"But..."

"No buts, just let me know that everything's alright with you and we'll be fine, right Tris?" Gwyn smiled, looking up at him.

"No worries Annie. I think we'll be able to get along fine without you for a few days. Besides, you do need your breaks and it should be fun hanging out with Cyn and these two jokers."

"Who's the joker?" James pouted as Cynthia nudged him a little bit too forcefully in the stomach.

"I rest my case..." grinned Tristan as he polished off his tiramisu, cheesecake, and second mug of hot chocolate.

"Are you sure?" Anne blinked, slightly worried.

"Yes dear, we'll be self-sufficient for just a few days, trust me. And I want you to take a break, you deserve it," Gwyn smiled back at her. 

"Thank you... really... I don't think I should be away for long, but... if you insist... I could, just for a couple of days," she said under her breath, turning her gaze towards Cynthia once more.

"No problem for me, really. It'll be fun to have a friend at home actually."

"Then it's settled then. Go out and enjoy yourself Anne," came the dual response from both Gwyn and Tristan.

"You got a double order actually," the boys concluded as Cynthia nodded in agreement. 

Sighing, Anne gave out a chuckle and smiled at the rest of the group as she watched Gwyn and Tristan get back on their feet while he rubbed gently her back. "Thank you..."

"Leaving already?" Lisa looked up as she finished her chocolate as Neville brought her a cup of her usual winding-down tea.

"Yep, Lady Gwyn needs to be attended to at home," smiled Tristan.

"Depends what you mean by 'attended to' Tris," James snickered as Gwyn blushed furiously.

"Oh God James again?!" Cynthia grumbled, shaking her head in disbelief.

"At least I have a lady to wait on," smirked Tristan, making James glower at him. "And by 'attending to' I mean to make sure that she gets to bed safely as well as attend to the rest of the house."

"Idiot," mumbled Cynthia as she stuck her tongue out at him. "Gutter mind."

"Clearly..." Leaning against Cynthia's shoulder, Tristan whispered. "Besides, I promised her a pleasant evening... but a _very good_ morning..."

"Oh that explains it," she winked back as she saw Gwyn yawn yet another time. "She's tired, go rest you two."

"Sure sure," smiled Tristan as he and Gwyn bade their farewells to everyone, taking special care with both Neville and Lisa. "Thanks again for everything."

"Very welcome Tris," Lisa smiled, remaining seated. "And Baby said that you're more than welcome to come whenever you like," she giggled happily.

"Glad to hear it." Crouching down, Tristan placed his hand on Lisa's stomach, instantly calming the squirming bundle. "Be a good girl, baby. Take care of your mommy and daddy for me and your Auntie Gwyn."

"And _Uncle_ Tristan," Neville winked back at him, earning a full-faced smile from Gwyn.

"Oh yeah... that guy too," chuckled Tristan. "He's an alright guy, I guess..."

"Ah yes and guess what? I'm so in love with him," chuckled Gwyn light-heartedly.

"Pretty much," he grinned before kissing Lisa's cheek. "Take care and see you guys soon."

"See you!" Seeing the whole group waving back at the two of them, Tristan and Gwyn smiled and while holding each others' hands, slowly made their way outside.

Helping her into the car, Tristan removed Anne's belongings and brought them inside the restaurant before climbing back into the car and driving home.

"Anne's more of a workaholic than you and me put together Tris," Gwyn told him, looking out of the window. "She deserves her break..."

"That she does. At least between the three of them, especially with Cole and Cyn, Anne should be very relaxed."

-

"Tris, kitchen can wait till tomorrow morning, come sleep!" Gwyn chuckled, sitting on the edge of her bed, still in her red dress from the museum.

"But honey, it's just putting the cups away. I'll be in soon, trust me."

In an attempt to fill in the time while Tristan was away, Gwyn stood back up and went to rummage inside one of the cabinets by the side of the room to find several small candles with respective candle holders. After locating a box of matches she randomly placed them across the room and lit them all, one after the other, giving the room a warm, comfortable glow, which actually made Gwyn relax even more.

"Hey all... Hi," grinned Tristan as he entered the room and found Gwyn lounging on top of the bed.

"Makes the room look older than it actually is..." she smiled. "Finished now?"

Climbing onto the bed, Tristan crawled over her body before straddling her waist. "Mm-hmm, but looks like I have something else to work on," he whispered into her ear as he began planting kisses along her neck.

Chuckling at his touch, while she rested her hands on his chest, Gwyn closed her eyes and continued enjoying the feeling of his lips on her skin while the strange reflections from the candlelight gave the room an ethereal atmosphere.

"Thought you wanted a quiet night in...?"

"That's what it is in fact."

Smirking, he began tugging on the cords of her dress and corset. "We had loud and lively in the museum... guess we can have slow, gentle, and quietly sensual here," Tristan whispered seductively as he began to undo her corset as he kissed her.

"I am seriously considering a change in plans," she whispered back, shivering slightly as she kissed him back.

"Mmm, yes please..."

"And seems these have already been agreed to..." Gwyn uttered, arching her back slightly at his touch. 

Removing her corset, Tristan sat back on his knees and helped Gwyn sit up so that he could work on her dress, kissing her all the while. As gently as ever, Tristan slowly slid down the small sleeves of her dress, placing random kisses on her neck, to her shoulder, running down her arm while she pulled herself closer to him, almost sitting up on his lap.

Running his hand over her chest, he caressed her breast, kneading it gently as he kept his hold around her with his free arm. Hearing her moan slightly, he kissed her briefly. "Mmm, my lady likes that...?"

"Very much so my love, very much so," she whispered, kissing him back passionately.

Kissing her back, he began caressing her other breast as Gwyn wound her hands through his hair.

"King's still overdressed though," she chuckled as she slid her hands down from his hair to his shoulders and started slipping off his jacket. Proceeding to the shirt, while Tristan gazed back at intently as he stopped caressing her, Gwyn chuckled lightly as she started unfastening his shirt buttons, letting him take her hands in his once done.

Smiling, Tristan wrapped his arms around her waist, enjoying the feeling of her bare skin against his own. "Mmm... shall I continue or do you wish to continue, my lady?"

"Well..." she whispered as she took hold of his shirt and slid it slowly down his arms, leaving his upper body completely naked. "Now we're square," she chuckled as she leaned in to place a kiss on his chest.

Moaning as he felt her lips against his chest, Tristan began working on his spot as Gwyn began untying the knot on his sash. "That... we... are... Oh, don't stop..."

"Don't intend to..." she mumbled as she continued placing random kisses as she shoved the sash away from them.

Leaning backward, Tristan lay on his back as Gwyn continued to kiss his chest as he held her close while slowly pulling her dress down her legs. Once having removed the dress, Gwyn looked up at Tristan and after resting on top of him, she reached out for his trousers and slid them down slowly, chuckling when she felt him shiver mid-way as she began kissing his stomach. Smiling as she knew he was enjoying it, Gwyn gave him one last kiss and slipped off his pants easily, easily followed by her crawling up quickly to him, resting her forehead against his.

"Mmm... Seems that my lady loves attending to me at the moment..."

"And pondering about her next mo-" she barely finished as Tristan pulled her head down to give her a warm passionate kiss.

Rolling over, Tristan straddled Gwyn's waist once again and began kissing her chest once again before settling his lips over one of her breasts. Grinning as he felt her shudder, he continued to lick, nip, and suck on her breast as he let his hands wander lower down her body. Getting hold of his hands before they reached down to her thighs, Gwyn leaned up to whisper softly in his ear.

"No more teasing now... just... make love to me Tris..."

Letting go of her breast, Tristan tilted his head up and kissed her as they began undressing one another as fast as possible. Once they got rid of each other's underwear, Tristan settled his body over Gwyn before easing himself into her. Placing a finger over her lips, he began moving his hips in time with hers as they whispered their names to each other from time to time.

"Love you... so much," Gwyn managed to whisper at one point with a short breath.

"Love you too..." Tristan whispered back as they continued to make love to each other slowly throughout the night.

-

"Definitely. Going. To. Telework. Tomorrow. Morning," Gwyn mumbled a few hours later, huddled against Tristan who was chuckling at her phrase.

"Mmm? Mind if I join you?" he whispered as he continued stroking her now-heated bare skin.

"Shouldn't be a problem since you're under my direct supervision."

"Now... the question remains, will we be working from your office office or _this office_ ," he smirked as he began sliding his hand against her thighs and butt.

"My official office..." she laughed.

"So... should I count this as _my_ office?" whispered Tristan as he moved his hands away from her backside and moved them to her front, caressing and teasing her gently as Gwyn arched her back in pleasure. "Hmm, my Queen likes that very much..."

"You're going to... lead your Queen to exhaustion at this... ra...te..." she gasped, looking straight into his eyes.

"Somehow, I doubt that I am," he continued to smirk as he continued to move his fingers as the mysterious glow returned to his eyes.

Smiling, Gwyn raised her head slightly and placed a kiss on his forehead, with a slightly tired look. "Your eyes are glowing in that beautiful colour again..."

"Are they? It's probably due to you..." smiled Tristan as he slid his fingers away from her and kissed her gently.

"Maybe..." she uttered softly, barely above a whisper while she started to slowly close her eyes. "Such a beautiful blue..."

"Probably... sleep now... my lady."

"Goodnight," she mumbled, already half-asleep. "Sweet dreams Tris..."

"Sweet dreams, my Queen." Absently wiping his fingers against his thigh, Tristan wrapped his arms around Gwyn and held her close as they both drifted off to sleep.


	15. XV

Smiling as to what had become part of her normality, Gwyn sighed contentedly when she opened her eyes to find Tristan's sleeping form huddled close to her. Chuckling softly when she noticed a small dribble of drool across his chin, she took a small corner of bed-sheet she had been holding onto and wiped it off, earning a dreamy smile from her half. Pondering on the human normality that Tristan had brought into her life, with their imperfections, their indecisions, their insecurities - none of which she actually ever tolerated before, she realised how much Fred had raised her with the perception that she had to look over humans before they were poor imperfect beings. Never could she have known that such words would have been so seriously thrown off...

Making sure she didn't wake the sleeping man up, Gwyn placed a light kiss on his forehead and slipped silently off bed, chuckling quietly when she noticed the scatter of clothes across the room, and the fact that she was still stark naked from the previous night. Heading hurriedly towards the bathroom, she grabbed one of Tristan's t-shirts and locked herself inside, trying to make as less noise as possible. Once finished and with her hair gathered in a long pony-tail, Gwyn tiptoed her way out of the bedroom to walk towards the kitchen, in a small attempt to surprise him with her culinary skills or lack thereof. 

Grabbing the kettle to prepare some breakfast tea, and rummaging through the refridgerator and through the cupboards, Gwyn managed to whip up some French toast, warm waffles with jam and some chopped fruit with yoghurt and cereal. Grinning proudly at her achievement, which also left side effects that included some messing up on the cooking hob and two small burn marks on her right hand, Gwyn placed the food and the teapot with the brew on a large breakfast tray and headed back to the bedroom, letting out a small giggle as she tried to imagine Tristan's face at her return.

Letting out a yawn, Tristan rolled over onto his stomach and began to pat the side of the bed where Gwyn was - only to find it empty, though still warm. Pushing himself up onto his elbows, the young man blearily began to look around the room until he heard the bedroom door open. Sniffing the air, he laid back down on his back and rubbed his eyes as Gwyn slowly approached the bed.

"If I didn't think I could love you any more, you had gone and done this," he replied with a large grin on his face as he opened his eyes to see the breakfast that had been made. Noticing the burns on her right hand, he chuckled slightly as he sat up and took the tray from her. "Little kitchen mishap, babe?"

"Well, uhm... yes," she stuttered, laughing lightly. "Miscalculated how hot a pan can actually become. It's alright though... and... see if breakfast tastes good actually. Not too sure I got everything right."

"C'mere," he smiled as he patted the side of the bed. "We'll try it out together. Not too sure on how it tastes, but judging by smell alone, it should be delicious."

Sitting down by his side, she looked down at the tray and chuckled when she saw her results. "Aesthetically, it really looks like something," she told him while leaning against his shoulder. "And by the way, good morning," she reached out, placing a kiss on his cheek.

"Good morning to you too," he grinned as he kissed her cheek and then took her right hand and began kissing the burns gently, noticing her wince slightly at his touch. "Sorry... but I wanted you to feel better..."

"No don't worry, they're just stinging a bit... no big deal," she smiled back. "I've had worse..."

Nodding, Tristan continued to kiss the angry red marks on Gwyn's hand.

"Tris, you're going to make breakfast go cold," she laughed out, smiling back at him.

Kissing them one last time, he let go of her hands and picked up a knife and fork and began cutting into the French toast before taking a bite. As he chewed, his mouth began to quirk up in an amused grin before pouring more syrup over his portion. "I think you switched the amounts of sugar to salt for the toast, but otherwise, it's edible."

"Really?" she asked, rolling her eyes in disdain. "There's always something I have to screw up when it comes to this..."

"Mm-hmm, here," he continued to smile as he cut off a piece that wasn't drowned in syrup before feeding it to her. 

"You were right... I definitely switched them," she sighed audibly.

"Despite that, I'm really proud of you for at least attempting to cook. Trust me, we'll up your cooking skills once we're on vacation," he replied with a grin before kissing her sweetly, "Thank you baby for the thoughtful breakfast."

"Hoped that would have turned out better but anyway," she frowned slightly as she took another bite. "Tea and the fruit should be alright I hope."

"I'm sure those are fine... now for the waffles." Cutting off a piece, he began eating it - only to spit it out immediately afterwards, causing him to laugh. "I'm sorry, but yes, I'm afraid that you're still a bit of a walking kitchen disaster, Sweetheart." Taking the fruit and his cup of tea, Tristan sweetened the tea to his liking before drinking it with relish.

Pouting, she rested her head against his shoulder and sighed. "So much to making a good impression..."

Taking the tray, he set it onto the floor and took her into his arms, and kissed her forehead. "You did fine, honey. And really, I appreciate the effort and thought that went into it. It's more than what I expected, really, and for that I'm happy that you took that chance. Now, do you want me to make it up to you?"

"Mmh? Shouldn't you finish your tea first?"

Picking up the cup from the side table, he drained the remainder of the tea quickly before cuddling next to her and wrapping his legs around hers. "Just did," he replied with an easy smile.

"Saw that... well, at least I can come up with a decent cup of tea, the rest was a royal failure," she chuckled. "Sorry..."

"You can add the fruit, yoghurt, and cereal to the list of successes, and again, you have nothing to be sorry about. Now, it's still early, so how about we just have a lie-in and go to the festival later. We can have a late lunch on the beach, sound good?"

"Lunch will be take-away right? I don't want a repeat of the flop," she told him, huddling closer. "And yeah, I like your plan."

"Thank you, yes lunch will be take-away, and no, it wasn't a flop... more like a floppette... it was successful to a point."

"Within certain limits."

Chuckling, he held her closer and pulled off his t-shirt from her. "Mmm, true, but how about we forget all about that now," he whispered as he rolled her onto her back and kissed her passionately.

"There's still the smell of food around so can't really forget," she snickered, as she placed a small kiss on his nose as their kiss ended. "You must admit though, it was quite appetizing."

"It was, as it reminded me that I'm still _hungry_ ," Tristan replied with a mischievous wink.

"And yes, we definitely need a new bed, and a larger one at that..." Gwyn chuckled as she circled her arms around his neck. "At _this_ rate..."

"Not that you mind..." 

"Need to change it anyway..." she winked back, as Tristan took hold of her arms and rested them down on bed while leaning in to kiss her.

"Perhaps one day, we should _stress test_ the rest of the furniture," he whispered before kissing her deeply.

"You're joking," she laughed, as Tristan continued kissing her.

"Maybe I am, maybe I'm... not," he murmured as he began working on his spot with his mouth while massaging and kneading her breasts with his hands. 

"Tris, shouldn't we have had a _calm_ lie-in?" she mumbled, almost in a moan.

"Now where's the fun in that?"

"I mean, Sweetheart, you're not... at least a bit, tired?" she asked, stopped by another kiss.

"I'm rather well-rested, thank you," he smiled.

"I wasn't referring to you," she chuckled.

Kissing her one more time, he grinned as he got up from bed and picked up the tray. "Then if my lady no longer needs my presence, her humble servant shall set about cleaning up the kitchen, seeing as how she needs a bit more rest from the previous night's _strenuous activities_."

"No no wait," she promptly replied, sitting up. "I never meant for you to leave..."

Setting the tray back onto the dresser, Tristan climbed back into bed and wrapped his arms warmly around Gwyn. "Does my lady require my presence once again?"

"Mmm-hmm, very much," she smiled as she held unto him tightly.

"Hmm, then what, pray-tell, would my lady require of me this early morn?"

"Just stay close to me... please," she whispered, in a serious tone that made Tristan furrow his eyebrows slightly.

Nodding, he rested his head on her shoulder. "By your command, I shall do as you ask of me." 

Rolling Tristan on his back with a swift movement as he was still holding her close, Gwyn wrapped an arm around his waist and rested her head against his chest, placing it exactly upon the spot where his heart was. Smiling as she moved her ear right in that area, Gwyn felt an overall sense of calm enveloping her as she listened to the lively thumping of Tristan's heart, almost as effective as a soothing therapy.

Smiling, he kissed her hair and held her tightly as he felt Gwyn dozing off gently. "Here's your calm lie-in that you wanted, Sweetheart," he whispered gently.

After an hour or so, and with Tristan still awake caressing her hair in pure silence, Gwyn opened her eyes again, raising her gaze towards him while chuckling.

"Feeling better, my lady?"

"Mmm-hmm," she nodded. "Been sleeping for long?"

"You were only napping for an hour or so..."

"Hour?!" she gasped. "Well... told you I was tired," she smiled. "You stayed awake?"

"Yes...? Why wouldn't I have? Told you I was well-rested."

"Yes you did," she chuckled, covering herself with the blankets playfully. "Your Queen felt slightly tired though, despite that her King was so gentle with her..."

"Then obviously her King did his job," he chuckled as he let Gwyn hide under the blankets.

"He certainly did with top scorings," she laughed, still hiding her face.

"Good to know, though her King may have a different performance in mind later this evening."

"Oh, now that has certainly made me curious," she mumbled, sliding down to place random kisses on his chest. "And I wouldn't mind if you joined me under the blankets..."

Grinning, he began moaning her name and mumbling incoherently as he felt Gwyn planting kisses down his chest and stomach. Opening his eyes suddenly as he felt Gwyn's hands and mouth on him, Tristan let out a slow, ragged breath. "Oh God... that feels good..."

Sliding up once more, letting her knees brush sensually against his inner legs, Gwyn let her head out from beneath the blankets, smiling as she noticed the expression on his face. "Well, seems someone has enjoyed this..." she whispered sensually in his ear.

"Very much indeed," he whispered back as he kissed her hard.

Reaching up her hand towards the back of his head, Gwyn ran an eager hand through his hair, pulling him closer to her, returning the kiss in an equally passionate manner.

Rolling Gwyn onto her back without breaking their kiss, the pair began to passionately make love to one another.

"Was this... supposed to be... a _calm_ lie-down?" she managed to whisper between breaths.

"We had _calm_ , you were asleep. So for me, this is _brunch_ ," he muttered back as he continue to move against her, speeding up his movements incrementally.

"How about brunch and lunch together," she whispered with a mischievous grin, which made Tristan pull her closer to him making her almost scream out his name.

"Fine by me..." he whispered back mischievously as he continued moving with her before bending his head down to bite his spot.

Chuckling at the irony of the situation, Gwyn closed her eyes and arched her back slightly, letting Tristan continue to move against her while biting down at his favorite spot between her neck and shoulder. It had always been there, he'd always aim for _that_ spot - just like a _vampire_ did...

_Vampire..._

What if Tristan would be just _like_ her? Amongst all of her deepest fears, had she ever actually considered that particularly odd possibility?

Shunning away those thoughts triggered by the mere passion of that very moment, Gwyn clung her hands against his back, digging her nails into his skin making him groan in response as he collapsed on top of her once he finished.

"Did that hurt?" Gwyn whispered in half a moan as he continued biting her slowly while trying to slow down his breathing.

"No, not at all. If anything, did I hurt you?" asked Tristan as he rested his head on her chest.

"I would have protested, at least a bit, if you did..." she smiled, almost out of breath in her response.

"Probably... So, should we even go out today or should we just fall back onto Plan B?" he chuckled as Gwyn held him tightly.

"Well, we had planned for you to go to the festival, and we shall go... but..."

"Feel like staying in bed all day? Because at this rate, we might as well just catch dinner," he laughed.

"Let's stay in bed till after midday... then we can take it easy and go to the festival in the late afternoon, there should be some activity going on in the evening, right?"

"There should... So, soak in the tub or shower?" Tristan asked while waggling his eyebrows.

"Tub dear tub," she laughed out as she watched him remove their covers in a swirling movement. "And what was that supposed to be?"

"I promise that I'll take it easy on you," he smirked as he picked her up easily. "Now, I'm betting that your legs feel like gelatin, so I promise that I won't let go... until you're in the tub."

"Yes please," she chuckled, resting her head against his chest while he carried her off to the bathroom.

-

After staying in the tub for over an hour, where the couple found themselves making love slowly and languidly to one another, Tristan eventually carried Gwyn over to the bathroom counter. Smiling at her gently as she rested her head on his shoulder, he proceeded to dry her off with her towel, the pair of them chuckling and giggling as he did so. Once she was dry, Tristan wrapped the towel around her before drying off her hair - which, Gwyn noted with a smirk on her face, he performed completely stark naked in front of her - while whistling.

"Something amusing you, my lady?"

"You don't get your boyfriend doing that to you everyday," she chuckled. "And it's quite the show."

Smirking, he simply continued. "Well, I can't guarantee that I'll be able to give you the _full service_ in the morning - but maybe for tomorrow, since you promised that we could telework in the morning... I can, however, promise to do this every night if you want me too."

"I'll look forward to it," she chuckled, leaning forward to place a kiss on his nose.

"Full service or à la carte?"

"Depends what's the difference between the two..."

"Full service includes the bath portion - either in the shower or in the tub - while à la carte lets you choose what duty you want me to perform."

"When you say that it sounds as if I'm enslaving you," she chuckled in response, resting her head against his shoulder.

"If you want to think of it in those terms, then you're free to. I simply see it as serving and waiting on my Queen," he smiled as he kissed her shoulder.

"You're definitely not my slave..."

Shrugging his shoulders, Tristan leaned into her. "I may not be, but I live to serve you, my lady." 

"True, but I don't want to think of you that way... I mean," she whispered raising her hands to place them on his cheeks. "You're far more than that. Plus..." 

"Hey hey, relax. I like taking care of you. If it means that I get to treat you like the Queen that you are, I will do so with relish. I don't see me below you - not in the slightest - but rather, we're equals through and through. I'm not exactly stopping you from pampering me, so why shouldn't I be able to pamper you?"

"Yeah, you're right..." she smiled back at him. "It's just... that I hate that perception, that's all."

"What perception? Sweetheart, it's just us - alone, save for Jasper sleeping outside - and you know that I only do this when we're alone. At work, of course I have to answer to you, but since when have I simply bent over and let you walk all over me?"

"I've heard people talking, sometimes... in that regard, enslaving their partners and what not... and it isn't fun to listen to... believe me," she told him, bearing in mind some discussions heard at the Council not too long before.

"Babe, I'm not enslaved by you. Not now, nor will I ever be. I'm pretty sure you know how stubborn I am, so never think for one moment that I'm totally under your control. After all, I've easily had my way this morning, just as you have as well, so again, even once we're married, you and I are going into everything as equals, not one over the other. Got it?" he whispered as he pressed their foreheads together as they wrapped their arms around each other's waists. 

"Mmm-hmm... I know, I know..."

"Good. Now, let's get you back to the room so that we can get dressed."

"Yes please," she chuckled, letting him rest her down on her floor again. "As for that, I once heard Black speak on people that way... that's why hate that so much..." Gwyn admitted, not telling Tristan that it was more than Black who did so... almost the vast majority of the vampires in the Clan did - and Fred was also one of them. 

"Hmm, that asshole actually thinks like that? Pfft, no wonder you hate those perceptions," muttered Tristan as he led her out of the bathroom, not even bothering to cover himself up with a towel.

"And he loves that notion trust me... I think that feeling of superiority excites him, to put it mildly..." she replied. "And Tris, you're running around naked in my house," Gwyn chuckled, reaching up to kiss him briefly.

"I doubt that it simply excites him, babe. He totally gets off on it, which is why he likes trying to dominate people. And it's _our house_ , also, I'm adhering to the rules we established for the bedroom - underwear only. It just so happens that my underwear is in the room..."

"Right right," she laughed softly, giving him a quick pat on his rear.

"You realize that's your sole property, babe. You should learn to take better care of it," he smirked.

"As if I don't," she replied, turning to stick her tongue out at him playfully. 

Chuckling, he tugged off her towel and picked her up before carrying her over to the edge of the bed. Setting her back down, he leaned in and kissed her deeply.

"Honey, we need to get dressed now," she chuckled rubbing his back gently, while Tristan continued placing kisses on her neck and jawline. "I want to pamper you a bit myself today... and that means, taking you to that festival first."

"So you mean the part where you disappeared under the blankets _wasn't_ pampering me? Because I thought that was," Tristan smirked easily as he simply rested his head over her heart as he hugged her close. 

"That was just a preview," she laughed out. 

"I'll bet. My how things changed... a couple of months ago, you had never been with another man let alone made love to them. Now, you're definitely a pro," he teased gently. "Glad you've come out of your shell a bit, baby."

"You do believe me, don't you?"

"Of course I do, especially since you were so shy about everything. Now, well here we are cuddling completely naked on _our_ bed, in _our_ room, just after a shower - and you don't care about your appearance in the slightest," Tristan replied with a large, Cheshire Cat grin.

"Yeah I've changed quite a bit," she chuckled in return, resting her forehead against his.

"You have, but it's a totally welcomed change. And speaking of change, guess we should get dressed, hmm?"

"In a minute... do you miss my... shy, stern self, Tris?"

"You're still shy about a few things - but since those are _extremely_ personal, as they usually relate to us, I still find that adorable about you. As for stern, babe, you still are as you're not afraid to go head-to-head with Black, and most of the employees do heed your warnings. So obviously you still got it... obviously I don't miss it when you're stern with me, since it usually means that I've done you wrong - which I try to avoid doing, mind you."

"Hence... I haven't changed then," she beamed happily.

"Exactly. You're still you, just better!"

"Thank you," she whispered, kissing him briefly.

"Welcome," he whispered back before returning her kiss. 

"Consider it as... being a little more relaxed, and... a little more true me with you."

"Consider it done." Planting a kiss over her heart, Tristan got up and gently pulled Gwyn to her feet before giving her a warm hug. "Shall we get going? I'm sure Jas would love to walk around the festival too."

"Let's get dressed..."

Sharing a smile with one another, they both quickly got dressed in casual clothing, chuckling once again at how Gwyn had taken to stealing Tristan's t-shirts once again.

"So, when I get t-shirts now, should I buy more than one of each color now?" 

"Nope," she grinned, letting out a giggle. "Since they have to strictly be yours and have the after-smell of your cologne on them."

"Fair enough. Between you and Jasper... looks like Anne has to be washing my t-shirts several times a week..."

"Well, depends," she replied, slipping on a dark navy blue shirt of his.

"Oh? How so?" he asked as he pulled on his white boxers and his favorite jeans.

"I get to keep the best two out of the dirty laundry and wear them before she actually washes them... little secret," she grinned back.

"Sneaky woman," laughed Tristan as he grabbed a basic white t-shirt and pulled it on. "Almost ready?"

"Hair and a little make-up and I'm done," she winked back at him. "I'll fetch my bag while you put the leash on Puppy... is that alright?"

"Sounds good." Grabbing his socks out of the dresser, Tristan opened the door of the bedroom and was immediately greeted by Jasper. 

Chuckling as she heard Tristan play with the puppy, Gwyn proceeded into half-gathering her hair with a small hair-clip, quickly apply some light make-up and fetch a small bag to place her essentials. Once done, she put on her shoes and headed out of the bedroom, grinning when she found Tristan lying on the hardwood floor with Jasper stretched out flat on his stomach, wagging his tail happily.

"Ahhh, he got me," laughed Tristan as Jasper continued to make himself comfortable on Tristan's stomach.

"Jas... get off daddy please," Gwyn replied, in a slightly serious tone.

Barking, Jasper promptly got off Tristan's stomach and sat back down on his haunches.

Sitting up, Tristan looked over at the puppy and replied in a quite tone, "Bad dog," which made Jasper bow his head down slightly.

Raising an eyebrow, Gwyn looked back at Tristan and smirked. "Depends who actually started it though..."

" _I_ was grabbing my shoes, _he_ jumped me and started tugging on the bottom of my t-shirt..."

"Mmm... Jas, promise me that you'll be a good dog when we go out..." she instructed her dog in almost an order.

Whining slightly, the dog barked at both of his owners before sitting next to Tristan, who was pulling on his sneakers.

"Looks like I'm gonna need another pair soon... At least they held up longer than I thought they would..."

"Not too much of a problem," she winked back at him. "Puppy, you stay with me while daddy drives today, alright?" she said once more, earning a wag of tail from Jasper's end.

Getting to his feet, Tristan stood up and stretched his arms, which made him chuckle as Gwyn gently poked at his exposed stomach from his stretch. "It's exceptionally warm today... should I even bother bringing my sweatshirt with me?"

"Get it and keep it in the car at least, you might never know how the weather turns out."

"Good idea," he grinned as he disappeared into the bedroom once again before coming back out with a black hooded sweatshirt in his arms. "Now we're ready."

"And you know I might steal that from you right?" Gwyn grinned, sticking out her tongue at him.

"I just might let you... I think this is one of my shrunken ones... Guess we'll find out once I put it on..."

"Shrunken, what the... Tris!" she laughed out as he quickly moved to her side and literally forced her into trying on the sweatshirt.

Standing back, he placed a hand on his chin and studied her before nodding. "Yep, it fits you perfectly, which means it is my shrunken one. Ah well, guess I need a new one of those as well later..."

"So we'll get you sneakers and a couple of new sweatshirts today too, perfect," she grinned. "Now, go get something to wear though, I think I'm comfy enough to stay in this," she winked back at him.

"But I... nevermind..." he grinned wryly as he headed off to the bedroom again, only to reappear wearing a light grey hooded sweatshirt. "Okay, okay let's go now."

"You were going to say?" she asked him as she placed her hand in his and moved out of the apartment.

"Despite it being shrunken, I was gonna wear that one..." he laughed as he firmly held Jasper's leash in his free hand.

Stopping in her tracks while they were still inside, Gwyn turned to him and unzipped her shirt. "Swap?"

"Nah, keep it. Looks better on you anyways."

"Are you sure? I don't mind that trust me. As long as it keeps me warm, I don't bother."

"Gwyn," he chuckled as he kissed her forehead. "A thousand times yes, I'm sure." 

"I... uhm, right sorry," she mumbled, blushing slightly as they got outside. "Whatever you say..."

Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, he pulled the hood over Gwyn's head and rested his cheek against her head. "I love you."

"Love you too," she laughed out, turning to remove the hood from her head. "Off we go? Come Jas."

"Yep, let's go."

-

"Oh hey, check this out," smiled Tristan as they wandered through the various vendor stalls until he stopped to look at a figure of a young boy riding a bicycle.

"Mmm? Like it?" Gwyn replied, as she moved closer to study the figure herself. "Looks strangely familiar..."

"It'd be nice to have on my desk at work, I think. And how so?" 

"Most probably I saw a similar work from the same artist somewhere, can't remember where but anyway," she continued, eyeing all of the details carefully, grinning as she reached out for her purse and started bargaining a price with the vendor, making Tristan stare back at her in surprise.

"How did you- Why did you- " he gaped back before letting out a breath and smiling. "Thank you Sweetheart."

Nodding back at the vendor as he handed her over a small paper bag with the figure, Gwyn held out the new acquisition proudly and handed it back to him. "Told you it was going to be serious pampering today..."

"Have I mentioned today how much I love you?"

"Yes you did," she smiled. "And... I love you too."

Grinning, he studied the figure once again and chuckled. "It's like it's really me..."

"Quite quite... I'm pretty fond of the details they had the patience of putting into the bicycle..."

"Yeah... hey, look over at that one, it looks like a little girl playing the piano."

"Indeed," she agreed as she looked closer just as she did with the other figure. "And quite exquisite at that..."

"I think she looks like you. It'd be great on your desk - either at work or at home," he whispered as he kissed her cheek.

"You think I look _that_ pale in the face?" Gwyn pointed out, taking yet another look at the figurine. "I do like it though..."

"You're not _that_ pale, but I'll say though that when you have that really bright blush in your cheeks, you're truly stunning as that little bit of colour seems to make you shine a little brighter. But... maybe some sun should do you some good when we're on vacation."

"Just a little bit..."

"You should at least gain a really nice tan just by lying on the beach alone... Anyways, it's a great figure and I think it suits you extremely well." 

"Yes I'm getting it," she winked back at him, earning wide-grin from the vendor who promptly wrapped the figure carefully in a lot of old newspapers and secured it in a small shopping bag. "As for vacation time..." she whispered, slightly turning her face to look at him. "It certainly sounds relaxing..." 

"Oh yeah..." grinned Tristan as Gwyn looped her arm through his as they walked with Jasper. "Just being able to lay out on the beach, under the sunny sky by the warm blue water... It's the total definition of relaxation." 

"Which reminds me, have you booked everything?" she queried as they passed through an area with numerous stands with antiques and collectibles, which most of the time attracted Gwyn's attention more than anything.

"Somewhat - Livvy and Cath have done it for me, as they keep telling me to take a vacation because they worry that I'll burn out before I even reach the age of twenty-five. Basically, I told them that I wanted to go down to Rio and they asked me if I was bringing anyone - I said my girlfriend - and they took care of everything else. Trust me, if there's one thing that Faraday women are good at, it's planning. You'd fit right in."

"Good... and... speaking of your sisters, I think I saw something that you should get for your nephew and niece..." she smiled, holding out her arm to point at a small wooden rocking horse.

"The rocking horse would be more fitting for Ally, but you're on the right track for the pair. I saw a sculpture of a suit of armour, with a really intricate shield and sword - Ethan would love that and Claire would love an actual horse sculpture. Shall we go look for those?"

"As you wish," she winked back at him. "Right Jas?"

Barking happily at the pair, Jasper watched as Tristan paid for the wooden rocking horse and a doll for Alice before the three of them set off to find the armour sculpture. After locating the vendor with the armor sculpture, both Tristan and Gwyn marveled at the detail and craftsmanship of the piece - only to find that the sculptor was actually a metal smith who specialized in making swords. Sharing a few words with the smith, Tristan paid for the figure while Gwyn asked for the smith's card before they left in search of finding a horse sculpture.

"You're plotting something babe... I know you are," Tristan chuckled as he continued to carry their purchases. 

"Maybe," she snickered, clutching tightly at his arm. "Might turn out handy..." 

"Especially with a certain set of costumes..." 

"Stop reading my mind," she laughed, rubbing his arm gently.

"Can't help it, as you're thinking about finding a chestnut brown mare with a white crest on her head for Claire..." 

"What?" she blinked, turning to stare back at him. "You're really doing it... that's what I thought about right now..." 

Giving her a surprised look, Tristan shook his head slowly as he led them over to a private spot to sit down. "Wait, are you sure? I was just guessing..."

"No! I mean... yes, that was _exactly_ what I was picturing in my mind... of course I'm sure..." she replied, caressing his hands gently while they were still safely secured in hers. 

"Wow... that's pretty cool... And before you ask, I don't think I do it very often... at least, I don't think I do."

"No, not really... but when you do, you're right on it," she smiled back.

"Can I assume that I'm usually doing it while we're making love? You seem to start responding immediately as soon as I shift my movements or position..."

"Might be... actually," she muttered, a faint blush rising slowly to her cheeks.

"Guess I'm right again. C'mon, let's go find that horse, and then you're free to shop for clothes for me," he smiled as he helped her to her feet. Leaning close, he kissed her temple. "Oh and when you blush like that, it's adorable and I love it."

Reaching up, Gwyn got back to her feet and jumped forward slightly to wrap her arms round Tristan's waist and place a kiss in the middle of his back, right up to where his shoulder blades met. "Glad you do."

"And I love it when you do spontaneous things like that too..."

"And totally unexpected at that," she chuckled, leaning in to rest her forehead against his back.

"Yeah, but I totally welcome you doing it. Keeps me on my toes."

"Jas, you do like me and daddy being like this right?" she laughed, as she saw the puppy perk his ears and turn to wag back at them.

"That would be a 'yes' from our baby."

"Mmm-hmm, noticed," she winked back at the puppy. "Guess we should buy something for puppy too..."

"Probably a nice dog bowl or something. He'd probably appreciate that, right boy?"

Letting out a few barks, Jasper began to lead the way through the stalls as Gwyn and Tristan held hands together as they walked.

"Quite the leader, isn't he?" she laughed out, resting her head against his shoulder while at the same time keeping on constant lookout for both things to buy and people that were around the stalls.

"He probably smells doggy treats," Tristan grinned as Jasper stopped at a vendor stall that had a dog bowl full of water as other dogs were huddled around the bowl. Fixing his eyes on the vendor's goods, he let out a laugh as he gestured towards the various pet-specific items. "And Jasper found what he wanted..." 

Moving towards the good displays at the stall, Gwyn crossed her arms on her chest and studied the various items scattered around, while Tristan rested his chin on her shoulder to look over. "I think I saw something he'd appreciate..." she told him, pointing out at a small squeaky penguin toy.

"I'm sure he'd love that and..." Trailing off slightly, he found something tucked away behind the penguin and held up a squeaky toy that resembled a toy rubber chicken. " _This_ , he has to get this one too."

"And this bowl," she continued, holding up a small tin bowl that would be a perfect replacement for the glass one they were using for him.

"Should we get the matching water bowl too?"

"Sure... and we can get other stuff if you like too."

"I think these should be good for now. We should probably get him a new leash... as he loves chewing on this one - but that we can grab later. So, after this, we find the horse and go have a quick snack before clothes shopping, since I know you're _dying_ to dress me up some more," chuckled Tristan.

"Yes Sir."

Raising an eyebrow, he grinned before kissing her. "Thank you Lieutenant."

"And what should your rank be if I'm a Lieutenant?" she chuckled, as they proceeded to paying the vendor for the puppy's items.

"Dunno... I'll let you pick," Tristan replied as he placed the items into the bags that he was carrying.

"Well, I am above your grade at work, so... should be some grades above for once, don't you think?" she winked back at him. "How about a Colonel?" she told him, after a short while.

"Me a colonel? Hmm... Colonel Faraday... Has a nice ring to it, actually. Lieutenant Coulston works pretty well too," he smirked as he kissed her cheek, which made Jasper bark happily. 

Smiling as she tried not to think about her real commanding rank within the Clan, Gwyn called for Jasper and crouched down to pat him gently. "Since we got all of your presents, it's time for us to find someone else's present now..."

Licking her cheek, Jasper gave her a 'grin' before barking.

"I'm thinking he's ready dear."

"He sure is, isn't he?" she chuckled, placing a kiss on his nuzzle before she stood back on her feet again. "We go?" Gwyn smiled, winking back at her half.

"Let's go." After walking around a few more stalls, the trio had finally managed to find the exact horse that Gwyn had been thinking about. Picking up the figure, Tristan handed it over to Gwyn for her opinion. "This one, right?"

"Exactly!" she exclaimed, with a giggle. "We got it right..."

"Perfect!" 

"The figure you're holding dates back to 1..."

"We're taking it thank you!" the two of them snapped back, making the vendor giggle out loud at their enthusiasm. 

"And since you're so eager, I'll give that to you with a discount... seems you two are quite in tune..." he smiled as he handed Gwyn the rest, together with the discount money. "And... placed a little present in the bag for you. Nice day!" he greeted, handing them a small bag.

"Oh thank you very much, Sir," Tristan grinned as took the bag and placed it inside one of the bigger ones.

"See you! And you're most welcome," he smiled, tilting his head down slightly at the two of them to bid goodbye.

As they walked away, Tristan decided to open up the bag and found a little figurine of a dog that looked like Jasper alongside the horse as well as a smallish box. "How cool! That guy was really generous. Hey-wonder what's in the box?"

"Box? What box?" she asked curiously, eyeing the small black velvet box.

Pulling out the box, Tristan opened it slowly before whistling. "Holy..."

"Was he serious?!" she gasped. "Those are just splendid... I mean... are you sure he hasn't placed them in the bag by mistake? I know he said that he left a little present but..."

Looking for the vendor, Tristan noticed that he couldn't find the man amongst the crowd. "I think he was... honestly I thought the little Jasper figure was the present - but looks like it was in _addition_ to the other gifts and the horse..." Noticing that Gwyn had let go of his arm, Tristan replaced the items back into the bags. "You gonna go look for him?"

"I'd love to say thank you..." she smiled. "Want to come?"

"Say thanks for me? I wanted to drop off the stuff in the car if that's alright with you?"

"Alright," she grinned back, placing a quick kiss on his lips. "I'll be back in no time... promise."

"Great. See you back at the car. C'mon Jas, let's go back now..." he grinned before kissing her back and headed off to the car.

Trying to locate the man in normal, conventional methods would have been practically impossible - a quick look around the crowded festival marketplace gave her the immediate impression that she'd never manage to find him. That face... that sweet expression that she knew she had encountered somewhere long ago, to the days when she still hadn't turned into a vampire and when she thought that discussions between Frederick and his friends were merely friendly bickerings rather than full-blown clashes of vampire nature. Seeing that the feat was going to be more complicated than she initially thought, Gwyn closed her eyes and tried to locate the nearest vampire aura in her nearest radius. Grinning when she managed to sense the faint power, Gwyn started to run towards the northern portion of the marketplace, praying inwardly that she'd reach the man in time, just before he disappeared again.

Catching a glimpse of a middle aged man of medium built, Gwyn hurried her pace and called out his name, hoping that he'd hear her. 

"Mr. Prescott! Please! William!"

Turning around, William fixed his gaze on Gwyn and smiled. "Ahh, so you remembered me, little lady. How are you? And what did you think of my presents to you and the boy?"

"You shouldn't have that, they're beautiful..." she smiled, nodding in reply. "How are you doing?"

"Oh me? Just wonderfully actually. After living so long, you start to take pleasure in the little things. And my how you've grown... you were just a child when I saw you last, and now... such a beautiful young woman. I only wish your parents were still around to see you..."

"Thank you," she replied in almost a whisper. "I hope they're happy with me, that's all..."

"I'm sure they are. And that boy you were with? He seems familiar somewhat... but anyways, is he a potential suitor for you?" 

"No," Gwyn replied, shaking her head. "He's my boyfriend... and, guess you've noticed that he's human, Will."

Instead of frowning or being disappointed, as Gwyn was expecting, William reached over and warmly hugged Gwyn. "Oh my dear, I couldn't be happier for you. Despite what Fred and the Council think, humans are just like us. They bleed, they cry, they experience joy... everything that we experience, they do as well. But the one thing that I've come to realize, they have a zeal and taste for life that cannot even be compared to how we live. We, my dear, simply exist, while humans on the other hand, _live_. Take pride in what you have with the boy, as it's clear he loves you dearly - I can see it in his eyes, as they glow with love and affection for you."

Rubbing his back gently, Gwyn smiled at hearing those words coming from someone that she hadn't seen for decades. "I do... I am very proud of him. But... no one knows about me and him... no one as in... neither Fred... nor the Clan, nor the Council," she told him, watching his facial expression mutate in an instant. 

"Oh _them_ , how worrisome that lot is... Meddling in other people's business, feh. Gwyn my dear, listen to me. Do not, under any circumstance blindly listen to those old codgers. Despite the fact that I know you are within the ranks, I know that you are capable of thinking for yourself and clearly you have - as your relationship with the boy is proof of that. Take heed in what they say, especially Fred, for though they believe that they have your best interests at heart, they are clearly exploiting that to benefit them. I've seen Neville from time to time, including his lovely wife, and for those two, I'm immensely proud of them, especially for what they are accomplishing on their own. And I expect you to live on your own terms Gwyn, promise that much at least." 

"I know and I'll try to... but... keep in mind my rank, Will. If I go against their will, I'm dead - even if I'm the adopted daughter of the Head of Clan. They wouldn't care less..." she mused, letting go of him to gaze into his eyes. "It's already stretching it far for me to be... with Tristan so to speak... I've already been given a specific order, Will. And it's difficult for a Commander to refuse."

"No... you've been asked to turn the boy, haven't you?" William asked quietly.

"Not surprising right?" she smirked, with half a frown. "Of all people..."

"Fred will do whatever it takes to gain those whom he sees as an asset. Now, I'm sure that you and the boy met and fell in love by chance - but if Fred knows of this boy... Is the boy a colleague of yours?"

"A manager that works under my direct supervision... why?"

"Did you select him to work under you? And did Fred have a hand in his hiring? Also, as I said earlier... the boy is familiar to me... though I'll have to search through my books to find out why..."

"I chose him, and Fred merely approved of my choice. And wait... _familiar_? Will, he's a human boy, what could be familiar about him to you?" she muttered back.

"Does he live around in this area? I think I've seen him around here," William asked smoothly as he did not want to reveal why he truly thought that Tristan was familiar to him.

"Yes he is... his apartment is not too far from here. Will, you've got something in mind haven't you?"

Looking at his watch, William smiled. "Oh I've been keeping you from him for a bit too long. As for your question, I live above one of the most popular restaurants in the area and should you both be around, I'd love to have a chat if you both have the time."

"I will," she smiled. "Do you have the name of the restaurant? Tristan might know the place, I'm sure..."

"It's Rosamunde Dessert Bar," chuckled William as he saw Gwyn recognize the name upon hearing it.

"You'll be seeing us then," she confirmed, as she took his hands in hers. "Thank you so much... it was a pleasure meeting you again."

Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a card and handed it to her. "If you ever wish to talk - without the boy present."

"I will, take good care of yourself," she smiled, as she reached over to give him a quick hug.

"Same to you and take care of the boy and that pup of yours. Oh and are you still friends with the Cuthbert girl? If so, say hello for me as well."

"She still lives at my place, I ended up taking care of the girl myself," she nodded. "She's my best friend..."

"Fantastic. Bring her around for tea too. Good bye for now, Miss Gwyn. And I hope to see you soon." 

"Definitely," she replied, waving back at him as he started walking away from her, travel bag in his hands.

Looking up as Gwyn approached the car, Tristan pulled Gwyn into a hug as Jasper stuck his head out of the open car window to greet her. "Everything okay?"

"Sorry for that... took me a little bit more than I had originally expected..."

"No worries. You manage to find him?"

"And talked to him too, he lives in an apartment just above the dessert bar..." she smiled. "He actually was a childhood acquaintance of mine, in a way... and he'd be delighted to meet the two of us there some time."

"Oh really? We should take him up on his offer sometime. So, shall we get going?"

"Mmm-hmm," she replied, placing a kiss on his forehead. "And you drive," she chuckled, as she got inside the car, while Jasper immediately jumped on her lap.

-

"Jeez... are you _sure_ you want to get all of these for me?" Tristan asked incredulously as Gwyn added another article of clothing to the growing pile in his arms as they continued to walk around the mens' department of the clothing store.

"We'll have to sit which of them suit you most, then we see. But! I think all of them will suit you perfectly," she winked, grabbing another pair of trousers and a dress shirt. "Don't complain though," she chuckled. "We got a lot of t-shirts and sweatshirts..."

"I'm not complaining, far from, but more like miffed at the amount of clothing I'm currently holding..." he replied though his voice was muffled by the accumulating pile of cotton goods in front of his face. 

"Will you let _me_ pamper you once in a while?" she retorted, while nodding at the salesgirl that was grinning back at Gwyn like an idiot. 

Knowing that it was a losing battle, Tristan managed to let out a muffled, "Yes ma'am," as Gwyn placed a dark grey tweed driving cap on his head.

Heading towards the changing rooms, Gwyn took half of the clothing lot in her arms and winked back at Tristan, who already looked exhausted from her shopping enthusiasm. 

"Good thing it'll be a relaxing night in tonight," Tristan tiredly chuckled as he managed to find a chair to sit down in.

"Lots done now," she sighed happily. "Now comes part two of my entertainment."

Getting up from his chair, Tristan dragged himself into the dressing room. "Let me guess, the impromptu fashion show by yours truly, right?"

"Yep!" she exclaimed, clapping her hands eagerly.

Laughing heartily, Tristan peeled off his t-shirt as he walked into the dressing room before shutting the door to get dressed in his first outfit: a royal blue dress shirt and light grey trousers. "Should I tuck in the shirt or not?" he called from the dressing room.

"Tuck it and wear the black leather belt that's in the middle of the lot," she called back at him. 

"Fine." After several minutes, Tristan opened the door to the dressing room. "Well?"

"Perfect. That's just my stylish, terribly handsome boyfriend..." she beamed back happily.

"So, what's next?" 

"Whatever you like... you could try the t-shirts you chose yourself if you want." 

"Considering how many pairs of trousers and jeans you gave me? Not to mention all the dress shirts? I think I'll go through the formal stuff before getting to the casual stuff..." he smiled as he headed back to the dressing room to try on and 'model' all of the business formal outfits for Gwyn. After the last outfit (which was a light grey shirt, silver tie, and slim-cut black trousers), Tristan simply stood in front of Gwyn. "So, last one. What do you think?"

"Too bad we're in a shop," she grinned mischievously, while still giving death glares from time to time at whoever was passing close to them and eyeing Tristan.

Arching an eyebrow at Gwyn, he smirked mischievously back. "Oh really huh? Do tell, Ms. Coulston..."

"Dressed that way, in my office... mmh, let's just say we'd have to lock the door. Shut."

"So... that means I should dress like this more often, hmm? Well, it's probably a good thing that all the trousers you picked are cut exactly like this pair. As for the shirts, guess I needed more and according to you, I can never have too many ties. Jeans next?" 

"Mmm-hmm."

"With or without a corresponding t-shirt?" came the mischievous question.

"T-shirt... or else I'd have to kick some women out due to excessive staring."

"What about the men perusing the racks of clothing?"

"Men? I haven't noticed any man staring to tell you the truth... ah well, except one who was looking at me and earned an appropriate death glare."

"I was referring to if you wanted some _private_ time..." he laughed as he headed back to the dressing room, leaving a blushing Gwyn rooted to her chair.

"I... uhm... right."

A few minutes later, he stepped out in a pair of dark blue jeans and a heather grey t-shirt. "Simple is good, right?"

"Yes," she nodded in approval. "Seriously though Tris, you look great in most clothes so I don't really have any comments to make."

"So... should I stop with the modelling or is there one particular thing you want to see me in?"

"Just check if the sizes are alright..."

"The trousers are good, the dress shirts are perfect - though a bit long in the sleeves but nothing a tailor can't fix, the t-shirts are perfect, and the jeans - a bit too loose in the waist and baggy for my taste but still good. Should we go a bit tighter with the jeans?"

"We could check out a smaller size if you want."

"Then I'll leave that to you and your impeccable tastes, babe," he grinned happily at her.

Jumping up from her seat, Gwyn hurried off towards the clothes racks and spotted the same trousers but in a smaller size than the one he had tried out in front of her. Heading back, she handed him the medium-sized pile and placed a kiss on his cheek. "Sorry for the excessive enthusiasm," she chuckled.

"So long as you're enjoying yourself, I'm glad and to tell you the truth, I'm having a great time as well. Be right back," Tristan smiled as he disappeared momentarily before reappearing in the slimmer pair of jeans. "You like?"

"How's it at the waist?" she stood up, walking towards him. "The fit's remarkably better." 

Walking over to her, he took her hands in his before placing her hands on his waist. "You tell me," he replied cheekily. 

"Definitely not baggy or loose..." she smiled, sliding her hands to rest them on the waistband of his jeans. "You comfy with them?"

"Hmm... let's see - you might want to stand back a bit," laughed Tristan as he squatted a few times before performing a backflip, landing on his feet perfectly. "Yep, pretty comfy despite being on the stiff side."

Placing a hand on her mouth, Gwyn tried to stifle a laugh - which turned out to be in vain.

"Something amusing, dear?"

"That's your test to see if it's comfortable?"

"So long as I can move around in them, just like that, they're perfect."

"Good," she chuckled. "The rest is the same size so..." 

"Aww, don't you want to see your boyfriend's butt clad in tight, black denim?"

"Shut up!" she laughed back, smacking his rear slightly.

"Hey hey, watch the goods there..." he laughed as he headed back to the dressing room to try on the other jeans. 

"So you _are_ enjoying it after all."

"I told you I was," Tristan called from the dressing room before walking out in just the black jeans. "Like?" 

"Hell... yes..."

"My my, so eloquent this afternoon, aren't we?"

"You're doing it on purpose, Love," she whispered, sticking her tongue out at him.

"And you love making all these women jealous, Love," he whispered back as he gently placed his palms on her cheeks before bending down to kiss her deeply, ignoring the fact that he was standing half-naked by the dressing rooms and in plain view of the other customers.

"They deserve it, they haven't stopped looking, and heard some of them squeeing... I mean, shut up," she scoffed, making Tristan chuckle in response.

"Mmm, well you're _my_ girlfriend, so that's all that matters to me. How about I get dressed in my actual clothes, we pay for these and we do the shoe-shopping thing now?" 

"Agreed to the full, boyfriend," she smiled back, as she stood up and started to gather all of the clothes.

"Whoa hey, lemme get dressed first, since I'm not wearing these jeans out of here." Giving her a mischievous wink, Tristan headed back into the dressing room to get back into his old jeans, white t-shirt, and extremely worn sneakers before gathering the bulk of the clothing in his arms. 

Once back at the cash desk and with Tristan fully dressed once more, Gwyn held out her credit card at the grinning salesgirl while Tristan gulped softly when he heard the total amount that they had actually spent. 

"Talk about being spoiled and pampered..." he gaped as Gwyn happily signed the receipt. "Well, so long as you're happy, I'm happy too."

"Thank you Sweetheart, it was pretty fun too," she smiled as she took two of the bags in her hands while Tristan gathered the rest.

"I'll bet, as it's not everyday that a full-grown woman gets to play 'dress-up' while using her boyfriend as the 'doll'," Tristan teased as he had two bags in one hand and three in another. "So, shoes?"

"Yes, let's get going... thanks Miss."

Smiling at the salesgirl, Tristan leaned over to kiss Gwyn's cheek. "Thank you again for the shopping spree."

"You're most welcome... now, formal shoes and sneakers?" she smiled, as they finally headed out of the store.

"Ye- hey, I thought just sneakers?" Looking at Gwyn's wry smile, Tristan simply let his shoulders sag, "Right right, dumb question. Let's go see what we can find."

"Mmm-hmm," she grinned back, grabbing his arm and dragging him towards a store she had already spotted earlier. Upon entering, Gwyn heard a small bell tinkle on their heads and after placing the shopping bags on a small couch at one side of the store, Gwyn looked around the place with Tristan, letting him choose whatever fancied his liking.

Picking up a black leather loafer, Tristan began to study it as he felt Gwyn leaning against his arm. "What do you think?"

"Try them out if you like them," she winked back at him. Then, making him look at the opposite side of the room, Gwyn chuckled and pointed out at a particular item. "I think I'm going to try out those," she laughed, indicating a knee-high pair of black boots.

"Ooohh... I likey very much..."

"Tris, I was joking," she chuckled. "Do you remember, when you once told me that you'd imagine me all dressed in leather stuff? I was sincerely going to kill you..."

"Awww... I thought that you might actually humour me and dress up in all leather..." he pouted playfully.

"Honey, that's the stuff Black would make his sluts wear," she snickered, leaning up to whisper in his ear. "I'm much more stylish."

"True. Now _those,_ are more to my liking," Tristan replied as he pointed out a pair of black patent leather heels. "How about those for you?"

"Could try them on, I must admit they're quite smart, I like them."

"Uh-huh. So... I'll try these and some others that I saw... While you go check those out." 

"Need help call for me," she told him as she walked away to check the shoes Tristan had shown her and a couple of other pairs that had sparked her interest.

"I will." Finding the pairs of dress shoes that caught his attention, he motioned for the salesman that he wanted to try on the shoes. After giving his size, the salesman took the shoes and headed to the back rooms to find the pair. Once the salesman returned with the various boxes, Tristan began to try on the shoes - slowly weeding out the ones that he thought looked good only to hate them once he wore them. After finding three pairs of dress shoes to his liking (two pairs of black loafers and one pair of tan lace-ups), Tristan moved onto some boots that he thought would work well with his suits. Once these were tried on (and after asking Gwyn for her opinion, to which she loved them), two pairs of black boots were added to his 'to buy' pile. Finally, he found his sneakers and got them in black, white, and navy blue. 

"Done dear?"

"I think so... but... I'm still on the fence about that one pair of boots over there... I really like them, but I think I have enough shoes for today."

"Go try them on..." 

"I did... Oh, right, you didn't see me wear them." Grabbing the boots, Tristan pulled them on and let his pant legs slide over them as he stood up in front of Gwyn. "Well?"

"You're getting them," she chuckled. "I mean, they look great, plus you like them... so? Forget the _'I have enough shoes for today'_ , I'm treating you no? So be it." 

"Well, I know that I'm beat, so you win. Though, do I need another pair of brown shoes or is what I have okay?"

"I think they're alright, plus frankly, I prefer black to brown."

"I know black is more versatile, but I like wearing the brown or tan shoes with my navy pinstripe suit. And now that I have more navy trousers, I thought it'd be good."

"We're here so... pick what you like," she winked back, sitting down once more.

Making a beeline to where the brown and tan shoes were, Tristan found a pair of brown lace-ups and asked the salesman for his size before sitting down next to Gwyn. "So, find anything for yourself?"

"Apart from that pair you told me about, check out these two boxes," she replied, handing him the pairs for him to check out.

"I like I like. Those red ones are hot... Hey, what's that box there?" he asked as he pointed to a shoe box next to Gwyn's purse. Walking over to it, he let out a whoop as he realized that Gwyn was getting the boots. "These will look so good with those dark jeans that you own... Wear a white button-up shirt and a black blazer... so so gorgeously sexy, babe."

"Sexy with a hint of smart," she grinned, placing a kiss on his cheek.

"Exactly. Mmm... I can't wait to see you in them..." 

"I might next time we go out..." she smiled. "As for the red one, should be perfect with a black dress." 

Seeing the salesman return, Tristan took the shoebox and began trying on the shoes. "I like. How about you?"

"Do I need to tell you what I think?" she grinned back at him.

"You don't but I like hearing what you think."

"They'd look perfect with your pinstripe suit," she winked back.

"Great! Guess we're done here... although, do you want to be cute and have matching sneakers?"

"What do the sneakers have to do with the brown ones?" she blinked.

"I'm done picking out shoes, and thought you might want to pick out a pair of sneakers. That's all."

Getting back on her feet again, Gwyn walked towards the area with the sneakers and picked out two particular ones from the lot, asking Tristan whether he actually liked her choice. In return, he pointed at one pair for Gwyn to try on herself, since she admitted she didn't have many casual shoes after all.

"I think the black ones will work - since they go with everything. Plus, I think they suit you."

Nodding to his reply, Gwyn asked for the salesperson to get her that pair in her size and sat back down on the couch while waiting, swinging her feet like a little girl, earning a grin from Tristan in return.

"Anxious much?" he chuckled as he took her hand in his. "Also, this has been a really great day."

"Happy you enjoyed, really," she looked up, giving him a full-face smile.

"And I'm glad that you were here right by my side," Tristan whispered before leaning over to kiss her nose. "And thank you again for your generosity."

"Nothing, that was nothing, believe me." 

"If you say so, but I insist getting dinner. Alright? What do you say to having wine and pizza at home?" 

"Yeah," she whispered, reaching up to kiss him.

Kissing each other gently, they broke apart the moment they heard the salesman's approaching footsteps. 

"Seems you're ready Sir, Madam," the man grinned as he saw Tristan and Gwyn moving away from each other as their kiss ended. 

"Yes quite... so... that's our lot," Gwyn told the man, pointing at the number of boxes stacked one above the other on the couch. 

Widening his eyes at the sight, the salesman simply grabbed what he could and carried them to the register, while the couple helped him out.

"I'm extremely glad you've found quite a few items that are to your liking," he nodded visibly pleased. "I'll wrap everything up for you, they'll be ready in a minute," he nodded as he placed the boxes on the desk and walked up behind the counter.

"Should I bring the car round so that we don't have to walk as far?"

"Oh, good idea Tris."

"Okay, I'll be right back!"

Standing at the door with the bags right next to her from the clothes stores, Gwyn crossed her arms on her chest and leaned against the door-frame, silently watching the people passing by, something she had actually started appreciating only recently - humans only used to be pawns and victims in her eyes not too long ago. The old lady selling flowers, the group of kids running after each other at what seemed to be part of a prank, the random couple, the family holding each other's hands while walking, the stray man reading a newspaper with an old cane rested on his arm... So many of them. So different.

"Miss? Sorry to disturb you, but I wanted to inform you that your parcels are ready."

"Thank you Sir, and sorry for the hassle," she chuckled. "That was very helpful of you."

"Oh not a problem at all, ma'am. I must say, the favourite part of my day is simply watching all of the humans go about their daily business," he replied with a smile. "Now now, I did detect you, but I mean you absolutely no harm. Honestly."

Turning to face him, with a look of complete surprise, Gwyn blinked back at him, taken by surprise by the fact that she had a vampire in front of her. "How come I don't know you?"

"I'm not affiliated with any side of the Clan and I live as I please. I've traveled extensively before finally settling here. Believe me, all those years of simply traveling, you learn to appreciate simple things. Even today, after seeing you, young miss, and the human boy interact over something as simple as shopping for shoes... I love seeing the simple joys that people experience. May I ask your name, young miss?"

"Full name's Gwendalynn Coulston... but I'm simply called Gwyn most of the time, pleased to meet you..." she introduced herself, stretching her arm towards him.

"Andrew James and the pleasure's all mine," he smiled warmly as he shook her hand. "Just between the two of us, your human boy has exquisite taste in shoes."

Smiling sweetly back at him, Gwyn nodded and blushed slightly in return. "Yeah, he doesn't think so but anyway. I know that he chose most of the things himself after all. And... glad to meet someone like you Andrew, I bet you see things all too differently than I do. I've been raised by the Clan after all."

"Most probably, Miss Gwyn. And for someone raised by the Clan, at least you're completely open to appreciating humans as they are - not simply as a means of food for us. I personally can't stand the taste of human blood, I mostly hunt for livestock and game, as I'm a firm believer in not wasting my food. So after draining their blood, I tend to cook them as food - and whatever I cannot eat, I save for another day. Coulston eh? The name sounds quite familiar..."

"Maybe you knew my parents..."

"Perhaps that's it. Oh - here he is now," Andrew grinned as Tristan made his way over to the shop. "Now Miss Gwyn, if I could ask for you to sign for the shoes, I'll help the boy with your various packages."

"Ah, yes sure, I'm sorry," she promptly replied, placing a signature on the receipt.

"And thank you so much for the lovely chat. Please take care of yourself and your boy," he continued to smile as he opened the door for Tristan.

"Oh thank you Sir. All done here Gwyn?"

"Yes dear, Andrew here was very helpful too..."

"Ah great to know," smiled Tristan as he and Andrew began gathering the bags. "And thank you again for all of your help, Sir."

"My pleasure, young man. Now, if you'll lead the way..."

"Sure! Gwyn honey, if you please?"

"Yes sure," she replied, as she walked out to open the boot of her car. "Should be fine here, big as ever," she chuckled, as she opened to reveal the extremely spacious car boot.

"Oh wow, that truly is spacious," chuckled Andrew as he and Tristan began loading the things into the car while Jasper stuck his head out of the window to see what was going on.

"Quite," she smiled, as she took Jasper in her arms and started cuddling the puppy gently. "It's perfect for shopping requirements."

Once the bags and packages were fully loaded into the car, Tristan and Gwyn shook hands with Andrew before climbing into their car. "Drive safely you two and have a good day."

"Same to you," the pair smiled as Jasper barked in farewell as well before driving off, leaving Andrew waving off in the distance. As soon as they were out of sight, Andrew re-entered his store and continued to help out the other customers.

"I'd really appreciate some sleep now," confessed Gwyn, yawning as Jasper nuzzled against her.

"Sure, as it's best to be rested. Since we have the ingredients, I'll bake the pizzas while you nap. By the time you wake up, dinner should be completely ready and we can enjoy having pizza and drinking wine by the fireplace for a quiet night in. What happens after dinner, and prior to bed... I'll leave to your discretion..." 

"We'll see to that," she chuckled, as Jasper shifted in his sleep. "But the plan sounds perfect to me, really."

"Good. Now rest, I'll take care of everything," he whispered as Gwyn began nodding off to sleep while he drove back home to her apartment.

-

Arriving back home, Tristan looked over to see that both Gwyn and Jasper were sound asleep in the passenger's seat. Chuckling to himself quietly, Tristan climbed out of the car and and proceeded to unbuckle Gwyn from her seat before carrying both her and Jasper upstairs. After a bit of finagling, he managed to unlock the door and open it without disturbing either sleeping party. Carrying them to the bedroom first, he gently undressed Gwyn down to her underwear and his t-shirt and tucked her under the blankets before carrying Jasper back to his dog bed, but not before tucking his ragged t-shirt around the puppy like a blanket. Satisfied that both were sleeping peacefully, the young man proceeded to unpack the car and carry the goods back inside. Several trips later, he set his gifts to his nieces and nephew in their own bag on the dresser before pulling out Jasper's goodies. Taking Jasper's items with him, he replaced both of the current bowls with the ones they had gotten that afternoon as well as placing the new toys by Jasper's bed.

Heading back into the bedroom, Tristan cleaned up his hands and started to unpack his new wardrobe from the various bags, though being completely careful and mindful of not waking Gwyn. Folding the various t-shirts and jeans took little time, and after locating a sufficient number of hangers, Tristan began hanging his new dress shirts, dress trousers, and two new suits in the closet. Studying the enclosed space, he let out a laugh as he realized just how much of his stuff had begun to migrate over to Gwyn's, as well as the fact that she had reserved room for his clothes in her closet as well. Heading back to the bedroom, Tristan placed his t-shirts and sweatshirts into the empty drawers of the dresser and placed his jeans in the closet. Finally, he began carrying the boxes of shoes to the closet and placed them in the free spots on the shelves. Nodding in satisfaction, he stripped off his jeans and opted for a pair of football shorts before heading back to the kitchen.

Gathering all of the needed ingredients, pots, and pans, Tristan began to work on making the pizza dough. After mixing and kneading the dough, he let it rest as he got to work on the ingredients. Slicing cheese and meats, chopping up various vegetables, and preparing the tomato sauce, Tristan checked on the dough again before beginning to work on it. After dividing the dough again, he let it rest before finishing up the sauce and letting it cool. Smiling to himself, Tristan quickly made two large pizzas that were topped with a variety of toppings and popped them into the oven that was pre-heating the entire time before checking what wines were available in the wine chiller. Selecting the wines, Tristan placed them on the top-most racks in order to remember grabbing them, checked the pizzas, and calmly made himself a glass of orange juice as he waited for dinner to finish cooking.

Back in the bedroom, Gwyn stirred slightly in her sleep, and smiled when she realised that Tristan had carried her all the way from the car to her room. Sitting up, and stretching slightly, she chuckled in realisation of being just in one of Tristan's t-shirts and her panties, she slid down from bed, slipped on a pair of slippers and headed straight for the kitchen, happy to smell the food being cooked in the kitchen by Tristan. Entering the kitchen in perfect silence, Gwyn tiptoed her way across the room and moved right behind him, circling her arms around his waist.

"Thank you for carrying me upstairs... thank you for not waking me up... and thank you for the cooking," she told him, placing a kiss right in the middle of his back. "At least, there wasn't me around for the whole while, so you managed to finish off without the danger prowling around and any distractions. Pizzas are in the oven I suppose, right?"

"Couldn't have you burning your hands again, so it was probably for the best and yes they are. Also, have a good nap, babe?" Tristan replied with a small grin on his face. Feeling her nod against his back, Tristan placed his hands over hers and rubbed them slightly.

"Mmm-hmm... I guess I was pretty sleepy anyway so..." she smiled. "And yes, very good indeed."

"I'm glad that you're so rested now. We can have a quiet night in, as well as our quiet morning." Turning around, he wrapped his arms around her. "So I picked a red wine to go with dinner, sound good?"

"Perfect," she whispered, resting her head on his shoulder while leaning against him.

"Mmm," he smiled as he rubbed his cheek against the top of her head.

"Are you tired? After all of the shopping?" she chuckled softly. "Was a bit demanding I must admit..."

"Somewhat, but I'm enjoying this."

"Same here... I mean, it's not like I've had this too frequently lately... well, ever. I'd just come here and work."

"Until recently, I just went home to an empty apartment after work and exercising... I'm glad I have you."

"Quite the win-win situation, right?"

"Definitely. So, dinner? Pizzas should be ready now."

"Yes please," she smiled as he slowly let go of her after placing a quick kiss on her forehead. Sitting down on one of the kitchen stools, Gwyn rested her elbows on the kitchen bar and stood silent while observing Tristan handling the oven, plates and anything related with much ease. Realising how bad she was at those things, she chuckled as Tristan came up with two large plates with the pizzas upon them.

Sensing her mild discomfort regarding her lack of skills in the kitchen, he grinned at her. "Honey, could you grab the two bottles on the top shelf of the wine chiller and uncork one of them please?"

"Right," she replied, jumping off the stool to fetch the bottles and open one of them without much effort. Grabbing two wine glasses and the bottle, she paced back towards him, resting the bottle right in front of Tristan. "There you go."

"Thank you," Tristan winked as he poured out wine for the two of them while the pizzas were cooling. Handing her a glass, he softly clinked the glass against the other before taking a sip. "Thank you for a wonderful day out. It's the nicest thing that anyone's done for me in a long time."

"Seriously?" she replied, as she briefly studied the wine and took the first sip. "I'm really glad you enjoyed it..."

"Mm-hmm. I rarely ever let my sisters spoil me whenever I visit or when they visit me. As for Cyn and the guys, same as I never let them treat me - though my birthday is always an exception. Any other time... I'm usually pretty stubborn about it."

"I'm actually proud I managed to pamper you a bit," she grinned back proudly. 

"Probably because you're able to _do things_ to me that _they_ can't," he smirked as he playfully leered in her direction.

"Like?" she chuckled, as she cut out the first bite off her pizza.

"I think the bed and the couch and floor in your office know _exactly_ what I'm talking about..." 

Laughing out upon hearing that, Gwyn cut a piece from her pizza and held it out in front of Tristan's mouth. "Just shut up and eat."

"Told you," he laughed as he began to eat his pizza slices.

"Do you really find it comfortable to do that?" she asked, as she placed another bite in her mouth.

"Find what comfortable?" he mumbled as he chewed on the crust before moving onto his second piece.

"Eating it with your hands... I mean, it can turn out messy, you can mess your clothes... the table..."

"Like this." Folding the large slice in half, he began eating the pizza like a sandwich.

"Nah, wouldn't manage," she chuckled, shaking her head in response.

"If you say so..."

"Trust me," she laughed as she took another sip of wine. "Tris, you still with the idea of painting after dinner? Could play the piano while you do... could be quite relaxing, what do you say?"

"I could paint... provided you have paints and a canvas or two. Otherwise, I could always just sketch," he shrugged as he took a long sip of wine.

"There should be some stuffs in the store room, with Anne's things. She once tried to start that as a hobby and gave up after a couple of days," she chuckled as she took another bite of pizza. "I remember her saying that she wasn't patient enough."

"Then I'll probably take a stab at it after dinner then."

"Stab?" she laughed, almost choking in her wine. "You're going to kill the painting or what?"

"Sure, we'll have lots of reds - and it'll represent your fiery red dress..." he winked.

"Wait a minute, you're painting me?" she blinked back at him.

"Apparently I've painted you before, and I was a little boy. I think I've gotten better since then, plus I wouldn't mind painting you as you are now."

"I'm not in the dress... and, I'll just be giving you my back when you'll be drawing... would that help much?" she asked him, as she watched him gobble down the last slice of pizza lying in his plate.

"What makes you think I'll be painting you in the red dress, and yes, your back is fine. But then again, you don't even know what I have in mind yet," he grinned.

"Oh alright, sorry," she pouted playfully, as she proceeded into finishing her pizza. 

"I could, but I'm thinking of something better for you."

"As you wish Sir," she smiled in return, sticking her tongue out at him. "Maybe we should have something for dessert too, what do you think?" she suggested, as she finished her second glass of wine.

"Sure. Anything you have in mind?"

Getting back on her feet, and after placing a kiss on his hair, Gwyn walked over to the fridge and opened to check out whatever Anne had left there for them. Grinning very pleased at her finding, Gwyn took out the remaining part of the white chocolate gateau that was lying on the second tier of the fridge and walked back to the kitchen bar, placing it in front of Tristan, who leaned over to kiss her cheek.

"There's always some kind of goodie made by Anne over there... it should have white chocolate and coffee in it I suppose."

"We'll check in a minute," Tristan grinned as he grabbed a teaspoon and had a taste of the dessert. "Definitely has coffee in it, here," he told her, holding out the teaspoon with some of the gateau to her. 

"Mmm-hmm, you're right."

"Delicious though. The coffee should give me a needed caffeine boost."

Pouring herself another glass of wine, Gwyn sat back next to Tristan and rested her shoulder on his. "The caffeine in the cake? Think that's enough?"

"I could always make coffee if you want as well?"

"I have my wine," she nodded, taking yet another sip. "Thank you though..."

Taking a sip out of her glass, Tristan gave her a deep and sensual kiss. "You're welcome. Guess I'll make some for me then."

"And you're leaving the cake in front of me all alone and unattended? Such a temptation," she laughed, as she slowly drank half the glass straight.

"Not really," laughed Tristan as he wrapped an arm around her waist tightly as he proceeded to make coffee with his free hand. "I'm keeping you close, since I'm enjoying the fact that you're simply wearing just your panties and my t-shirt..."

"And what does that have to do with the cake?" she chuckled as she continued observing him.

"I'm prioritizing what I'm holding dear to me, and you are ranked number one, coffee and cake are tied for the number two spot," Tristan snickered as he kissed the back of her neck.

"Good to know," Gwyn smiled, leaning against him.

Getting the brewing coffee process started, Tristan gently pinned Gwyn against the kitchen counter and began to kiss her.

"Don't forget the coffee now Tris..." she whispered back, as she wrapped her arms tightly around him and rested her forehead against his.

"No worries, as I've got something more important in front of me that needs my attention," he whispered as he picked her up and placed her on the counter.

"Definitely more than the cake," she laughed back.

"Mm-hmm," he whispered as he leaned in to kiss her again. Wrapping their arms around each other, the pair continued to kiss each other gently as the coffee brewed slowly. Once their kiss ended as well as the coffee finished brewing, Gwyn pulled Tristan's t-shirt off and tossed it somewhere behind him, making him laugh as he set her on the ground. Hugging each other briefly, he prepared a cup of coffee before the pair finished of the cake. Tossing the dirty dishes into the sink, Gwyn made her way over to the piano while Tristan managed to locate a pencil, a blank canvas, several paints, and several brushes as well as an easel. Setting the canvas onto the easel while Gwyn began to play, Tristan began to sketch out his outline.

-

Across town, Ryan Black sat in a chair in his uncle's palatial home. Stirring his tea listlessly, all Black could think about were two things: feeding on some unsuspecting victims - particularly on ones that resembled either Tristan or Gwyn and fucking his personal pawn, Lara Howell, senseless. Smiling ferociously, he remembered the first time that they had encountered each other - he was waiting to meet with Fred - which led to him sitting in Lara's chair as she had _attended_ to him while hidden under her desk. Once she had finished and he had met with Fred, they had congregated in an empty office where they had proceeded to have sex. Realissing that Lara not only loved rough sex but the fact that she was Fred's personal assistant, Black also realised that he could use her to his advantage to advance himself within the Clan as well as the fact that he found her to be a good and satisfying shag. Despite her whispering how many times she loved him, Black merely saw her as his personal toy, and nothing more than that. Hearing the door open, Black looked up to find his uncle approaching.

"Uncle Lucius, good to see you this evening," Black replied smoothly as he greeted his uncle.

"And I'm glad to see you too here Ryan, your whereabouts are becoming pretty rare of late."

"I've been preoccupied with things as of late. I had heard that you had a meeting with the Council a little while a go, how was that?"

"Quite usual, I must admit, usual discussions, usual tea..." he chuckled, as he sat on the armchair opposite his. "And _you're_ preoccupied you say... about what?"

Inhaling deeply, Black let out an audible sigh. "There's a particular little boy that has captured my interest... Fred's been incessantly talking about him, as well as the fact that I suspect that he's Commander Coulston's personal pet..." 

"Pet?! I mean, Ryan, that's not very appropriate language to use when talking about one of your superior officers," he replied, feigning non-chalance at what his nephew was telling him.

"Yes well that particular _bitch_ has stood in my way for far too long, and if I want to call her little human her personal fuck toy, I will, regardless if she's a Commander or not."

"Really, nephew..." he muttered, clenching at the armchair's rest more tightly. "Head of Clan would kill you if he'd hear that."

"I honestly don't give a shit about what _Frederick_ thinks about what I call his _precious Gwyn_ . Nor I don't see why the old bastard's so interested in the human boy known as _Tristan Faraday_!" yelled Black angrily, ignoring the fact that Lucius had visibly tensed up.

"Ryan... Stop. Muttering. Nonesense," he growled in a rather menacing tone, as he stood back on his feet and slammed his walking stick against the wooden flooring of the room.

Noticing the shift in his uncle's demeanor, Black began to track Lucius' movements. "What nonsense do you mean? And what's got your panties in a twist?"

"Shut up!" he raged, as he walked towards the fireplace. "I'm fed up of covering your behaviour with the Council, Ryan. Enough is enough."

"What do you mean, _covering for my behaviour_ ? I wasn't aware that I needed _protecting_..." glared Black.

"Oh, you don't even imagine."

"Try me, Uncle."

"Try what? I've pledged secrecy with whatever's discussed at Council, and you know that well enough, so I cannot tell you. But you cannot continue this way, try angering Frederick and you're dead. And I'm not joking. He _adores_ Gwendalynn and has a thing for the said Faraday boy... so... you touch them, and he ruins you. That's how he'd go about it. You've already challenged his patience when you faced off with the boy. I don't think you should go overboad more than you did."

"Feh... Even _you_ are enamored by this _child_..."

"Don't allude to such idioticies, Ryan. I don't even know who the boy is, and I'm not really eager to know anyway. What bothers me is you and your reputation, nothing else."

"Don't be daft - I _saw_ you tense up when I mentioned the boy by name. As for my reputation, I'll do as I please."

"You're worse than your father when it comes to utter stubbornness."

"Fine, if it'll get you off my back, I'll mind my p's and q's... Now, why _did_ you tense at the boy's name. You know something, _don't you_ , Uncle," Black asked coldly as he stared down Lucius.

"Nothing much, just that Frederick considers him as a promising newborn."

"That's all I've managed to get out of Frederick - say, what book are removing from off the shelf?"

"What book? It's just some of my research materials, why do you ask?"

Getting up from his chair, Black easily plucked the book from Lucius' hands and studied it. "A book on the Destined Ones? Really? What's so bloody fascinating about them? They're an old wives' tale..."

"Coincidentally," he snapped, grabbing back the book from his hands. "Your uncle is quite interested in that wives' tale."

Pulling the book roughly from Lucius' grasp, both men stared as the book fell to the ground, opened to a particular picture of one of the know Destined Ones. Bending down, Black focused his attention to the picture, only to growl in anger as he saw who the figure in the book was. "IS THIS WHY?! THIS IS WHY FRED WANTS THE BOY?! GODDAMN THAT ASSHOLE!!"

"You can make your own conclusions, Ryan."

"Oh I've made them, as have you. Now... does Fred _honestly_ think he can actually utilise the boy to such a capacity? What if to say that the boy is not, and yet Fred still wants him... Also, he's Coulston's pet after all..." Laughing, Black began to smirk. "Ahh, it all makes sense... To control the boy is to control the Clan..."

"Don't you dare do something, anything... you seriously want to die?"

"Not particularly, but... Let's see if I can actually _appeal_ to him... he would make a powerful ally. As well as the fact that I'll have his bitch under my thumb... Mmm... and I can't have him, then I'll break him in the most humiliating way possible... Oh my little Destined One, you do not realise just how much power you have within your grasp," came the maniacal laughter from Black.

"Wait, wait a second... appeal to who? To Frederick?" he stuttered as he caught a glimpse of Diana standing at the door, visibly confused.

"Oh no no no, not Frederick, but the _boy_ ," grinned Black evilly. "Oh you should see him, such a delicate looking thing - reminds me of a woman at times. Mmm... he probably screams like one too... Remind me to send you a picture of the boy, he's such a little _darling_." Looking over he saw his aunt in the doorway. "Ahh, Auntie Diana, how good it is to see you. Thank you for the tea, but I really must go. I have a date tonight."

"Ryan!"

"Do whatever you wish, I'm fed up of chiding you. But, one bad move, and if that boy is really Gwendalynn's favorite... she won't let you live if you touch him. Be it human or not."

"To be honest, Uncle, I'd rather the boy try to kill me. That way, I can watch the look of sheer horror on Gwendalynn's face when I kill him in front of her. Just the mere thought of that excites me to the core. Good evening," replied Black as he gathered his things and headed back home, to where he knew that Lara would be more than happy to partake in a bit of _roleplaying_ for the night.

"This is going to be more complicated than I thought," Lucius sighed still in his study room, as Diana walked up behind him to wrap her arms round his waist. "Never encountered such a boy, ever, in all of my years."

"Why don't you ask someone to keep an eye on him for you?"

"I could but he'd probably realise that... Di, I don't know what to do, really."

"See what will happen... if things take the wrong turning, I'll help you out myself. I promise."

"Thank you..." Lucius whispered slightly relieved, as little did he know that his nephew had left his house mind full of plotting against the human and the vampire.

"Ry, you're back?" a familiar female voice greeted him from the kitchen when she heard the main door close as she continued preparing dinner.

"Mmm, and I've learned a few things tonight, some _very interesting things,_ " he whispered as he proceeded to stand behind her and slide his hands down the waistband of her skirt and panties. "Up for a bit of roleplay this evening?"

"Roleplay?" she turned to blink back at him, still with a pan and wooden spoon in her hands. "What have you _actually_ discussed with your Uncle tonight?"

"Mostly as to just how important _little pretty_ is to the Clan's future. But, in controlling little pretty, you control both the Clan and his personal little bitch," he continued to whisper as he began stroking her lightly before moving roughly onto her, making her moan loudly. "Yes you little slut, you love that, _don't you_..."

"You promised you would have stopped calling me that," she groaned as she clung closer to him.

"Did I? Hmm, but it turns you on so easily when I call you that... Mmm... yes you are extremely turned on," he smirked as he continued to move. "Oh, I'll bet you're wishing that it was something else inside you, hmm?"

"Just take me in the bedroom this instant," she growled, followed by a scream of utter pleasure. "Remind me... Ry," she then whispered sensually. "How do you want your roleplay..."

"A few toys should do the trick, as well as me taking you from behind," he growled back ferociously before kissing her. "As well as referring to you as _Faraday_..." 

Stopping to a halt, Lara gaped back at Ryan, in semi-shock, and stepped a pace back. "What? Forget it. Go find a man that looks like him if you want to so much, I won't do that," she snapped back, distraught. 

"I don't think so," he smirked as he moved faster. "You said that you'd do anything for me. Are you backing out now? Because if so, I'll be even rougher on you than usual... And think about when I do this to you, I want you to do this to him... I want to _control_ him, because he's the key into making me Head of the Clan..."

"Have you even thought of AD's reaction?" she snapped back at him, moving away from his touch to switch off the cooker.

"Control the boy and the little bitch queen will fall..."

"If you say so... you should be aware that it's not that easy, so what's all this emphasis on this whole thing?"

Pulling down her skirt and underwear roughly, Black thrust into her forcefully. "Other than controlling the boy through humiliation, I simply just wanted to fuck you. Simple as that," he replied calmly as he continued to move his hips.

"And I haven't... said anything as... I'M GODDAMN HUNGRY AND YOU HAVEN'T EVEN HAD THE DECENCY TO ASK," she roared back, clutching against the kitchen counter.

"Oh I know what you're hungry for. I promise you we'll find a nice little victim, play with him briefly, and then eat. Like that?" came the evil chuckle as Black pulled out and switched his position. "Ahhhh, my little whore loves that too..."

Grinning, Lara merely snickered, giving him full permission to continue. "Now now, that just sounds like a good plan to me, Ry... go on."

Once they had finished, the pair had cleaned themselves up and prowled the streets until they happened upon a dark-haired, blue-eyed young man in one of the local bars. After chatting him up a bit (as well as drugging him), they brought him back to Black's apartment. Taking advantage of the young man's lack of inhibitions, they proceeded in having their way with him sexually before feeding off of him - killing him easily. After getting rid of the body, the pair decided to stay in for the rest of the evening.

-

Across town, two lovers were enjoying a quiet night in as music and laughter filled the air in a rather palatial apartment.

"Hey! No peeking," Tristan laughed playfully as Gwyn continued to try to look at his work-in-progress. In his continued fight to preserve his work's secrecy, he had various streaks of paint and handprints all over his bare chest and abdomen, back, and on his butt (which caused Tristan to yelp as his shorts were pulled down and was spanked a few times) - courtesy of Gwyn.

"Tris, do I have to continue staying still?" she chuckled as she headed back to the piano to sit down. "First you told me to sit straight, then relax, then not to laugh... now?"

"Just stay, almost done with getting the skintones right..." he murmured as Gwyn sat back down on the bench with an audible 'thump'.

"When you're ready tell me... please," she told him with a giggle, as she started playing a new song again.

Swiping the brush over the canvas one last time, he smiled. "Alright go about moving around. I'm done with painting you, now I have the other parts to paint."

"Yes!" she exclaimed happily as she jumped off the bench and headed towards Tristan. "You mean I can peek?"

"Noooo... you peek and I'm going to start painting your face instead of your legs and arms instead," came the playful warning.

"Right," she pouted as she lied, tummy down on the fitted carpet close to where he was sitting, and decided to rest there to watch him painting. "You know what? You put your tongue out when you concentrate at that."

"Huh? Like how?"

"Like this," she laughed out, imitating him, distracting him as she walked her fingers up his feet and started tickling him.

"HEY!" Tristan laughed out loud as he tried hopping away on one foot to get away, only fall over onto the carpet as Gwyn proceeded into tickling him. "Stop..." he whined while laughing.

"Mmm... nope," she grinned, as she crawled up to him to tickle his sides. 

Trying to wrap his arms around her, Tristan found himself pinned to the floor as Gwyn straddled his waist and took his palette before proceeding to paint all over his chest and stomach again. "So not fair..." he continued to giggle as the brush, paints, and her fingers continued to tickle him.

"See, I've got talent - live frescos," she laughed as she leaned in to place a quick kiss on his lips.

Kissing her back, he managed to wriggle his arms out from under her and pull her close, but not before pointing out his painting. "Hope you like it," he whispered as he actually painted Gwyn in a wedding gown - and himself in his blue uniform.

"Why... that's gorgeous," she gasped as she sat up to look at the picture. 

"It came to me while you were playing... I'm not guessing, but rather, this is _exactly_ what we'll look like on our wedding day."

"In your uniform, that's nice," she turned to look at him, giving him a full-face smile. "And... think that'll be soon?"

"Not just that, but _that's_ the wedding dress that we'll find for you - not make, but _find_ for you... Count on it," he whispered. "And... as for when it'll be...in our near future."

"Oh I trust you to that," she replied, leaning in to give him another kiss. "I love that... really, it's beautiful."

"Thank you, and I can't wait for that day to become real." Smiling, he kissed her gently. "So, you promised that we can telework tomorrow morning... how would you like tonight's bedroom antics to be?" he asked with a mischievous smirk.

"Utterly romantic," came her quick reply as Tristan raised his eyebrow.

"So energetic, passionate and loud or slow, sensual, and quiet?"

"Second option pleases me more to tell you the truth," she grinned as she moved over to tickle his sides once again.

"Do we have more candles for both the bedroom and the bathroom then? We'll need to get cleaned up before getting into bed..."

"I've asked Anne to buy more for me so... mmm-hmm," she replied, circling her arms round his waist.

"Then how about we let this dry and you and I start with the tub?" he whispered before kissing her.

"With this you mean you or the painting?" she laughed, resting her forehead against his when their kiss ended.

"The painting. Both you and I will be getting wet very soon," he smirked as he smoothly got to his feet while cuddling Gwyn against him.

"Tris, behave," she whispered, placing a kiss on his neck.

"What? This is me behaving and stating the obvious as we're going to be in the tub soon..." he chuckled. As he carried her, Tristan noticed that Jasper had rolled over onto his back and was sticking his paws out in mid-air while the old t-shirt still covered him from mid-belly. "At least I now know what to do with my old shirts... blankets for Jasper..."

"I think he's just perfectly comfortable in that."

"Mmm, just as my current shirts have been going to you," Tristan smiled as they entered their bedroom, closing the door with his foot easily, before heading into the bathroom and setting Gwyn down. "Soooo... get the candles ready?"

"Mmm-hmm," she smiled, as she moved over to the bathroom cabinet and opened it to find quite the impressive number of candles that Anne had bought for her. Scented candles, small tealight candles, aromatherapy ones were amongst the large collection that her maid had left for her. "Ooooh, Tris, you just have to see this," she laughed out, holding the cabinet doors open for him to check out.

Looking up from filling the tub with hot water, Tristan got up and wandered over to where Gwyn was standing. "Wow... you could open your own candle shop in here or something. Or maybe Anne's being really _blatant_ with her hints..."

"I think I'll light up the lavender and vanilla ones," she smiled as she took the two candles in her hands. "You can light up a couple of tealight ones if you want." 

Grabbing a couple of the tealights, he began to place them around the room strategically before grabbing the matches from the cabinet. "At times like these, I wish I could snap my fingers to set these things on fire..."

"If you were a magician maybe," she chuckled as she lit up the two large ones, smiling when their scent immediately started filling the room.

"Or an alchemist or something..." he grinned as he snuffed the last match out before tossing it in the trash and wrapping his arms around Gwyn's waist. "Hmm... our reflections are quite comical this time around."

"Why?" she blinked back at him as she placed a quick kiss on his nose.

"Could be the fact that you managed to paint me all over my chest, abs, back and butt while I managed to get your arms, legs, and I believe your stomach." Pointing to their reflection, they both began to laugh at their multi-colored selves, especially when she pulled down Tristan's shorts and saw her handprints on his rear. "And _that_ I still can't believe you did... Least you didn't do that to my front."

"No I wouldn't do that, I'm in my... terribly cuddly mode, so to speak," she laughed, sounding relaxed.

"Apparently, but then again, you _like_ touching me _there_ under the cover of either bubbles or blankets - not that I mind, as it's totally private between us. But apparently, you're getting more open about smacking my ass every once in a while... usually when I'm clothed or naked."

"Because that's part of my property package," she grinned, leaning in to kiss his shoulder.

"True," he smirked as he pulled off her t-shirt and unsnapped her bra before wrapping his arms around her again.

"As much as I am yours," she smiled. 

Sliding each other's underwear off, Tristan carried Gwyn over to the tub and set her down before climbing in after her. As they faced each other in the tub, surrounded by candlelight and covered in lavender-scented bubbles, the pair smiled gently at one another. "I love you Gwyn," came the quiet admission as he held her hands under the water.

"Love you too..."

Pulling her close, Tristan let Gwyn begin to scrub the paint off of him, tickling him in the process. "Tris stop moving, I'll end up hurting you if you continue to squirm," she chuckled softly.

"But it tickles," he laughed and whined at the same time. "Good thing the paint's coming off easily..." 

"It is... was it watercolour?" she asked while she continued gently scrubbing the colour off.

"Mm-hmm," murmured Tristan as he felt her hands resting on his thighs as she scrubbed his stomach, but began to moan slightly as her hand kept brushing against him. "If you're doing that on purpose, then this is heavenly torture..."

"No no no, trust me, not on purpose... really," she replied, letting out a giggle. "Guess that's clean now," she smiled proudly back at him.

"At least the front is..." he smiled as he managed to turn around and give her his back. "Now for this..."

"I didn't realise I did all of this mess," she laughed as she put some bath soap on his back and lathered it slowly. "Is it alright Tris?"

"Yep, totally." 

"And totally as in..." she whispered as she moved closer and placed a number of soft, warm kisses on the very spot where his shoulder blades met.

"As in I like you spoiling me like this... Makes me feel special," Tristan whispered happily. 

"That's because it's exactly what you are to me..."

"Well, you're my special somebody to me, for what it's worth."

"Thank you," she uttered softly, resting her forehead against his back. "Just... thank you, for everything."

"Oh... You're welcome," came the stunned reply, as he felt Gwyn wrap her arms around him. 

"You shouldn't be surprised... you know I think that about you..." she smiled. "Don't change Tris... ever, please..."

"I promise. So...you got my back...managed to get the paint off my butt?" he snickered lightly.

"Trust me, I'm pretty sure it's gone," she nodded, chuckling as she still rested her head against him.

"Aww, you don't want to check? Might as well get you, then we can drain the tub and soak for a while. Deal?"

"Wait wait," she laughed out. "You don't mean I should check your rear for paint, do you?"

"Aside from the front, you love touching me there anyways, so why wouldn't you check? After all, you're the one that kept spanking me there with your paint-covered hands," teased Tristan. 

"Get up then," she pouted playfully. "We'll see how much paint I left there - marking of territory that is," she laughed.

Laughing, Tristan stood up from the bath before bending over slightly. "Well?"

"Tease, told you it's all gone," she chuckled, slapping his rear slightly. "Will you help me up now please?"

"Meanie. And sure," he chuckled as he turned around and helped her to stand. "So, we'll drain all this away before refilling the tub. Then we can have a nice long relaxing soak. Yeah?"

"Agreed," she grinned as she clung tightly to him, keeping steady as possible in order not to slip or anything.

Once he drained the tub and laughed as the practically black water circled the drain, Tristan began to refill the tub all while keeping one arm tightly around Gwyn's waist. Once it was sufficiently full of clean hot water, he helped her back down before he placed the same lavender bubble bath into the water before sinking down into the tub. Holding onto Gwyn as she rested her back against his chest, Tristan leaned against the porcelain back of the tub and began to draw lazy patterns on her stomach and thighs as he nuzzled and kissed her shoulders and back.

"Terribly relaxing..." she sighed contentedly, closing her eyes with a smile on her lips.

"Mm-hmm, terribly so," murmured Tristan as he continued to kiss and suck on his spot while sliding his hands over her body. "Touching you is far too addicting for me..."

"I think I noticed that now," she smiled, as she raised one of her arms and reached out for his hair.

"I'll bet," he whispered back seductively as he craned his neck forward to kiss her while sliding a hand down her inner thigh to touch and caress her gently.

"If you continue doing that, it won't be a calm, relaxing evening any longer I suppose..."

"Sure it can. We can take it slow just like last night... unless you have something different in mind..."

"Different?" she chuckled. "No not really, I'm just happy as is... and quite frankly, I wouldn't mind just go to bed and sleep tonight."

"Well, we don't have to wake up early tomorrow morning, so... can we have our fun before going to work later?"

"Tomorrow morning? Mmh," she smirked, turning her head to look at him. "Maybe that would be quite the start for the day..."

Turning her around to face him, he let Gwyn settle herself onto his lap. "That's what I was thinking too. Now, if we'll be going straight to bed after this, then can we have a bit of fun in here?"

"If you wish, amongst scented candles and lavender bubble bath," she grinned, nuzzling against his neck once more.

"Wouldn't be the first time, nor will it be the last," he smirked back as he slid into her slowly as Gwyn clung tightly to his neck.

"Definitely not the last..." she gasped in response, moving as close to him as possible while he ran his hands across her back slowly. 

"Slow burning candles like last time? If so, maybe we can go long enough for them to snuff themselves out..." Tristan muttered as both he and Gwyn continued to move their hips together as they clung to each other tightly as they made love.

Resting his head against Gwyn's shoulder, as he ended up lying on top of her as they lay in the tub, Tristan continued to place his lips over her now-sensitive skin some time later that evening. 

"This is another thing to take note of for when we're on vacation," she whispered back at him, raising one of her arms to caress his cheek.

"And what would that be?" whispered Tristan as he continued to kiss her neck and shoulders. 

"I meant, we should do what we are doing now," she smiled, leaning against him. "In a huge tub of a hotel suite," she chuckled. "What do you think?"

"Hmm, the cuddling and making love in the tub, I could go for that," he grinned as Gwyn pushed him to rest on his back as she laid against his chest. 

"I think I agree too... and I have to research a bit to see what kind of fun things we can do when we're there," she told him matter-of-factly, as Tristan raised an eyebrow mischievously at her. "Apart from what you're thinking about of course."

"Well, you must admit that it is fun and quite active..."

"That's a close definition to what this is for sure."

"That it is. We've probably gotten more tone and flexible these past few months."

Blushing, Gwyn didn't utter another word and nuzzled her face against his neck. "Mmm-hmm."

"Just an innocent observation Sweetheart. So, bedtime? I want to enjoy you for _breakfast_ tomorrow morning..."

"I'm feeling like a buffet when you say that," she mumbled, still huddled close to him. "Yeah, wouldn't mind that dear," she smiled at the end.

"Fine, you are not a food source for me... but you do provide me with energy and I crave you constantly..."

"I'm glad you do... well, we're both addicted to one another in that case, so... no harm done I suppose," Gwyn stated proudly, as she raised her head slightly to look up at him.

"Nah, no harm done," he grinned before kissing her nose. "So, sweepy now?"

"A bit," she chuckled as she felt his lips over her nose. 

"Then let's get to bed..." Tristan whispered as he moved to stand up in the tub, while helping Gwyn up at the same time.

"Thank you dear,” she grinned, as she slowly stepped out of the tub and immediately walked towards the cabinet to gather two towels and two bathrobes. Handing one of each to Tristan, they promptly dried each other up, tickling each other and naturally giggling in the process. Once they were sufficiently dry, they went about brushing their teeth - resulting in them falling into a comfortable rhythm, especially when they passed each other the dental floss and mouthwash.

"Guess we're starting to synchronize with one another?" smiled Tristan as he rinsed his mouth out before replacing his toothbrush in the cup.

"Yeah," she laughed. "All that's left is mind-reading now I suppose."

"Obviously I'm working on it - maybe you'll be able to do it too..."

"Me? Well, could be. I wouldn't be surprised of anything to tell you the truth."

"Me neither," he whispered as he led her back to their bedroom and lit the candles before climbing into bed. Wrapping his arms around her, as well as entwining their bare legs around one another, he snuggled against her back. "Love you Gwyn."

"Love you too Tris... good night..."

-

Waking up as the sun began to stream into the room, Tristan found Gwyn sleeping on her back with her arm draped gently over her stomach. Seeing as the time was almost seven in the morning, he smirked as he began sliding down the bed to hide under the covers and moved to lie in between Gwyn's leg. Making sure that he was completely covered, he leaned forward and placed his lips and mouth over her center before proceeding to lick and suck at her... giving her a very _personal_ wake up.

"Still early... Tris, I need to sleep," she mumbled, trying to turn to her side to continue sleeping.

Stopping briefly as he was still under the blankets, he rested his head on her thigh. "Well, if we were going to work now, we'd be waking up at this time..." he snickered before moving back down to continue his ministrations. "Plus, you taste delicious this morning..."

"Tristan..." she rolled her eyes, sighing in quasi-frustration, making it quite evident that she had gotten up in a weird mood. "You're talking about me as if I were a steak."

"Not trying to... But if you feel about it that way," he replied as he made his way from out under the blankets, "I'll just get ready to go to work then..." Climbing out of bed, he made his way towards the bathroom, as he tried to get the strange images in his head out of his mind. _Weird dream... what's with the vampires and stuff..._

Sitting up in bed, Gwyn curled her legs up to wrap her arms around them, resting her chin on her knees. "Had an overload of strange dreams Tris last night, bear with me, please. It's not that I don't want you to stay with me this morning, far from it."

Taking the toothbrush out of his mouth, he called out, "I know, don't worry about it... I saw the dream too..."

"You saw... what did you see?" she panicked in a fraction of a second, blanching at his words.

"Just some vampires, but I couldn't see their faces or anything when they were biting their victims. One had blond hair and one had black hair..."

Shuddering in realisation of what she had actually dreamt about, Gwyn slid down from bed and silently slipped away from the bedroom, heading straight for the terrace in the living room whilst wrapped in a mere blanket. 

Feeling Gwyn's thoughts and emotions in a jumbled mess, he rinsed the mouthwash out of his mouth and grabbed a towel before wrapping it around his waist and headed for the terrace. "I'm sorry for this morning. I wanted to have a nice morning before going to work, but apparently that didn't go according to plan. I'll make it up to you later this evening... if you want me to."

"Oh, _that_ has got nothing to do with this... what you were planning was quite fun," she replied with half a smile. "I just... didn't want you to see that crap I dreamt about, that's all. Not too pleasant to witness anyway," she muttered, resting her arms against the railings. "Tris, will you stay with me to work from home, at least for today, please."

"I will, so long as you let me pick up where I left off?" he smirked mischievously to show her that he'd already forgotten all about her dream.

 _As long as you forget about all that you've seen... since it was you and me..._ "Whatever you wish."

"Only if you're up for it. I don't want to do something that will make you feel uncomfortable."

"Let's do it, leaving the steak part out," she joked, laughing heartily once more, as she felt him take her hands in his.

"Not my fault you taste good..." he grinned. "I thought you figured out that I like _tasting_ you down there, since after all, all women are taste differently... _down there_."

"Stop it," she scolded him playfully, sticking her tongue out at him. "And trust me, that's one of the grossest things I've ever heard... I mean, I would understand it if you were talking of a kiss... but..."

"Aww... Fine. But when you start 'eating me', you'll learn to appreciate the taste of everything..." he pouted as they both got back into bed. "After all, you were treating _me_ like an _ice cream cone_ yesterday morning..."

"You're saying that stuff on purpose, aren't you?" she blushed furiously, looking away as she felt Tristan wrap his arms around her waist while resting his chin on the spot where her neck and shoulder met.

"Somewhat... as I'm honestly telling the truth about how I like the way you taste, and you _were_ treating a particular part of my anatomy like an ice cream cone. But... I'm also saying it like that because you're adorable when you're flustered like you are now..."

"You know I get embarrassed, don't you?"

"Yesh I do..."

"And thus..."

"You should relax more?" Tristan asked hopefully.

"Not that easy..." she smiled, planting a kiss on his forehead. 

"...So I shouldn't even talk about it? But rather just do it without saying a word?"

Tilting her head silently to take in his facial expression, Gwyn merely gave him a sweet smile and leaned in to kiss him tenderly, while slowly running her hands against his back in a gentle caress.

Cuddling against her for a moment, Tristan let an impish grin cross his lips before he let go of Gwyn and re-disappeared under the blankets. Wrapping an arm around each of her thighs, he began planting kisses down her stomach before going lower and continued where he left off earlier while using his arms to keep her grounded to the bed. Sighing contentedly, Gwyn slid one of her arms away from his soft grasp, and rested it on his hair, running her fingers along the random dark bangs that characterised him so much.

Feeling her shudder under his touch, Tristan gave her one final lick before kissing up her stomach and tending to her breasts one at a time as Gwyn placed both of her hands on his head to keep him close. "You okay?" 

"Mmm-hmm," she smiled, exhaling a deep sigh. 

"Good," he grinned before kissing up her neck to kiss her wholly as he entered her gently, staying still as Gwyn wrapped her legs around his waist. "And now?"

"I'm fine..." she muttered softly, huddling closer to him. "It's not like you're hurting me or anything Tris..."

"No, I know. But I want you to go from feeling 'fine' to feeling 'breathlessly amazing'," he smirked as he wrapped his arms around her tightly and placed his hands on her shoulders as he began moving in time with her. Kissing her gently, he began to kiss her even harder and more passionately with each thrust of his hips.

"I am... baby... really," she moaned softly into his neck, with a hint of breathlessness in her voice.

Instead of answering, he continued to increase his speed as he nuzzled into her neck.

"Love you..."

"I love you too," he whispered back as he bent his head down to bite his spot, moaning her name as he did so.

-

"Tris, I'm watching you, you're falling asleep," she chuckled later on that morning.

"So long as I'm not drowning in my cereal, I'm fine. Besides, I'm lying on my stomach, with you draped deliciously over me, in a warm and comfy bed. The perfect recipe for me to comfortably fall asleep..." he grinned as he snuggled deeper into his pillow as Gwyn continued to stroke his back.

"You know we have to wake up for breakfast and start working though, as much as I'd enjoy staying like this..."

"Babe, we are awake...we're just not getting up..."

"Can I go get my documents at least? I'd accept reading and reviewing them in bed. And that will give me time to get something for breakfast too..."

"You're free to go, after all, you're lying on top of me and I'm not exactly holding you down," laughed Tristan as his hands and arms were lying against his side.

"Be back soon," she winked, grabbing a random shirt that was lying around in the room, slipping it on and heading straight for her office and the kitchen.

Watching her walk out the door, Tristan heard some scampering as Jasper managed to climb onto the bed and began to sleep at the foot of the bed while he simply clutched his pillow and fell asleep.

"Ah well, knew it," Gwyn smiled, as she rested the breakfast tray on the nearby bedside table and leaned over to kiss Tristan's forehead. After covering him up with their quilt, Gwyn wrapped a bedrobe around her shoulders and walked out of the room to her office, trying to organise what she needed to get done for the day.

Grumbling as the phone began to ring, Tristan stuck his hand out from under the blankets and grabbed the receiver. "Hurroh?" 

"Oh good morning sleepy head," Cynthia guffawed at the other end of the line. "Thought you'd overslept in fact... you're not coming to work right?" she asked him, still chuckling.

"Whu?"

"Tristan it's me, Cynthia." 

"I know that... what's up?" Tristan replied groggily. 

"Shouldn't you have phoned up to tell me that you were not going to come? I was getting worried."

"Huh? I thought Gwyn called..."

"No she didn't," she pouted evidently. "Thought she was with you."

"She is... just... hold on..." Letting out a yawn and careful not to disturb Jasper, he sat up and called for Gwyn. "Gwyn? Cyn's on the phone!"

"She's in her office working, isn't she?" Cynthia chuckled softly, as she shoved another bite of cereal bar in her mouth.

"Well yeah, but... I'm... not..."

"You're slacking," she grinned as she heard Gwyn's voice in the background, most probably talking to Tristan as she got inside the room. "You should take example from her."

"My quality of work cannot be based solely on my performance, which I've been told constantly is _very good,_ " smiled Tristan as Gwyn sat next to him on the bed.

"Idiot, stop blabbering innuendos with Gwyn pre-oh good morning AD," Cynthia replied in a more serious tone of voice.

"Don't worry Cynthia, Tristan just woke up, hence his mind might still be asleep elsewhere," she grinned giving Tristan a playful nudge in his stomach.

"Technically, I'm of _two minds_ , both of which were giving you their full attention earlier this morning," he whispered back as Jasper crawled onto his lap.

"Heard him? So, tell me, anything to inform me of happening at the office?"

"Nothing much, except that I saw both the slut and the bastard prowling around a couple of times..."

As Gwyn and Cynthia continued to talk, Tristan snuggled under the covers and rested his head on her lap as he began to close his eyes once again.

"Listen Cynthia, two things before I leave," she told her as she ran her hands through Tristan's hair as soon as she realised that he had fallen asleep again. "First, stay away from those two... and that's an order. Secondly, if Howell phones you up to set a meeting between me and CEO, tell her that AD will be phoning him up personally. And if anyone asks you about either me or Tris, tell them that we're out on external meetings. Got it?"

"Perfectly planned," Cynthia nodded. "I'll warn Cole and James too."

"Thank you," she sighed, in relief. "Cynthia, be on the constant look out please, do it for me too."

"I will, don't worry. You just rest and work in peace, if anything happens here, or if you need any help, we can easily phone each other, right?"

"Mmm-hmm, that's much appreciated."

"Don't mention it," she smiled, as she set the receiver back in its place while she continued sorting Gwyn's incoming mail. Meanwhile at her house, Gwyn remained seated on bed for a while, chuckling at how much Tristan seemed just like a boy at times.

"Do I have to get up now?" Tristan asked sleepily. "I mean, granted I probably shouldn't sleep the day away, but all work from this point is reading reports..."

"We can easily stay in bed if you like."

"Awesome! So... should I even bother getting dressed then or can I roam around naked in our house? Since my bag's in the office right now."

"Just make sure that the windows are closed and you can. And Tris, can you bring me my stuff please?"

"Alright." Once Gwyn let go of him, Tristan sat up and reached over to scratch Jasper's ears before peeling back the blankets and climbing out of bed. Sticking his head out of the master room, Tristan saw that the windows were closed and that the blinds were partially open. Smiling to himself, he simply ran out of the room and through the apartment towards Gwyn's office, making her laugh.

"You know what Jas? Your daddy's utterly crazy," she grinned as the puppy moved next to her and nuzzled against her side.

Barking, Jasper nodded his head as he curled up in Gwyn's lap.

Moments later, Tristan re-appeared with his bag strategically covering him on one side while Gwyn's bag covered his other side as he carried the remainder of her work in his arms. "So where should I put everything? And I should probably eat breakfast now..."

Taking her bag in her hands, and resting the rest of the documents on the bed, Gwyn winked back at him as she got comfortable on the bedsheets. "Go eat something, I'll just continue reading here... I have some reports I want to get over and done with this morning."

"Was the stuff on the tray for me or for you?"

"You... I've already had a cup of tea myself."

Staring at the dried chocolate cereal in the bowl, a healthy pitcher of milk, a glass of apple juice and a plate of buttered toast, Tristan set his stuff on the bed and crawled back under the covers before pacing the tray on his lap. "Thank you.”

"Welcome," she whispered back, crawling up to sit by his side with her documents at hand. "There's nothing cooked in there so, everything should be alright."

"You don't count the toast as cooked? Since after all, the bread was already cooked and you just re-cooked it..." he replied with a big grin.

"Yes but if that is cooking, then I'm a genius," she laughed back.

"My Gwyn, the best toast-maker in all of town," smiled Tristan as proceeded to eat his toast and giving some of the pieces to Jasper.

"Oh at least," she stifled a laugh as she leaned back against the bedrest and continued reading. 

"Mm-hmm." Finishing up his toast, Tristan set about preparing his cereal before placing the tray on the bedside table again. Leaning forward, he pulled out some reports and his glasses, placing the glasses on his face before replacing the tray on his lap. After taking a bite, he began to read through the first report while eating his cereal.

"Status update on Advertising?" Gwyn asked, without averting her eyes from the papers she was reading.

"So far the staff is starting to settle in and they're dividing up their specific roles. Jacob especially is fitting in nicely," Tristan replied back in between bites of his breakfast.

"That's good to know," she replied, taking a mental note to talk to Jacob as soon as possible with respect to something she had in mind of assigning him.

"Are the people over in Logistics still complaining about the Classless Asshole? I do know though that they produce pretty good work..." 

"They do, but Black craps it all up for them..." she sighed. "I mean, I don't know what Fred is actually waiting for..."

"Well, we get Advertising completely up and running - without us needing to monitor everything - you'll be in a higher position than the asshole... Then you have the authority to fire his ass."

"Mmm... that's true in a way, but we'll have to see how that would work out. Guy's pretty vengeful... trust me, I know what I'm saying. Fred's been an acquaintance of his family line for quite some time so, I know him well before he started working at the company."

"I feel bad that his parents had to put up with the demonspawn as he grew up..."

"At least his parents, and his aunt and uncle are much better than he is..." she nodded. "To a certain extent."

"I'll bet, as I mean he's pretty fucking low on the totem pole, so anyone better than him is already worlds apart from the douchebag."

"Agreed," she nodded in response.

Finishing the rest of his cereal, Tristan drained his apple juice and placed the tray back on the bedside table before cuddling next to Gwyn as they worked in a comfortable silence for the remainder of the morning.

-

"What do you mean you have no news about the two?"

"I've already told you, Ry, AD wants to set meetings with CEO personally, without having any intermediaries, such as me or her PA. So, I don't have the faintest idea as to when she'll be meeting with the boss now..." Lara replied, rather irritated at the most recent turn of events.

"I don't fuckin' care about that, you just need to know of everything! Isn't that your work after all?"

"I know... but..."

"What but? Hell Lara, I've chosen _you_ because you're the only one that can do that work for me," he lied, flattering her uncerimoneously and not actually believing one bit of what he was actually saying. Now you come out, telling me that you can't gain that information for me? You're fuckin' useless if you say so..." 

"It's not like I can't! It'll just be more difficult if Coulston doesn't want to have me involved in her meetings. Hey wait... do you think she's realised that I'm involved with you?" 

"It's not as if you've been _discreet_ in your affections for me..." growled Black.

"I haven't gone all out about it either," she snapped back, nervously gnawing at her thumb's fingernail.

"Just shut up for a moment... So, if the bitch thinks that she can make herself scarce, you had _best_ turn your attention to the boy, got it?!"

"Probably he's even worse than AD at that." 

"Are you telling me that you can't even keep track of a little boy? HOW MUCH MORE USELESS CAN YOU BE?!"

"Shut up, Ryan! Just shut the hell up! It's not like you kept up with the boy yourself anyway!" she shouted back at him, irked at his attitude towards her. "Inspire me if you have some goddamn brilliant idea for a way forward." 

Grabbing her by the throat, he shoved her against the wall of his office before kissing her roughly.

"Can't we try and go about gaining power by by-passing those two?" she whispered. "What do you think?"

"As much as I'd love to do that, Fred would kill us both... Now be a dear and get on your hands and knees so that you can make me feel better..."

"I'd rather use your desk..." Lara grinned back at him, raising an eyebrow back at him.

"Oh well make use of my desk, as I love fucking you on it, but for now... I want you to other things to me, okay?"

"I might do better," she grinned back at him.

Leaning back on his chair, he leered at her. "Show me."

Sitting down on his lap, with her legs wrapped tightly around him, Lara merely gave him a sly grin and proceeded into unfastening his shirt, leaning towards him to snake her arms across his neck and bite the point between his neck and shoulder forcefully.

Moaning, Black pushed her skirt away as he roughly tore at her underwear and stockings before shoving his fingers inside her.

"I'll have to get a permanent stock of those here because of you," she muttered, as she slowly licked the blood away from the bite mark. "It's not like I can go back to my desk like this..."

"Just wear your skirt and don't bother with your underwear. Makes fucking you easier. Now, strip and get me off. I want to be nice and hard when I get to your rear," Black growled as he continued to move against her.

"As you wish..." Lara replied, as she slipped away from Black and took off her shirt and skirt and sat at the edge of his desk, legs crossed on one another and arms resting on the top of the desk.

"I'm waiting."

Smirking, Black got up from his seat and stood in front of her as she began to unbutton his pants.

"Let's get this done with, Ryan... I need to scout Fred's office for you this morning," she winked as Black joined her to lie down on his desk. "Should be sturdy enough I suppose... or else you'll have to buy yourself another friggin' desk." 

Thrusting himself into her forcefully, he simply bit her throat with a feral smile on his face. "Fuck you bitch."

"You too... bastard."

-

"Tris? Was that your stomach gurgling?" she chuckled, resting the documents she was reading down on her lap later on that morning.

"...It might have been..."

"Might? You should know if it were or not," Gwyn replied, turning to place a kiss on his shoulder. "You alright?"

"Just hungry..."

"Sure?" 

"...Yeah? I mean, I'm not sick or anything..."

"Alright..." she answered, not totally convinced.

Sighing, Tristan removed his glasses and set them on the bedside table before lying back down on the bed. "I feel fine, but I'll rest for now... I guess..." 

"Are you sure you're alright? Seriously Tris," she cuddled a bit close to him.

"...A headache... and I ache slightly... fine... I think I'm coming down with a cold..." he mumbled as he snuggled against her. 

"Seems I'm making you sick pretty frequently ever since you've got to know me," she sighed as she placed a hand over his forehead. "At least we're home." 

"True and nothing I can't handle. Just stay with me and sleep, I should get better with you by my side. Please?"

Smiling, Gwyn removed the documents from her lap and placed them on the bedside table. "Not a problem." 

Wrapping his arms around her, Tristan gently kissed his spot before cuddling against her back and entwining their legs together.

"Just rest now... hopefully you'll get better soon," she replied as she placed her hands on his and caressed them gently. 

Letting out a long sigh, Tristan was fast asleep within moments.

"Must have been the dream," she mumbled, slowly closing her eyes to fall asleep once again. "I'm sorry..." 

"Don't... be..." he whispered gently as he rolled onto his back and let Gwyn lie on top of him.

"You're feeling like this because of me," she frowned, burying her head against his chest.

"I'm sorry that I am. I wanted today to be a good one..." 

"Don't excuse yourself for something you're not to blame for," she whispered back. "Just rest..." 

Reaching down to place his palms flat against Gwyn's stomach, he let his fingers graze and caress her gently. "You too..."

-

"So any news of AD and the kid, Cyn?" Cole asked as he raised his head from his work for the first time that morning. "I was quite surprised not to find either of them here," he told Cynthia who immediately locked the door behind her. 

"They're at home - both working without calling in at the office. Knowing Gwyn, they definitely are," she nodded back at Cole and James who immediately joined the conversation. 

"Though I'm pretty sure that they're doing a _variety_ of work," snickered James. "Kidding kidding, Cyn put down your purse..."

"Say that again and I'll tell him," she snickered back. "Listen, Gwyn and Tristan apart, you haven't seen the slut and the bastard around here this morning, have you?"

"Nope, not that we can tell, right _Jamie_ ," replied Cole as he firmly elbowed James in the stomach.

"Why is everyone so mean to me... And yeah, we didn't really see them around... though I did pass by his office - and jumped back when something was thrown at the blinds..."

"Was thrown at the... what?!" Cynthia gasped, gaping back at the two of them.

"Couldn't hear anything, but I'm probably guessing that they were having sex in there..." whistled James as Cole rolled his eyes.

"Back when I use to work for the asshole, it was usually pretty clear when he was fucking someone in his office... though it wasn't mostly just the Howell slut..."

"There were others?!" Cynthia exclaimed, rolling her eyes in disgust. "I mean, what the hell's wrong with that person anyway? Thank goodness he never had the guts to approach me. I'd seriously kick him _there_ if he ever did."

"What's wrong with which one?" chimed both Cole and James.

"Both of them. And what's with doing that in the office... ugh."

"...Should we assume that both Tris and Gwyn have as well?" snickered the pair. 

"I don't know," she quickly evaded the question.

"You're deflecting!" the moronic duo continued to grin as they proceeded in dragging Cynthia with them. "You can tell us both over lunch."

"Tell you what? Forget it!"

"Awww..." 

"If you're so curious... ask AD, I'm pretty sure she'd tell you," she snickered with evident irony in her tone of voice.

"WHAT?! NO NO NO NO NO!!! THEY'D KILL US!!!"

"See? You've answered yourselves without my intervention... let's get going now, I'm kinda hungry and feel like having a BLT sandwich."

"So mean sometimes Cyn," grumbled James as both Cole and Cynthia smacked the back of his head. "Enough with the hitting...“

"For that moron, you're getting lunch," chuckled Cole as he proceeded to escort Cynthia out of the building while James tagged along.

"The fun trio's out to having lunch, Ry," a familiar voice commented from one of the higher levels of the building, looking down at the entrance at road level as she observed closely the three friends heading out of their respective offices to have a short break.

Not bothering to get dressed, Black stood behind Howell and shoved himself roughly into her once more. "How cute. Get Evans on the phone and have him tail them... They'll probably let something slip during lunchtime," came the calm reply as he continued moving against her. 

"I could if you let me go for a short while," she smirked.

"Just bend over and get on the phone with him," Black replied in a bored tone.

"Well, no," she whispered maliciously, separating from him to head over to the phone to dial Evans' number. After giving him the order Black had given her, she set down the receiver back in its place and reached out for her bra to put it back on. "Told you he'll follow them and come brief you up once they're done. As for me, I'm getting out of here."

"Did I give you permission to leave, Ms. Howell?"

"Yes, since I think we've had more than enough _discussions_ this afternoon."

"Have it your way, but I want you back here before we leave. After all, you still owe me a blow..."

"I don't owe you anything," she scowled as she finished getting dressed. "I'll see you back home," she muttered, heading out to slam the door forcefully behind her.

Shaking his head with a smile, Black surveyed his nearly destroyed office and proceeded to get back to work - all the while stroking himself as he did so.

-

"Hey, have a good time?" chuckled Tristan as he wiped the sweat from Gwyn's brow as she held him tightly to slow down her breathing.

"Yeah laugh you," she chuckled, strangely a bit more tired than usual - a feeling she tried to keep away from him.

"Alright alright, I'll just let you rest then Sweetheart," he snickered as he wriggled out from under her. "Go back to sleep and I'll make us some lunch. Do you want a hearty soup or a hearty salad?"

"A hearty both?" she replied, wincing slightly when she felt a slight pain coming from her back.

Easing Gwyn onto her tummy, Tristan straddled her waist lightly as he began massaging her back. "I mean granted, we ended up making love after I did this earlier, but I promise this is just a massage..." 

"Mmm-hmm..." she uttered as the stinging pain started getting more pronounced.

"Ouch baby... didn't mean to be that rough on you... I'm sorry."

"Don't worry, it's not your fault..." she whispered, burying her face in one of the pillows.

"Do you still hurt from what that asshole did to you?" Tristan asked in a whisper.

"Guess so..."

Massaging even deeper, he kissed her skin gently as Gwyn let out a few moans - mostly from relief from the pressure on her back. "Feels good?"

"It's better, but there's still that aching feeling in the background that doesn't want to leave... I might have a clue why," she shuddered.

"Oh? Why?"

"Someone must be thinking about me."

"...Do you think he still wants to possess you?" came the quiet, almost child-like question.

"Maybe," she uttered, clutching the bedsheets more tightly.

Staying quiet, Tristan began to massage the other parts of Gwyn's body before resting on her back once he was finished.

"He's probably thinking about me... that's behind all this," she told him, closing one eye as she did.

"Then don't let him think about you by you thinking about him. Just focus on you right now," Tristan continued to whisper.

"I wasn't thinking about him."

"Then who are you thinking about?"

"I don't know," she mumbled back.

Kissing her back and shoulders, he continued to cuddle her. "It's okay, I don't mean to pry... just worried about you, that's all."

"I know... it'll be better once he stops fucking himself while thinking about me," she spat bitterly in what sounded like a growl.

"Huh?" came Tristan's worried question as his head shot up in disbelief.

"Nothing..."

"Oh, okay... I'll go make lunch and you rest in here or do you want to stretch out in the living room while I cook?" 

"I'll stay here for now..."

Climbing off of her, Tristan tucked the various sheets and quilt around her gently and kissed the top of her head before locating a pair of his boxers and a blue t-shirt to wear before heading out of the room. Once Tristan was out of the room, Gwyn turned to rest on her side, and after grabbing one of the pillows and clutching it tightly to her, she let herself go into a heartbreaking cry, one she had been keeping inside for hours. The dream, thinking about Fred's orders to her once more, Black definitely thinking about her in his dirty, perverted ways, the danger of having Tristan get to know about her true nature, the aches of her past scars...

_Sometimes I just want to close my eyes and forget about everything... and returning to the lonely Gwyn everyone feared and respected._

As he began chopping up some vegetables for a salad, Tristan felt the area around his heart tighten then run cold as he 'felt' Gwyn crying. Knowing that it was probably foolish, he tried to reach out to her with his emotions and his heart - if only to make her stop crying for a little bit.

Plagued by those thoughts, Gwyn rocked herself to sleep with a faint feeling of warmth that made her calm down slightly and close her eyes without crying any longer. 

Amazed by the fact that Gwyn had calmed down after he had reached out to her, he smiled a quiet little smile as he extended all the warmth and affection he had in his heart to keep her warm and safe.

-

_"Commander? That would mean that I'm only second to you in command, right Father?"_

_"That it is. You are the only one that has my complete trust, hence why the position is yours to keep."_

_"How about others that are older than me? How about Neville?"_

_"You're plain perfection in comparison with your older brother. Comparing yourself to him is utter nonsense."_

_"But..."_

_"Your rise in rank is effective as from tomorrow. And go feed now Gwendalynn, I can feel your hunger from here."_

_"I will. Good night Father."_

_The rise in rank within the Clan came parallel to that of their Company - and naturally, Gwyn was subject of innumerous jealous glances from both fronts. "She's in that position because she's the adopted daughter of the Head of Clan" or "It's because she's Fred's baby" or "As if we didn't know that would have happened" were some of the comments she used to hear almost everyday in the very first days of her appointments. But she tried not to give much weight to the snide remarks and merely built a wall around herself to fulfill those roles to the best of her ways._

_"So we're cold-blooded AD Coulston and Commander Coulston now, aren't we Gwendalynn?" a slithery-sounding voice told her after one of the Clan's meetings ended._

_"That's certainly not your business Black, what I do or not do."_

_"Isn't it? After all, what you do within the company or the Clan_ does _affect the rest of us. And I, for one, take pride in knowing that my subordinates are my personal playthings._ Especially _the women..." Black smirked as he licked his lips. "And as we are going to be working together for quite the capacity, I'd_ love _to get to know you better, especially_ here, _" he leered as he reached out and stuck his hand under her skirt to rub his fingers against her panties and stockings between her legs._

 _"You insolent..." she immediately slapped him on instinct, almost hurting her hand in the process. She couldn't believe that Frederick was actually considering_ this _man as one of her possible suitors - she'd definitely prefer living the rest of her eternity on her own rather than share it with such a double-faced being._

 _"Mmm, quite the feisty one, aren't you,_ Commander _? I like girls that fight back, it makes taking their innocence so much more pleasurable especially when they scream..."_

_"I don't want to hear the details of your distinguished pastimes, Black, so you'll have to excuse me as I am quite busy."_

_"I'm so sure you are. Oh, did you hear? Dear Frederick has been looking at potentials to join us. Perhaps then can you show your true colors,_ Gwendalynn _," laughed Black as he began to walk down the corridor._

_"Fuck you..."_

_"Rather, I'd love to fuck_ you _this very moment, but... I'll simply have one of my beautiful blonde-haired, brown-eyed subordinates tend to my needs. Mmm... she has the perfect mouth for being able to take me completely in..." he taunted as he disappeared around the corner leaving her fuming there and then._

_"What's the matter with her, usual tantrum?" Frederick asked later on that evening, finding Anne waiting for Gwyn out of her room, in her last few days at her adopted Father's mansion._

_"I do not believe so, Sir."_

_"I'll check on her myself then..." he sighed, opening the door leading to her room to find an apocalyptic mess. "Oh for goodness's sake Gwendalynn, calm down."_

_"CALM DOWN WHAT? JUST GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE!" she screamed back at him, blinded by rage. "And you wanted me to marry him?!"_

_Letting out a sigh, Frederick simply sat on the edge of the girl's bed. "And what did he do to you this time...?"_

_"Oh, so wonderful to have him touch me first," she spat back, furiously. "Then hear him say that he's having his way with women that resemble me. And you're still with that foresaken idea in mind!"_

_"Gwendalynn my darling, he's a pureblood and it's only fitting that such a wonderfully gorgeous and talented young woman like yourself only seek out mates that are of pureblood."_

_"I don't care if he's a pureblood and if his family has noble lineage, I don't care less! And go tell that to the rest of the Clan for me Father. I'd rather spend the rest of my years in loneliness."_

_"Oh my dear girl," Frederick whispered as he pulled Gwyn into his arms. "You shouldn't wish such things upon yourself. I'm sure that you will find one man who will give you all that you deserve. As for Ryan, I'll tend to him."_

_"Keep that man away from me," she muttered. "Or else, I'll see to killing him myself, in spite of the consequences."_

_"I'll see to it that he's kept away from you, but I cannot completely guarantee that he'll stay away, after all, there's only so much room in the office..."_

_"Just be warned. I'll kill him if he lays his hands on me again."_

_"Gwendalynn, you cannot kill one of your Clanmates, and that's FINAL!" roared Frederick as he let out another sigh. "Should he touch you inappropriately again, I shall banish and then kill him myself. Are we clear?"_

_Growling, Gwyn freed herself from her father's embrace and stepped back, irritated at that response. "Right."_

_"Good. Now, I'll have Anne help you sort this right mess... Oh child, what am I going to do with these violent outbursts of yours..." tutted Frederick as he kissed Gwyn's forehead before leaving the room._

_"Miss? Managed to calm down a little bit?" Anne asked, as she got inside and started gathering all the bits and pieces that were scattered uncerimoneously around the room._

_"Not too much... and I think I need to go hunt... now," she replied. "Just see what you can manage to do Anne, then leave the rest to me for when I'm back. See you."_

_"That's alright Miss, see you," she sighed, as Gwyn disappeared within seconds. "I wonder when she'll find some sort of peace in her heart."_

_-_

Knocking on the doorjam, Tristan re-entered with a panzanella salad and a wild mushroom risotto for the two of them. "Thought you might like something different..."

Sitting up with her back rested against the bedrest, Gwyn smiled as soon as she saw Tristan come inside the room with the tray in his arms. "Thank you..."

Placing the tray on her lap, Tristan sat at the foot of the bed in front of her while Jasper stuck his head inside the room to check on them before wandering around again. "You're welcome. Everything's... okay now?" he asked as he was quite unsure of her response.

"I'm better now, sorry for worrying you..."

Sagging his shoulders in relief, Tristan gave her a bright grin as he dished up the salad and risotto between them. "That's good to know and don't worry about it. Oh, what did you want to drink with lunch? I made a sparkling lemonade that's currently chilling in the fridge."

"I wouldn't mind that, sounds good," she answered, watching him as he prepared her plate. "Some thoughts of the past passed through my mind while I was asleep and all so..."

"Okay, lemonade it is. Hope you like the salad - there was some bacon in the fridge that I had to use...and ended up using the drippings in the dressing. Be right back!"

"Yes, sure," she blinked back at him as he jumped off their bed and headed back towards the kitchen. Turning her attention to the plate, Gwyn started nibbling at the salad, which far exceeded her expectations, and same went for the risotto. "You could have really become a chef if you hadn't managed to find your current job."

"Well, that was actually one of my fall-back plans if I didn't get the job at New Dawn," chuckled Tristan as he returned with the carafe of lemonade and two glasses that had sugar on the rims. "Think we would've met had I been a chef?"

"Probably not," she replied, taking one of the glasses in her hands as Tristan filled it up for her. "Guess it wouldn't have been possible."

"Well then, aren't you glad I didn't become a chef?"

"Yes, since you're my personal one," she chuckled, smiling softly back at him.

"What about Anne? Thought she was your personal one, or are the two of us your personal chefs?" 

"I like the second one better, though, put it this way. Anne is _our_ personal chef while you are _mine_ ," she winked back. "Anne's more of an all-rounder rather than just a chef."

"Good point," he grinned as he began to eat the salad. "Mmm... bacon..."

"Everything tastes good, really," she complimented him, as she had the first sip off her lemonade.

"Well thank you." Smiling at each other, the pair continued to have a relatively quiet lunch together. Once done with clearing up the dishes together, Tristan led Gwyn back into the bedroom and tucked her comfortably under the bedsheets.

"Tris, I need to continue-" she hushed as Tristan placed a finger over her lips. 

"I just want you to rest now. Rest and think of nothing else, promise me Gwyn. It's useless if you rest and your mind's still thinking about everything," he smiled, placing a kiss on her forehead. 

"I'll try..."

"Gwyn..."

"Alright, I will."

"Good girl. I'll just get dressed and take Jasper out for a while, so that you can rest. Take care and we'll see you soon. Okay?"

"Mmm-hmm... see you later Tris..." she whispered in response, turning on her side to close her eyes, rest and sleep.

Upon re-entering the bedroom, a fully-dressed Tristan smiled as he saw Gwyn fast asleep. Kissing her forehead, he tucked the quilt around her before stealthily exiting the room. Watching Jasper perk his ears, the young man chuckled as the puppy walked up to him with his leash in his mouth. Clipping the leash to Jasper's collar, the pair made their way out of the apartment for a nice relaxing walk.

"Oh so cute!"

Frowning slightly, Tristan started to wince at the sound of the high-pitched squeals of three girls they encountered in the small park close to the apartment.

"Really! Such a sweet doggie," they exclaimed, crouching in front of Tristan to pat Jasper.

"Um, thank you?" 

"Is it yours?"

"Yes he is... somewhat. He actually belongs to my _girlfriend_ ," Tristan replied firmly.

"Girlfriend?!"

"Awww..."

"Yeah, so we'd best be on our way home, right Jasper?"

"We can come with you for the rest of the walk if you like!" the three exclaimed, getting back to their feet.

Looking at Jasper, who was whining slightly, Tristan shook his head. "No, no thank you. We're just fine on our own."

"You sure?"

"Quite really. Thanks for the offer though, but really, we're good."

"Awww, if you say so then, bye bye buddy," one of them frowned as she gave one last pat to Jasper.

"All three of us are from the whereabouts if you want to meet up some time," the tallest one of the three told him.

"Uh... that's great... be seeing you," muttered Tristan as he began to back away with Jasper.

"He'd make such a lovely boyfriend," one of them giggled, giving a pat on the back of her friends.

"Didn't he say he was already engaged or something?" the other blinked in response. "Too bad...“

"I think I missed that detail... ah whatever, dog was pretty cute anyway."

"Owner was much better. Especially his rear," the same one grinned, while the other two burst in a fit of laughter as Tristan walked away, sided by Jasper.

"Oh man... I swear I have a headache already..." grumbled Tristan as he and Jasper continued to walk through the park.

In an attempt to get the squeals out of his head, Tristan managed to find a quiet spot, not too crowded, where he could play fetch with his puppy for a good hour or so. And Jasper was more than glad to oblige in that regard.

"Good boy Jas," Tristan grinned as Jasper carried a small stick in his mouth to give to Tristan. Taking the stick from the pup, Tristan threw it again by a small grove of trees. It would actually have been perfect if Gwyn was with him for that short break - in spite of the fact that they couldn't really be seen together so close to her home. Too many eyes could be watching, too many that could actually get back to the least wanted of persons. After a good two hours, and seeing that the puppy was actually getting both tired and thirsty, Tristan clipped back the leash to Jasper's collar and starting heading back home.

Entering the apartment, Tristan unclipped the leash from Jasper's collar before letting him loose in the house. Once he filled the bowl with water, Jasper attacked it greedily while he re-entered the bedroom - only to find the bed empty. Taking one last look at Jasper, Tristan closed the bedroom door behind him and entered the bathroom as he heard a gentle splash. Fixing his gaze on the tub, he walked over and knelt next to it, resting his forearms along the side of the porcelain tub. "Comfy?"

"Yeah, just woke up," Gwyn smiled back at him as he leaned over for a quick kiss. "Enjoyed the walk?"

"Got accosted by some girls... apparently mentioning that I'm taken still doesn't seem to resonate in their heads. Also, they were fixated on my ass... which I don't get..."

"I can't leave you alone for two seconds," she chuckled softly. "List that as one of the advantages of having me with you, no girl bothers you in that regard."

"I actually wished you were with us, but... I knew that you resting was more important. And yes, that's true. But, they still seem too oogle from a distance. I swear I can feel their eyes on me when we walk past or away..."

"Then I'll just give them one of my death glares as you call it and job's done," she winked back.

"That usually does the trick too..."

"It definitely does the trick," she smiled, taking some of the bubble bath and smudging it slightly on his nose.

"That's not a nice thing to do," he whispered as he wiped it off his nose before kissing her gently.

"Sorry," she chuckled, evidently more relaxed than she had been a few hours before. "Couldn't resist. Listen Tris, how about I finish my bath and then we cook something together, then have a quiet evening. Or else, there's plan B."

"And what would that be?" he grinned curiously as he rested his chin on the edge of the tub.

"Going out to watch a movie, then dinner, then we go fetch Anne... could be another option. Depends what you actually feel like doing when it comes to having a calm, relaxing night."

"I could have another option for you," Tristan grinned back at her.

"What is it?" she asked back.

"My my Gwyn, aren't we curious..." he chuckled, in a semi-serious voice. "Finish up your bath, I'll be waiting for you in the living room. I'll go play the piano for a while," Tristan told her in a whisper, as he leaned in to plant a kiss on her hair and stand up to head out of the bathroom.

After rinsing off her hair from the rose-scented shampoo and lathering off the soap from her skin, Gwyn proceeded into drying herself off and slipping on a bathrobe to walk back to the living room with a towel still in her hair. Smiling when she heard him playing, Gwyn walked towards the piano, and sat next to him, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Mmm, hi," grinned Tristan as he continued to play.

"Still won't tell me?" she chuckled, nuzzling against his neck.

"My playing should give you a hint, if you listen carefully..."

"You want to stay here playing? That sounds like a good option too."

"Nooo... _listen_ to what I'm playing..."

"It's Bach, I've got a couple of scores of his concertos and..." she halted, looking straight into his eyes. "Oh no you didn't."

"Let me take a shower and we both get dressed in our finery... catch dinner and go out to the concert. Phoned Cyn while you were in the bath, Anne's having a bit of fun, but she'll be back tomorrow evening."

"Oh... oh alright then..." she smiled, kissing his cheek. "How did you manage to get the tickets? It's not like I told you anything about it..."

"I got them while on my walk this afternoon. The concert's around eight, and it's only almost three, so we still have some time... for a bit of fun between us," he whispered in a low tone.

Frowning, Gwyn stood up and placed a kiss behind his neck, heading back to the bedroom to dry her hair off.

"I meant that you can help me pick out my suit for the evening," chuckled Tristan as Gwyn disappeared.

"You meant something else dear," she called out for the other room as she started drying off her hair.

"Yeah! Help me pick out my suit for the evening. I'd prefer a tuxedo... but I don't have one to wear here, so I'll just make due with my suit."

Chuckling softly to herself, Gwyn set the towel she was using on the bed, and walked up to the wardrobe to rummage into Tristan's clothes. Spotting a number of outfits that were to her liking, she placed her three choiced and placed them neatly on bed. 

"Gwyn? Find something?" called Tristan as continued to play outside in the living room.

"Guess so, for you at least. I still have to decide what I should wear though."

"Should I look now? Or do you want to surprise me?"

"You can come choose with me if you like."

Finishing the last bar of the piece, he got up and walked into the bedroom and stood next to Gwyn, who immediately slipped her hands under his shirt as she held him. "Those are some nice picks for me... as for you... black cocktail dress?"

"The one with the halter and the slim fit? Might as well go with that one," she nodded back in response.

"Mmm, skirt's not too short and it's really flattering on you. I love it. Wear it with your pearls... and your hair up... stunningly gorgeous."

"Yes Sir," she replied, letting out a giggle. "That sure was a string of orders."

"Was it? It was more of a voiced opinion... And I forgot about the purple tie and waistcoat... looks good with the black suit..."

"Mmm-hmm, definitely does... and... I was joking don't worry, everything sounds perfect."

"You sure...?" 

"I wouldn't have said that if I wasn't."

"I guess so..."

"At what time do you think we should get going?"

"Whatever you think is a suitable time for us..."

Looking at the watch, Gwyn sat at the edge of the bed and made a couple of quick calculations. "Since it's three thirty now... we could easily take it easy and head out towards five... have a short walk in the park around the theatre, find a restaurant to our liking, then we walk our way to the theatre, what do you think?"

"Sounds good... and you love caressing my stomach and abs... don't you?" whispered Tristan. "As for taking it easy, what do you have in mind?"

"Mmm-hmm, because my Tristan's all fit and stuff," she giggled happily.

"Definitely makes you happy..."

"Indeed it does, listen... I wanted to show you something," she replied, grabbing his left hand to drag him back into the living room.

"Huh? What is it that you want to show me?" Tristan asked curiously as he followed Gwyn out of the room.

Once they were both settled on the couch of the living room, with Tristan's arm wrapped around Gwyn's shoulders, Gwyn placed a large and worn brown leather photo album on her lap and opened it up for the two of them to look through.

"You'll understand why I love that time period now," she smiled as she started flipping the first pages filled with sepia colored photographs.

"Wow... these are quite exceptional. Where were these taken? Also who took them?"

"Hey hey," she chuckled, seeing his enthusiasm. "They were taken in England..." she whispered back. 

"So our honeymoon would be in England. Got it," he smiled sincerely.

"What?" she beamed back at him, her eyes sparkling in delight.

"I'm serious. Once we get married, you and I will have a lovely honeymoon in England - where you can live out your Victorian fantasies."

Grinning happily, Gwyn turned in Tristan's embrace and wrapped her arms around his waist. "A lovely suite in a castle? Overlooking a neverending garden..."

"Anything you want. I promise."

"And those were taken in Windsor, if you want to know the place," she smiled as a picture of her and Neville all stiff in front of the camera came up.

"Was there ever a time that Neville _wasn't_ tall?"

"Not that I recall of," Gwyn chuckled. "He was always taller than me."

"I mean, I know that I'm fairly tall... about six feet tall... but standing next to Neville sometimes, I feel like a little kid..." 

"Well, you look perfect by my side so, no worries at that," she whispered. "And Neville here was being an idiot," she laughed back when she caught a glimpse of a shot where Neville was making faces behind her back.

"Reminds me of the pictures I would take with my sisters and Cyn. Even when I grew taller than all of them, they always made sure that I was in front so that I couldn't act up - as when they left me alone, I always made faces behind their backs." 

"Quite imaginable," she replied, letting out a giggle.

"That's one of the reasons why I don't really like having my picture taken - I hate standing still for prolonged periods of time... So hence the acting up... But, I must admit, I do like having my picture taken with you."

"They do turn out quite nice after all, mmh?" 

"Probably because you're with me," he replied with a large grin.

"I seriously wouldn't have imagined you as someone who doesn't like photos."

"I showed you my photo albums - and you could kinda figure that when most of the photos in them _weren't_ of me, but rather of everyone else in my life. I've honestly taken more photos with you than I have while growing up - and that's twenty-four years worth..." he chuckled.

"So, that photoshoot we had at the museum should be even more special."

"Pretty much. Say... is that your dad?" asked Tristan as he pointed to a painting of a man that was dressed wearing a white doctor's coat.

"Mmm-hmm," she smiled, nodding back. "And the next photos should have him and mother with me in her arms..."

"Aww... aren't you adorable..."

"Technically it's just a white bundle," she replied, nuzzling closer to him.

"That's what makes it so cute, knowing that under all that white cotton, is you."

"I barely remember them now..." she whispered, as Tristan continued flipping the photos.

"At least you have _these_ ," he pointed to the various photos, "than nothing at all."

"True... that's very true... and there should be some with Fred too... oh wait look, that's the last one I have of them."

"Fred with more hair... and what's with the antennae-looking lock of hair?" 

"Used to stand out in that weird way," she laughed as she had a closer look. "It was hilarious, and Neville obviously used to make fun of that."

"Did he just chop it off or something? Would it grow back if he decided to grow his hair out more now?" 

"I don't think so, guess it was some, younger Frederick thing."

"Guess so..." Looking up at the clock, he saw that it was almost four in the afternoon. "So, shouldn't you let me go to take a bath now... or do you have other plans for me?"

"I'll let you go have a bath then," she winked back at him. "I'll play a bit till you're ready." 

"You could always stay with me..."

"In the bathroom?"

"Sure. Why not?" 

"If that's alright for you, I might fetch a book then..."

"Sure sure." 

"Had something else in mind?"

"No, because _that_ I'll be saving for after we get back from the concert," he replied with a wink and smirk. "Also, we still need to pack our things soon..." 

"Honey, I still need to rest," she chuckled. "As for the packing... considering that it's... in two weeks' time?"

"Who said anything about sex? I wanted to cuddle tonight. As for the packing, we need to at least figure out how much we're going to bring, y'know."

"Hey, it was your _that_ which made me think about it, and don't tell me your tone wasn't referring to that," she chuckled. "And the clothes... shouldn't be too much of a problem."

"Nope! The _that_ that wasn't referring to it, but rather cuddling and since you already took a bath, there was no way that was going to drag you back into the tub or the shower."

"If I don't have to wash my hair again, I might join in... the bath," she laughed.

"So would dunking you under the bubble bath consist of washing your hair? Or not at all?"

"No dunking, it's already dry Tris and... ah whatever," Gwyn replied, as she took his hand in hers and made her way to the bathroom.

-

Yawning slightly, Tristan sat on the bed in his boxers as he watched Gwyn getting dressed into her underwear. "For all the work it takes you to get into all that... it takes me like a fraction of the time to take off..." 

"You like both," she smiled as she turned back to look at him. "Mind helping me fasten the back?"

"Sure," he replied as he got up from the bed and stood next to her. Giving her a grin, he fastened the back of her bra before grabbing his shirt and pants. "And yes, I do love both."

"As much as I do."

"True true," came the easy reply as he got into his pants before putting on his shirt. "Whoa hey...getting comfy there again?" teased Tristan as Gwyn wrapped her arms around him from behind, stroking his stomach and abdomen gently while buttoning his shirt.

Placing a kiss in the middle of his back, Gwyn nodded as she continued to cuddle against her lover and best friend. "Mm-hmm... trust me, I like this part, pretty much."

"Now is it the dressing, undressing, or both that you like?"

"Both, both," she chuckled, resting her forehead against his back. "I'll go finish up, and, I'll need your help with fastening my dress at the back."

"Same, except that I'll let you straighten my tie for me," he smiled back as Gwyn gave him a final squeeze before letting go.

Getting dressed was a rather quiet, yet comfortable affair as they took their time. Once Gwyn had managed to secure the neck portion of her dress to herself, Tristan stood behind her to zip up the back of the dress as well as check the shoulder knots of the dress. Giving her a kiss on her shoulder, Tristan stood still as Gwyn buttoned the light purple waistcoat and fixed the matching purple tie. 

Looking in the mirror, Tristan smiled widely at their reflection. "So... what do you think? Also, was this really a black suit or an informal tuxedo suit?"

"Don't we look stunning?" Gwyn replied, as she felt Tristan take her hand and gently place a kiss over it.

"I think we quite do actually."

"Which means we just have to finish up and we're ready to go..."

"Yep, but you didn't answer my earlier question, is this just a black suit or an informal tux?" 

"Informal tux for the simple reason that you got dress circle tickets," she chuckled. "Did you realise that?"

"No I actually didn't realize it was an informal tux when we got it during the shopping spree yesterday. But yeah, it does make sense to wear it and I've got to admit, I've never worn light purple before, but this looks really good with the tux..."

"I meant about the tickets honey, and... mmm-hmm, you're pretty handsome-looking, I must admit."

"I did? Huh... didn't realize that either. I just asked the girl at the ticket booth for a pair of tickets..." 

"And she gave you gold, dress circle ones..." she smiled. "Quite impressive."

"Yeah... all I did was smile when I got them..."

"She got impressed by that and gave you the tickets at the same price of the normal ones, as simple as that," she winked back at him.

"Must be my boyish charms and all," he grinned as he fastened Gwyn's pearl necklace. "That looks good too..."

"I'm very aware of that... and... like it? _That_ is one of the most expensive things I got recently."

"They're gorgeous, as they're simple but definitely a head-turner."

"What I care about is that _you_ like them, more than anything else."

"I absolutely adore them on you," he replied sincerely. 

"Thank you," she whispered in response as she leaned towards the dresser and sat in front of a mirror to get her make-up done, while Tristan stood by her side to comb his hair back. While she was applying her eye-pencil, Gwyn looked up at Tristan and smiled, watching him while he slicked his hair back. "Tris, have you noticed that the dark areas under my eyes have lightened up?"

Leaning in closer, he saw that the dark circles under her eyes had lightened up considerably. "Yeah... they're almost gone actually... Means that you've been resting well." 

"And that I'm quite happy too."

"Good. Oh - how about your earrings?"

"What about them?" she asked him, while putting on the final touch with her lipstick.

Touching her bare earlobes, he tugged on them gently. "See how I'm doing this? If you were wearing them, I couldn't be doing this."

"Will put them on in a minute," she chuckled. "And you made me recall something you actually like doing related to those."

"Huh? Which is what?"

"Nibbling at them," she laughed as she proceeded into putting on the matching earrings. "Is it me or someone actually enjoys doing that in particular moments?"

"...Guilty as charged," he grinned back as he nuzzled against the side of her neck. "I honestly don't know what it is about you, as I've _never_ been this touchy-feely before... Like I said before, touching you is _addicting_..."

"That's because I'm your personal magnet," she grinned as she turned in her seat to face him. "I'm done here."

"Great! Shall we... what's up?"

"What's what?" she replied, as she straightened down her dress.

"Nothing... thought you wanted to tell me something else before leaving..."

"That I love you maybe?"

"I love you too... so very much."

Chuckling softly as Tristan kissed her neck while draping her coat over her shoulders, Gwyn took hold of her small clutch bag, placing just her wallet, a few necessaries and the tickets and started heading outside together. After placing a kiss on Jasper's nuzzle and cuddling him a bit before he prodded back into his dog bed, Tristan led Gwyn out of the apartment to their car, in direction of a restaurant and the theatre they needed to be in for the concert.

"So, what are you in the mood for?" Tristan asked as he and Gwyn were studying their menus. After easily finding a place to park the car, the pair found a quaint little restaurant not too far from the theatre.

"Would you believe I'd like to have a pasta dish?"

"The pasta dishes do look good... as does the ossobuco..." 

"Mmh?" she mumbled, looking over to where Tristan was referring. "It actually does... but I'm still sticking to the penne al salmone, they look pretty tasty."

"So, what wine do you want to have with dinner?"

"White for me... if it's alright from your end," she replied, as she noticed the waiter coming up by their side.

"Fine by me. You can pick which one."

After scanning the whole wine list available, Gwyn chose one of the most expensive wines in the list, earning a glare from Tristan to which she replied with sticking her tongue out playfully. With the waiter satisfied with the orders, he nodded and left, leaving Gwyn caressing Tristan's hand on the table. 

"Still intend to spoil me tonight? Also, what time do you want to show up to work tomorrow?"

"Probably early since I'd want to leave early - as long as I don't have any late meetings with CEO."

"Fair enough. Should I leave with you or not?"

"I'll let you know tomorrow," she smiled. "Better not think about work this evening, mmh?"

"Fair enough. Tonight is just us on a date: dinner and a concert."

"Precisely."

"Sounds good. After concert, we get ready for bed and cuddle the night away," he grinned as they waited for their food.

"Yes please, much appreciated..."

"Good." Giving her a kiss on the back of her hand, the pair continued to talk aimlessly.

"You know... it's the first time I go to an orchestral concert with someone," Gwyn told him as she continued scanning her surroundings for any unwanted observers. "I generally book one of the boxes overlooking the orchestra for myself without anyone bothering me."

"Really? You never went with anyone else before? Not even asking Anne or Neville and Lisa to accompany you? How come?"

"No one really enjoys it, plus Neville's totally not the type." 

"Shame really. I guess I was lucky that my family was so musically-oriented that we'd often go to local concerts to hear everyone's interpretation of a particular piece or original music... But, at least know, you know that you'll always have a date for these things."

"That's true. And... they really were?" 

"What, you didn't think I'd be the only one that can play an instrument. Cath loves her cello... she's been playing that for as long as I've been alive, Livvy plays the flute, but she definitely favors the piccolo moreso, and Val...playing the viola is her passion. For me, the piano and violin would be my instruments of choice, though I can also play the trumpet."

"Violin?" she exclaimed, making Tristan chuckle in response.

"Why do you think I'm so good with my hands?" he teased, making Gwyn slightly choke on her wine. "Kidding, but I've been playing the two since forever." Grabbing his napkin, he gently dabbed at Gwyn's mouth. 

"You'll have to play it for me when we're at home sometime. Tried to start playing it when I was younger but the piano took the whole of me."

"The violin's at my place, but I'll be sure to play for you once we get it." 

"Mmm-hmm," she hummed, as the waiter placed the appetizers in front of them. "You know, I was thinking... some time ago we used to avoid being together this much in public places..."

"Mostly because you were worried about the 'impropriety' of dating your subordinate. But after I told you then, which is the same as now, I'll do anything I can to be with you, as I don't care what the others think..."

"You know what's the only thing I worry about though," she answered, clutching his hands tightly.

"Hmm? What?"

"You know what it is..."

"...Aside from the asshole and his little bitch...what else should we worry about?"

"I am slightly overprotective, am I?" she sighed, turning her head to look at the incoming customers. 

"Probably for the best, but at the same time, we shouldn't have to live in fear of those two... especially since they're probably fucking each other's brains out right now... or she's fucking him up the ass... whatever..."

"Hey, mind the language," Gwyn chuckled in return. "Might be anyway, especially knowing how sick that man is." 

"...Fine... but it's not like there's anything pleasant about those two getting off on each other..."

"I know and the thought disgusts me to tell you the truth. Mind you, it's not like I'm sorry for her or anything but... that man is seriously... evil." 

"Definitely...So long as he's around, nothing good's gonna come out of thinking that he'll just let us alone..."

"I'm sure he won't... you've seen what happened to me when he does think about us." 

"You get depressed... and scared... and distant," Tristan whispered quietly.

"More than natural I suppose..." 

"Yeah..."

"But let's not thing about these things now," she winked back at him. "I don't want that person to ruin our time together."

"Nope, not gonna think about it anymore," he grinned while munching on the slices of cured meats and cheese.

"Good, as he's already way interefered too much in our existances."

"Definitely."

"You're quite pretty tonight," she smiled, taking a sip from her glass of wine. 

" _I'm pretty_? Huh... have never been called that on a formal date before, but there's always a first for everything," he grinned back. 

"Maybe I used the wrong adjective I suppose... mmm... as for first, well, we're becoming experts at that."

"True and I'm enjoying all of these 'firsts' with you. So can I say that you're quite handsome tonight then, Gwyn?" 

"Handsome?" she chuckled in return. "It's not like I'm in a suit, but thank you."

"You don't have to be in a suit to be handsome, as it simply means that you appear to be attractive, well-proportioned, and in good health. So, it can easily be applied here."

Blushing slightly, Gwyn looked away towards the window, as Tristan continued to caress her hand gently. "There are quite a few people around already for this time of the evening. It'll become much more crowded later on, I'm sure."

"Probably a good thing that we got here early then."

"Yes," she turned back immediately as she had caught a glimpse of what looked like a vampire to her.

Sensing a slight shift, he ran his thumb down the back of her ring finger. "What is it?"

"Someone I didn't want to see passed close to the restaurant, don't worry, nothing major..." she reassured him with a smile.

"Do you want to sit somewhere else then? Just in case they see you?" 

"No no, we can remain here, it's alright, that just caught my eye that's all. You shouldn't worry, really, I'm fine."

Standing up in his seat slightly, Tristan gave her a smile before leaning in to kiss her gently.

"Your orders, Sir, Madam," the waiter smiled as he saw Tristan sitting back on his chair. "If you require anything else, let me know, I'll be here immediately."

"Thank you very much," replied the pair as they clinked wine glasses before working on their dinner.

-

"That was, absolutely perfect. Both the pasta and _your_ tiramisu," Gwyn chuckled as she wiped off her mouth as Tristan requested the bill.

"Gee, and I would've enjoyed said tiramisu _more_ if _someone_ hadn't eaten two-thirds of it while I was waiting for my coffee," he laughed as drained the contents of his cup. "Dinner was fantastic though. I wonder if Anne could make beef ossobuco for dinner one of these nights..."

"You could easily ask her, you know she wouldn't mind."

"Oh I probably will once she gets back from her 'mini-vacation' with Cyn. Plus, Jas would love the bones." 

"Mmm-hmm, true," she nodded as the waiter came back with the total. "Which reminds me, any idea on what the duo have done during their vacation?"

"Eat, shop, and gossip - though the gossiping part's mostly from Cyn's end..." 

"Gossip? Yeah that's not really something Anne would do," she grinned back, watching Tristan as he paid the bill and turned slightly back to take hold of his jacket.

"Like I said, it's more on Cyn's end. She's probably needling poor Annie about either us or her and Cole..."

"Hopefully not too much."

Helping Gwyn into hers, Tristan got into his and took her hand. "Exactly. As I really don't want to divulge to Cyn the exact places we've made love - both in our apartments..."

"Frankly, no. It's too much of something intimate between the two of us."

"Exactly, but... I wouldn't put it past Cyn to try to pry. She means well and I know she'd do anything for us, but sometimes... she can be just as bad as some of women at work who gossip..." 

"Maybe since there's me involved she wouldn't be that bad, but... I'll fish information from Anne when she's back."

"For sure. Now shall we get going?"

"Yes, at I think it's almost seven o'clock... so we can easily head to the theatre on foot and settle in our seats. Theatre should be open half an hour or so before the concert... if not, we'll wait in the lobby."

"Right then, let's go. Hopefully they'll have the programs available for the evening as well..."

"They should, at a small price, but I love having a copy... I'll have to show you some rather old ones I managed to get hold of through the years, I think you'd like seeing them, especially because of the portraiture and artwork."

"Awesome. Oh and," he whispered before hugging her tightly and kissing her, "I love you, Gwyn."

"Love you too... cutie," she smiled, planting a kiss on his nose. 

"Cutie?" chuckled Tristan as the two of them began walking towards the theatre.

"I need to build up a list of pet names to use for you..."

"I know that Cyn will occasionally call me her 'handsome bastard'... but dunno if you really want to call me that..."

"No, I associate bastard with someone evil... so no, for sure. I do use, Prince, sometimes. Rarely but I do. I do like King on you though."

"So for now I'm your Prince. When we get married, will I be a King?"

"Undoubtedly."

"Then let's keep working towards that then, my Queen."


	16. XVI

"Wow... this place is amazing!" exclaimed Tristan as the two of them them walked through the halls of theatre.

"It's pretty baroque-looking, just having a look at the lavishness of the chandeliers, and the paintings... and the furnishings, the carpets... all of that points to that particular type of style. Plus, it's overwhelming."

"Just a bit... I mean, just wow..." 

"Like it?" she chuckled, holding his arm tighter. 

"Yeah... and _definitely_ need to come back here again sometime..." 

"I think it's based on some European theatre, it's very Parisian in fact."

"Yeah... I see what you mean... I remember actually going to the Paris Opera House while traveling, it was quite the experience."

"Paris is a nice place to go together too..." Gwyn smiled in return, slightly leaning her head against his shoulder.

"We could... how about instead of honeymooning in just England, we make it a tour of Europe?"

"I like the sound of that... but, England remains the top spot. We could easily make it, more than a month long..." she muttered as Tristan stopped in his tracks and stared back at her. "What?"

"Nothing, just that... this is probably the first time we've really discussed us getting married and going on our honeymoon... Makes me really look forward to the day when I can truly ask you to marry me..." he grinned before hugging her tightly. "I was also stunned at the fact that you would willingly stay away from work for over a month.

"We work more than we actually have to, so... taking more than a month as holiday will certainly be a must, considering it's for such a special occasion." 

"Babe, if you and I ever got married, I'm sure that Fred would let us go scot-free on our honeymoon..."

"Ever? I'm sure it'll happen..." she whispered, followed by a phrase in a more pensive mood. "Yes, guess Fred would do that..."

"Okay okay, _when_ we get married, and I'm sure he would. You keep saying that you're like a daughter to him, so why wouldn't he let you?"

"Mmm? No no, was thinking about something else, I'm sure Fred would let us go easily."

"Oh, okay... Anyways, we still have tons of time to think about that so how about we save this discussion for later and go find our seats?"

Nodding in return, Gwyn took Tristan's hand in hers once more and led the way to the stalls' area of the theatre. After having one of the theatre attendants check their tickets, the woman led them right to the centre stall, making Gwyn blink at Tristan in surprise. 

"I had no idea, I swear..."

"I hope you enjoy the show," the woman greeted them as she opened the little wooden door and let them inside. "Food and drinks will be served during the intermission if you like." 

"Thank you..."

"Have a nice evening then," the girl smiled back as she closed the door, leaving Gwyn and Tristan looked straight towards the stage and the rest of the theatre.

"Happy Playing Hooky From Work Day, babe," whispered Tristan as he held her hand tightly.

"It's not like we actually did that since I was a little sick after all but... heck wasn't this worth it," she smiled, moving his hands to her lips to kiss them softly.

"So worth it... and we really did play hooky. After all, we only worked for about an hour anyways..." he chuckled. 

"I'll close an eye on that."

"I know you will, for now, sit back and enjoy the remainder of our day off." 

Taking the programme book in her hands, Gwyn quickly scanned the pieces that were going to be performed and smiled when two particular ones caught her attention. "Bach's here. And Vivaldi..."

"Mm-hmm, again let's just relax and enjoy the music."

Nodding in agreement, Gwyn just huddled closer to Tristan as the lights in the theatre dimmed out and the stage curtain was raised on stage. Revealing a full blown philharmonic orchestra, Tristan couldn't help not gaze back at Gwyn, noticing the radiant sparkle that illuminated her eyes and chuckling when he saw her gasp when she caught the first glimpse of the antique harpsichord that was positioned at the centre of the stage. After getting a thorough explanation as to the origins of the harpsichord, the description of the sounds it actually gave out, Gwyn then silenced herself out as the orchestra members came out on stage and seated themselves, waiting for the director to come out. Taking a quick look, in the dark, at the programme once more, Gwyn smiled as she realised that the first piece to be performed was going to be one of Bach's Brandenburg concertos.

"You'll love this..."

"I'm sure I will," smiled Tristan.

Humming along the notes and the different movements, and closing her eyes at times to absorb all of the positive and soothing vibes that the music was providing, Tristan wrapped an arm around her and caressed her back gently as the orchestra moved from Bach to Beethoven for another piece.

"Enjoying yourself so far?"

"Very much," she whispered back. "How about you?"

"Immensely so."

"Really? That's good to know."

"Yeah really. And I'm glad you're happy."

"Sure! I mean, it's relaxing and all, and we can stay together... in the dark with no one really watching."

"And just what exactly are you _proposing_ with that train of thought, hmm?" snickered Tristan.

"Nothing! Tristan Faraday, I wasn't proposing anything," she chuckled in return.

"Just kidding," he whispered back before kissing her deeply.

"Beethoven's watching you," she chuckled, as a piano solo could be heard in the background. "Do you think we should move from here during the break?"

"Up to you." 

"We could snag two glasses of champagne... and come back here."

"We could do that."

"Might as well go do that now," Gwyn winked back at him as the theatre illuminated itself once more. "Intermission time."

"Sure sure. I could do with a snack too..."

"You're hungry?" she chuckled, leaning to place a kiss on his cheek.

"Sweetheart, when am I not?" he laughed.

"Yeah yeah, shouldn't have asked," Gwyn replied, as she got back to her feet. "Coming?"

"Yep!" Getting to his feet, he took hold of Gwyn's hand as she led him out. 

By-passing the rest of the crowd, the two managed to locate the table with the drinks and quickly fetched two glasses of champagne which Gwyn held close. After looking around for a few minutes, Tristan spotted a table with some small appetizers and immediately asked Gwyn to walked towards it to grab a few bites. Satisfied at his choices, Tristan grinned back at Gwyn with a small paper plate in his hands and the two headed back to their seats to enjoy the small treat.

"Ahh, these are really good," grinned Tristan as he grabbed another mini quiche to eat.

"Those mini versions actually look cute," she chuckled as she sipped her champagne slowly.

"And they taste just as good as the bigger version."

"Tris... I want that chocolate-covered strawberry," she said seriously.

Pouting he looked at the lone strawberry forlornly. "Aww... but it was the only one..."

Giving him a disappointed look, followed by a giggle and a bout of laughter, Gwyn snagged another chocolate and ate it quickly. "Left you the strawberry then."

Plucking the top off of the strawberry, he gave her a mischievous grin. "I _was_ going to share with you by giving you the chocolate half..."

"You can have it if you like, I'm happy with that chocolate fudge piece I had," she winked back. "Was just teasing you."

"Are you sure?" he teased before placing the uncovered half in his mouth. 

"Tease... and what does that mean now?" she whispered, leaning closer to him.

Rolling his eyes, he leaned forward and managed to stick the chocolate half in her mouth. Biting the rest of the chocolate strawberry off, Gwyn pulled Tristan slightly closer to her and kissed him back, feeling him wrap his arms around her.

"Told you I'd share..."

"With an added extra."

"Mm-hmm, and it makes it even better."

"Doesn't it? There is a mini... what's that? Chocolate mousse bite?" 

"Looks like it... You can have it if you want."

"If that's alright for you..." she grinned, while grabbing the little chocolatey delight from the plate and biting half of it, while holding the other half to Tristan. "Here."

"Thanks," he grinned back while taking the piece and tossing it into his mouth.

"And yes, the break was worth it too."

"Very much so." Taking a sip of his champagne, he set it back down on the little table before wrapping an arm around Gwyn's shoulders as the lights began to dim once again.

"Our Vivaldi's coming next..."

"Time to enjoy the changing seasons..."

Resting her head on his shoulder once again, Gwyn nuzzled against Tristan as the orchestra started playing the brisk notes of the _Spring_ concerto. Gwyn smiled as she closed her eyes and started picturing the scenes that the music notes inspired as the movements and the different concertos flowed along: the babble of a brook and the dance of nymphs, shepherds in _La Primavera_ ; birds, such as cuckoos calling, followed by a thunderstorm in the later movements of _L'Estate_ ; the sight of a harvest festival and a hunt in _L'Autunno_ ; and the howling of wind and sliding of ice in _L'Inverno_. Characterised by the poetry of the Baroque period, the music was made up of different harmonies and melodies, becoming almost like one single work that made that masterpiece so special.

Taking her hand, Tristan continued to trace lazy patterns on the inside of her palm as they continued to listen. "You're at peace right now... it's a nice and warm feeling," he whispered gently.

"Mmm-hmm," she replied, while she continued to hum along with the orchestra.

"Just stay like this... I don't want you to feel like you did earlier in the afternoon... please?"

"I won't, I promise... it's perfect as things are now..."

"Yeah..." he smiled as continued to touch, caress, and simply play with her hands.

"Any idea for the rest of the evening Tris?" she whispered back before placing a kiss on his cheek.

"Whatever you want. I'm pretty much open for anything... and yes, I'm aware that we would simply cuddle tonight. Since you need your rest and all," he grinned.

"How about we go at a cinema? There should be some kind of show on I suppose," she suggested, making Tristan blink back at her. "You don't like movies?"

"I do... Thought you didn't want to stay out too late because of work tomorrow - but I'd love to go see a movie."

"We'd be relaxed in a theatre so... I don't think that shouldn't take long... should be about ten o'clock right now, am I right?"

Pushing back the left sleeves and cuffs of his tuxedo jacket and shirt, he nodded as he looked at the time. "Yep, it is."

"Told you," she grinned. "What do you say then, deal? I'll treat you out."

"You're always treating me out, but I can't really complain much, since you always will spoil me," he laughed. 

"Not always, it was you who gave me this surprise after all," she winked back, as the theatre lit up once again as the orchestra finished with the last movement and the audience proceeded with its standing ovation.

Grinning, he and Gwyn stood up and proceeded to clap and cheer after the performance before gathering their things and heading out. "It's because I rarely ever get to surprise you..."

"That's what _you_ think."

"I do think."

"No, you do surprise me... every single day," she smiled.

"Good to know."

"You're not very convinced, aren't you?" she smiled, as she locked her arm with his as they walked outside.

"I am somewhat, but not completely since you always manage to surprise me more. Not that it's a bad thing."

"Let's say it's reciprocal then..."

"Fair enough."

"You lead the way now, I don't have any idea what there's on at the moment, never went to tell you the truth."

"Hmm... what are you in the mood for?" he asked as they looked at the cinema listings after walking for a couple of minutes from the theatre.

"Depends what you like best out of all of them, just choose, I'll go about for anything... except utterly romantic things."

"I have no idea what to pick tell you the truth..." Studying the listings, he saw one that had potential. "How about this one? Looks like a period piece drama..."

"We could. If that's to your liking too," she nodded.

"It's about the Renaissance... could be interesting." 

"Seems like it," muttered Gwyn as she studied the movie poster more closely. "Shall we go then?"

"We shall."

Holding his arm tighter, Gwyn proceeded into buying two tickets for the ten-thirty show which was going to start up in a couple of minutes. Hastily making their way in time for the start of the screening, the pair found their seats right in the middle of a relatively empty cinema hall, huddling closer to each other as much as possible.

"Hmm, it's probably empty due to it being so late," observed Tristan.

"It's not that late..."

"Ah well, let's just wait and see, shall we?" 

"Yes Sir."

Chuckling, he simply grinned as the film began to show while holding onto Gwyn. Strangely remaining in silence, Gwyn started to observe all the details related to the settings and the costumes that were being used - in spite of the fact that she wasn't as knowledgable into the time period being illustrated, she was quite versed with the history and customs of the time through her readings and her love for art and architecture.

While watching the screen, Tristan's attention was drawn to a little pick-pocket, who looked roughly six years old, that had been caught by the main protagonist. In studying the boy, Tristan had a brief flash of what seemed like a distant memory. Shaking his head, he focused on the exchange between the two before the hero offered the boy a place to stay.

"What's wrong?" Gwyn whispered back at him, placing a hand on his thigh. "I felt that."

"Nothing nothing... just... I can't really place it, but that moment seemed _familiar_ to me somehow..."

"Really?" she blinked back at him. "Maybe you had a similar dream some time ago."

"No... It's like I remember something similar to that, but I had never gone to Italy until I was ten nor was I a pick-pocket living on the streets... Weird."

"That's strange... I mean... it's not surprising anyway."

"But that's the thing... I remembered being _there_ ," he whispered as he pointed to the screen. "It's like I can still smell the air and feel the rough rags that I wore as clothing... but obviously I'm not from that time period - I'm from _here_ , in this time."

"Mmm..." Gwyn hummed, slightly thoughtful as she continued watching the screen. 

Observing the film once again, Tristan tried to shake away the thoughts/memories swimming through his head, but found that the more he watched as the boy and the hero interact more and more, the more he began to vividly recall the time and place. _How weird... Did I really live during that time - or was it an ancestor of mine...?_

"Might have been someone in your family line," Gwyn uttered, as if reading his thoughts.

"...Maybe and I was just thinking that," he murmured towards her. 

"You'd have to be some immortal being to live through all that much Tris, and an old one at that, so, I'd rule out the possibility that it might have been you. But, the theory of having an ancestor is not too far-fetched in that regard."

"...Or it could've been a past life of mine..."

"Could be too. There could be so many possibilities."

"Yeah..."

"I wouldn't worry too much, if I were you."

Nodding, Tristan continued to watch as the hero, the boy, and the hero's love interacted over a simple meal, as they began to resemble a family.

"You're still thinking about it..."

"Sorta, but I'm not too worried about it."

"Good..."

Squeezing her gently, the continued to watch the movie in peace as it ended with a rather pleasant ending for everyone, especially the boy. After gathering their belongings once again, the pair slowly headed home, with Gwyn smiling silently from time to time as they talked.

"Have a good night?"

"Very much..." replied Gwyn as she opened the door to her apartment once they arrived after a brief drive.

"Great. So, bed now?" 

"Mmm-hmm, I do feel a little bit tired now," she admitted with a long yawn.

"Don't blame you, since it's nearly one in the morning," he smiled as they entered their bedroom and began to undress once they were inside.

"Yes, I know..." she smiled as she slipped on her black nightdress. "We'll have to be in by nine tomorrow morning, so, no worries at that."

"Yep yep," he grinned back as he stood in his boxers before heading to the bathroom. "Just gonna brush my teeth. Coming?"

"In a minute, go ahead," she replied as she moved next to the bed and removed the quilt and bedsheets to have them ready, before heading to the bathroom herself. 

Brushing his teeth as Gwyn entered, Tristan was examining his jaw once again. Removing his toothbrush, he rinsed out his mouth before rubbing his chin. "I'll shave in the morning, I guess..."

"It doesn't look that bad though," Gwyn nodded as she walked next to the sink and start brushing her own.

"Well, since you've no doubt noticed, I don't really grow hair all that well, save for my head..." he laughed.

"I don't mind that slight stubble on you, that's why I never really commented on it."

"I guess, but it's not as if you can really _see_ it unless you're really looking." Smiling, he grabbed the mouthwash and began to rinse.

"I can dear, I am the one kissing you after all," she chuckled as she rinsed her mouth out.

"Either way, I'm glad I can go weeks before shaving..."

"Makes you save on razors and shaving cream," Gwyn laughed as she moved close to him and placed a kiss on his cheek. "Bed now please?"

"Yes AD..."

Giving him a playful push on his back, Gwyn led Tristan back into the bedroom and the pair quickly got under the bedsheets to cuddle close to one another.

Pulling Gwyn close, Tristan snuggled against her back. "Good night, Love." 

"Good night Sweetheart," she smiled back. "Sweet dreams."

"...You too..." he whispered while falling asleep quickly.

-

After that evening, the pair's week flew by pretty briskly, with no particular evening occurring nor anything worrying them. Mid-week had meant Gwyn meeting up with Fred to discuss the current state of play of the Advertising project and matters in general, and it also meant feeding on the procured prey that Fred would have brought for her since she blamed her busy schedule and no time to pursue such activities. Relieved that there was no mention of Tristan in his discussions with her, Gwyn promptly returned to her work, also grateful that the encounters with the Black-Howell duo had been next to nothing that week too. In the midst of that bustle, the AD had also managed to organize a meeting at the end of the week with the young Jacob Richards, as she had a few things in mind for him, should he accept.

Yawning as he tossed another wad of paper into his wastebasket, Tristan slumped forward onto his desk and began to nap as Cynthia knocked on his door to check in on him.

"Hey handso... will you get back to work just like your girlfriend is?" she whispered as she got inside and placed a chocolate doughnut on his desk. "Here."

"Mmm...? Oh hey! Awesome! You're the best Cyn!" Tristan exclaimed happily as he began to munch on the doughnut.

"Geez, two things make you that hyper, Gwyn and sweets."

"Buf if chokofaye," he replied back with his mouth full of doughnut.

"If you say that chocolate's better, I go tell AD now," she smirked back at him with a mischievous grin.

"If nof... she beffer!"

"Eat that thing decently, then talk to me please," she laughed, resting against the doorframe of his office.

Chewing and swallowing the remainder of the large cake-style doughnut, he smiled. "I just needed that sugar boost. I've been trying to write my final report regarding Advertising, but nothing's really coming out... And she knows how hard I've been working..." Tristan replied as he gestured to all of the various reports and binders on his desk. "I've already read through all those in the past two days..."

"She's free from meetings right now if you want to come. Just thought of leaving you the chocolate thing since Cole came up with a whole box of them, gave a white chocolate one to Gwyn for your info. And she really appreciated it."

"Ahh, gotcha..." he grinned as he stood up, rumpled shirt, askew tie, and the first three buttons of his shirt undone. "Shall we?"

"Make yourself presentable and we can go," Cynthia chuckled. "Shirt in, tie up and fasten those buttons."

Tucking in his shirt, but leaving the tie loose and his shirt open, he smirked. "I'm good enough as is, since I'll probably just get back to work anyways once there."

"Mmm-hmm," she nodded as they walked together out of the office, after Tristan had locked the door behind him. 

As the pair walked through the halls, chatting about random things, Tristan froze as he spotted Howell near the end of the hall. "Great... Just what we needed."

"Just keep on going and ignore her," she muttered back at him, clutching his right hand as she felt him tense up.

"Right..."

"She just wants your attention, she'd get utterly frustrated if she's ignored, I'm sure, plus, there's the _me-and-you_ cover up, if you like. Worked with Black I think..."

"There is always that, especially with my shirt the way it is," he whispered back while winking at her.

"Precisely," she leaned closer to him, keeping a constant eye at the woman. "You think she'd like this?"

"Like what?"

"If I stopped in the middle of the corridor and faked a kiss with you," she whispered in a very low tone as she stood on her tiptoes and placed a kiss in the corner of his lips. "That should work just as much as the real thing, if you stay still for a short while... I don't mind that."

"Or I could..." Staying still, he placed his hands on her cheeks and kissed her chastely for a good while as Howell watched them, fuming all the while.

"Think she's gone by now?" she muttered, as she rested her forehead against his and tried to catch a glimpse of the far end of the corridor.

Watching Howell stomp away around the corner, Tristan nodded. "Yeah, she's gone..."

"Phew..." she sighed out in relief, with a faint blush still on her cheeks. "This is another thing you'll have to report to AD. As for her, she'll probably go get her dose with _you-know-who_."

Pinching her butt slightly, Tristan smirked. "Shut up Cyn..."

"Ouch, what was that for?" she slapped playfully back at him, with a pout. "I mean, don't tell me that isn't going to happen in a couple of minutes, not that I want to know all about it... but, seriously, it's the truth."

"Maybe, but I don't kiss and tell," he continued to smirk as they made their way over to Gwyn's office. Stopping at her office door, Tristan let go of Cynthia and rubbed her lower back as he knocked on the door. "See you when I see you..."

"Come in."

"Mmh. And I'll tell Gwyn about all this later anyway. Laters, crazy one... and go inside, she's calling."

"Later Gorgeous," he smiled back before entering the office, locking the door behind him.

"You were with Cynthia, Tris?" Gwyn asked, looking up from her papers, chuckling as soon as she saw him. "And why on earth do you have your shirt out?"

"The slut happened, so Cyn had to untuck my shirt slightly. The open collar - _that_ \- was from working."

"Oh she was around then... had to do a little play to get her the hell away from us, right..." she spat, slamming one of the documents on her desktop. "I'm starting to utterly dislike deadlines."

"I can tell... and sorry..."

"For what? Honey, you've done nothing wrong," she sighed. 

"Habit. So, what's up?"

"This, which needs to be ready by end of business today..."

"And what is that... an audit report? Today? For whom?"

"One question at a time Tris," Gwyn chuckled, relieved to have him in her office in that moment. "CEO ordered it, this morning, and has to be ready today. I have to review it, criticize it and write my own counter-report. Fun isn't it? Too bad it wasn't me who met up with that bitch. I would have beheaded her with glee right now."

"You sure take pleasure in your work," Tristan grinned back at her.

"Yes, this surely is fun... Seriously."

"So, what's my role in the audit?" he asked as he moved behind her desk and rested his chin on her shoulder to look down at her papers.

"Just review the things I've written down for me, please."

"Sure, whatever you say," he whispered before kissing her cheek and snatching the papers from her grasp. Grinning back at her, Tristan slumped back into his seat and began to read the papers, occasionally pushing up his glasses while he read.

"Thank you, and the most important parts are in pages four and five."

"Pages four and five, gotcha," parroted Tristan without looking up.

Standing up from her desk being slightly nervous, Gwyn moved by Tristan's side, placed a kiss on his hair and walked away. "I'll be back in a minute."

"Okay. Oh and your assessment in those pages are spot on in what I saw in the audit report..."

"Perfect," she muttered from behind the door as she closed it.

Looking up from the papers, Tristan picked up a pen from Gwyn's desk and proceeded to add a few additional notes to her assessment.

"Yes, thanks Cynthia," Gwyn said in reply to some schedule update that her secretary had just given her while she was opening the door to her office once again. Smiling as soon as she caught the first glimpse of Tristan reading, she made her way back to her desk and sat back slightly more relaxed than she was before.

"Oh yeah, did Cyn tell you that she was expecting _you-know-what_ with _you-know-who_ to happen after our meeting with the Howell slut?" Tristan asked nonchalantly.

"What? No!" she exclaimed with a hint of an amused grin on her lips.

"I know, right?" he continued while reading. 

"She just told me about your chaste kiss."

"Hadda throw the bitch off our tails, so yeah..."

"Yes I heard," she replied, taking another document in her hands.

"Yeah... besides, isn't your bathroom private? That might be a bit more intersting..."

"Tris, no."

"No that your bathroom isn't private from the rest of the staff's bathroom on this floor?"

"No as in, I know what you're thinking about and it's no. But yes, it's just for myself and Cynthia to use."

"Can I use it? I needs to go potty... pwease?"

"Eh?" she replied with a laugh. "Sure you can."

"'Kay!" he replied brightly as he let himself out of the office and headed towards the bathroom. Walking up to the door, Tristan grabbed the handle and turned it, only to find Cynthia washing her hands while also straightening her skirt. "Whoops! Sorry!" he exclaimed while shutting the door quickly.

"Tris, is that you?" she laughed as she opened the door. "How come you're here?"

"I has to potty...?"

Laughing, Cynthia moved out of the bathroom, leaving the door open. "All yours, baby."

"Thanks!" Slipping inside, Tristan closed the door and locked it before relieving himself. "Oh boy... too much coffee and water was consumed today..."

"You're both working on that report right?" she asked him, while she waited for him out of the room.

"Yeah...? And why are you waiting for me? I'm just going pee..."

"I don't want the slut, who probably is exhausted by now, to come and pounce on you unexpectedly next to a bathroom."

Tucking himself back into his pants before zipping up, Tristan walked over to the sink to wash his hands. "Makes sense... I guess..."

"Totally."

"And before you ask, yes I'm all cleaned up and no, nothing's happened in the office, other than work..."

"I wasn't thinking anything like that! Plus, you're too busy with that report to get anything like that done."

"Not like I couldn't hide under the desk and _tend_ to her as she works..." snickered Tristan as he opened the bathroom door while drying his hands.

"Stop that, stop it! I don't want to hear that. And when you get some bright idea like that, tell me and I go for a walk."

"Not like I didn't do _that_ to you back then..." he chuckled as he began walking back to Gwyn's office. "Byeeee!"

"Idiot!" she shouted back at him, blushing slightly. "You're really a big, grown-up lovable idiot."

"And you know it!" Opening the door to the office, he slipped inside once again before locking it behind him. Spotting Gwyn at her desk, he made his way over to her and slipped his hands under her shirt to massage her shoulders. "Find anything interesting?"

"A bit. Have a look at this. He really writes... crap."

"Huh? Lemme see lemme see... oh for fuck's sakes... he's really is that much of a moron..."

"And what is this supposed to be? A critical analysis of our work? Seriously, he must be joking," she grinned, looking up at Tristan. "CEO passed over to me to have a look at it. He's just shooting himself in the foot with this."

"Definitely... oh, are my edits okay?"

"Mmm-hmm."

"And that you agree with what I wrote?"

"Yes."

"And that after you submit that we can have some fun in your office...?"

"I have other things to catch up with Tris today."

"Phooey..." Kissing her hair, Tristan straightened up and started walking over to the door. "See you later then. I'll be going for a workout and head home afterwards. Bye!" he replied cheerily before leaving.

"Alright," she smiled back at him, as she continued working at the couple of reports that needed to be finished soon. "See you later."

Instead of getting an answer, all Gwyn heard was the click of the lock on her door, causing her to chuckle. Resting the reports on her desktop, she took a blank piece of paper and a pen and started writing a quick note. Once done, she called for Cynthia and gave her the small note in her hands. "Take this to Tristan. I'll be staying here a bit late today."

"Yes sure, but, don't stay too long, please."

"Don't worry, I won't, just an hour or so, and I'll head back home."

"Alright... I'll go take it to him now."

"Thanks."

Upon leaving Gwyn's office, Cynthia immediately headed towards Tristan's office to hand the letter over.

"What's up?" asked Tristan as he was changing his clothes in his office once Cynthia entered.

"Message from AD... and you're going to the gym?" she asked, placing the letter on his desk. 

Pulling on his shorts, he grabbed the letter and read it before laughing and tucking it into his bag.

"What is it?" she asked him curiously, however noticing that he was in a certain hurry.

"Pass along to her that I'll have the candles ready and will be playing some Bach," he smiled as he pulled on his shirt and grabbed his things. "Catch you later, Beautiful."

"Awwwww..." she smiled, making him laugh in return. "Anyway I will... I'm feeling like a personal messenger or something. Later Tris... nice evening."

"Evening to you too," he chuckled before kissing her squarely on the lips and licking them slightly before stepping away and leaving his office. "You taste like strawberries. See you tomorrow!"

"TRISTAN DAVID FARADAY DON'T YOU DARE DO THAT AGAIN!" she growled, smiling back at the same time. "Idiot... I'll go tell Gwyn about the message and this anyways."

"Thanks and bye!"

"Welcome..."

-

After locking his bike outside and entering the gym, Tristan dumped all of his belongings into a locker and headed over to the treadmill. Climbing on, he began to run as he observed the people around him. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a tall, fairly busty, blonde woman with long hair that covered her right eye and bright blue eyes get on the treadmill next to him. "Hi and nice evening for a run, wouldn't you say?" he smiled good-naturedly to the new face.

"If that is an attempt to flirting, it's pathetic," the woman muttered, rolling her eyes in return.

"Huh? No... not at all..." he replied confusedly. Rolling his eyes, he continued to run.

"Mmm..."

Pouting, Tristan tried to avoid her staring at him.

"I've never seen you around though..." she continued as she started the treadmill up.

"Well... me neither... that's why I said hi..." he sighed without looking at her. 

"I don't blame you I'm usually next to the punching bag... I practice kick-boxing," she grinned back, starting to go faster. "I needed to de-stress a bit today."

"Oh. May I ask why?"

"Crap at work, dealing with stupid people is exhausting... and had a little fight with my boyfriend... this sort of stuff."

"Ah. Guess that would cause one to stress and find the need to de-stress."

"Absolutely, I mean... all in one day is too much, even for someone like me."

Simply nodding his head, Tristan continued to run.

"My name's Alice... if you're interested, and sorry for snapping at you," she told him as she continued running while a slight grin started forming on her lips.

"I'm Tristan... and... it's okay."

"Tristan eh? Lovely name... and no I'm not hitting on you. I do love old-sounding names though."

"Wouldn't think you were, as I'm already involved with someone. And thank you, my older sister picked it."

"Seriously? That's nice... and oh, you have a girlfriend too? So you must know how I'm feeling at the moment," she scoffed, running even faster.

"Yeah seriously, she was inspired by the story. And yeah, I've had my ups and downs with my other half, but we've managed to work through them," he replied back as he ran faster.

"Mine's working abroad at the moment, so communication is getting pretty difficult and talking to each other is not that frequent, and we get pissed off over nothing... even over the most stupid of things... I mean, yes I do have a problem with him going out with both his male and female co-workers. I do trust him, what I don't trust are the others... and it's like... ah whatever, it's boring."

"Oh... I'm sorry..."

"Nah. Nothing to apologize about and stuff. It's my problem after all.... and that of my nerves."

"Hmm... wanna go punch the bag? I'll hold it for you..."

"Are you sure? You just got here on the treadmill."

" _I'm_ perfectly fine. _You_ sound like you need to get some crap off your chest."

"If that's alright for you..." she replied while stopping the treadmill and getting off it with a jump.

"It's fine with me," he shot back as he stopped the treadmill and hopped off.

"You come here often?" Alice asked as they walked their way to the other side of the hall, arriving next to the punching bag, utterly needed by her.

"I do... just not to this bag obviously," he grinned as he held the bag for her.

"Mmm," she hummed, as she started punching immediately with all of her force, leaving Tristan slightly surprised.

"Not bad. Though your technique is a bit lacking."

"What?!"

"I'll show you. Hold the bag for a second."

"Yes, sure," she replied, watching him closely.

Clenching his fists, Tristan closed his eyes and hit the bag squarely with less force than Alice, but with enough strength to equal her hit. "You're using too much energy to hit it, when you just need to use less."

"Thanks master," she chuckled, placing her hands on her hips. "You're acting just like him."

"Huh? Who?"

"My boyfriend."

"Oh... sorry... It's just that, I've been trained in martial arts since I was a kid, so believe me, I know how to hit these things."

"Good as you'd know how to hit idiots," she snickered. "Anyways, that's pretty good for your girlfriend. Apart from relying on her own strength, she'd know she has quite the bodyguard when she has you around."

"Um... thank you," he replied while blushing.

"No need to blush, must be true and... can I continue now please?" she grinned back.

"Yeah sure..." he muttered quietly as he held the bag once again as Alice started to kick with all of her force once again for another couple of minutes. 

"Alright, that was more than enough I suppose," she told Tristan, while gaining back her breath.

"Tired already? Guess it's my turn then, but only if you're able to hold the bag."

"Right, go ahead."

Pulling off his t-shirt, Tristan let a smirk cross his lips before he began to attack the bag with various punches and kicks, completely surprising Alice with the amount of sheer force that the bag was being impacted with.

"Whoa, boy, that's quite something," she said in a gasp.

"Told you I have some experience hitting these things."

"You do. Pretty much, it's very evident."

"Thank you and as you can tell, I'm not as tired," he winked as he continued to hit the bag.

"Nope... you sure must have some stamina," she smirked with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"Not just that baby, trust me."

"Baby?" she laughed out as she continued observing him, more than entertained at the sight. "I think your girlfriend wouldn't appreciate that comment much. I would be pretty possessive myself if I had you."

"Sorry, it's just that you reminded me of her actually... so slip of the tongue. And you'd be possessive of me?"

"You're quite the catch, not my type, but quite something."

"Probably a good thing that I'm not your type as my girlfriend would probably have a few words with you. So you think I'm something, hmm? Quite the change after you accused me of flirting with you earlier..." he grinned as he finally stopped attacking the bag and began to wipe himself off with a towel that she handed him.

"Because you stopped at that. Most men would continue bugging you till you have to kick them in the groin to make them shut up."

"I guess..."

"Plus, I seriously wouldn't want to anger your girlfriend."

Chuckling, Tristan draped the towel over his shoulders and sat down next to her against the wall. "Yeah, and I wouldn't want to lose a new friend."

"So, you have a job that keeps you pretty busy I suppose... seeing how much you need to de-stress," she asked, smiling back.

"That actually wasn't de-stressing, that was just a regular workout for me. But, I do have a job that keeps me rather busy," he smiled as he watched some people walk by.

"Regular?! I wonder what you'd do when you're actually angry then," she laughed. "Anyways, I think I should get going now... I have to be home to phone him up," Alice smiled back happily. "As much as we bicker, that's the one thing I look forward to everyday."

"Good and hopefully everything works out for you. Say, what's your last name, out of curiosity? And when I'm angry, just keep wondering."

"Yes, it will. And it's Richards. As for the angry, I'd better not imagine."

"Richards eh? Alice Richards, I'm Tristan Faraday. Pleased to make your acquaintance."

"Pleased to meet you too, Mr. Faraday. Take good care of yourself, and your other half."

"You too. Take care of yourself and hopefully I'll see you around more?"

"I'll be around."

"Cool. See you," he patted her shoulder before getting up. Holding out his hand, he helped her to her feet.

"Yes, see you soon," she grinned as she stood up. "And you're quite the gentleman too. That's a plus."

"Thank you. Oh and in case you were wondering, my girlfriend's name is Gwyn. Later," he waved as he grabbed his shirt and headed towards the locker rooms.

"Gwyn huh?" she smirked, once the boy was out of sight. "So I got that right, the boy's Gwendalynn's human half. Good to know," she thought, as she made her way to the ladies' changing rooms to fetch her clothes.

 _The Clan must be in for a revolution soon then..._ she silently laughed to herself later as she walked out of the gym while Tristan was heading back to Gwyn's apartment for the night.

-

Opening the door, Tristan was greeted with the scent of dinner cooking and Jasper barking. "Annie? Jasper? How are we all today?"

"In the kitchen Tris!" a jovial female voice called back from the kitchen as Tristan walked inside. "Jas is supervising the preparation of his food."

"Well, apparently he's doing a great job," laughed Tristan as he entered the kitchen. "It smells wonderful. What's on the menu for this evening, my dear? Oh and I'll save the hugs for after my shower."

"Yes because you've got a sweaty stench on you," Anne laughed back. "You have chicken and potato soup and spicy chicken and mushroom wraps," she replied. "There was quite the amount of chicken in the freezer so thought of using it."

"Chicken's good. I'll be back in a bit. Jas want a bath?" 

Upon hearing the word bath, Jasper nuzzled closer to Anne's legs, who laughed in response to the puppy's actions. 

"I suppose that means no." 

"Guess so," he grinned. "See you both soon. Oh and could you please turn on the record player and put on a Bach record? Gwyn should be on her way home soon."

"Will do. And she's still at work right?" 

"Yeah. She was finishing up an audit report that she had to turn in by the end of the day, but like I said, she's should be home soon." 

"Good, if not, I'll phone her up myself," she smiled back.

"Fair enough. See you!" Once he left the kitchen, he immediately headed towards the bedroom and into the bathroom. Stripping off his workout clothes, Tristan entered the shower and tried to figure out why Alice felt like Gwyn, Neville, and Jacob. 

Back in the kitchen, Anne finished off preparing the soup and headed into the living room with Jasper following her closely. After locating Gwyn's collection of classical records, she effortlessly found the one with the Bach concertos and placed it into the record player, setting the volume as low to leave it as background music. Once done, Anne leaned down and took Jasper in her arms, gently placing a kiss on his nose. 

"You're a good boy, aren't you?" she grinned as the puppy returned the gesture with a lick on her cheek. "Let's go check the rest of the food and get yours prepared now then."

Barking happily, Jasper began to sniff the air as he wagged his tail happily as Gwyn entered the apartment. Squirming in Anne's grip, the young woman laughed as she let the puppy down as he immediately ran to his mommy.

"Hey baby, there you are..." Gwyn chuckled as she rested her bag on the floor and took the dark bundle in her arms. "How's my little one, mmh? Anne? Alright here?"

"Yes sure, Tristan's having a shower right now and..."

"You put the Bach record on?" she asked with a smile, as she headed straight to the living room to sit on the couch, Jasper happily wagging his tail and licking his mommy's cheek from time to time.

"Mmm-hmm, someone's specific orders."

"I can imagine... need any help in the kitchen?" she called back.

"No, just sit there and relax. It's been a long day."

"True... thanks Anne."

"You're welcome."

Letting out a loud yawn as he entered the living room, Tristan was scratching his stomach through his t-shirt when he spotted Gwyn. "Hey baby, everything okay?" 

"Yes dear, finished off all the pending items I needed to do. You?" she smiled back as she scratched the back of Jasper's ear.

"Had a nice workout at the gym and met a new friend. She reminded me of you, only because of her no-nonsense attitude... kinda bossy too..." he chuckled as he settled down onto the couch next to her.

"I'm not bossy... at least when I'm not at work," she chuckled. "And I think I should come with you some time at the gym... I'd love to have a hit at a punching bag."

"Ironically, that's what we ended up doing after we were running alongside each other on the treadmills... so most of my workout was from beating up the bag." Reaching over to Jasper, he began to scratch the pup's ears and tummy. 

"Mmm-hmm..." 

"Her name's Alice Richards... reminded me of Jacob too actually..." 

"Alice what?" she promptly blurted out, blinking back at him. "Tall, rather busty, long blonde hair?"

"Yeah! How'd you know? And you're totally right with the busty comment... thought she was gonna hit me with those when we were punching the bag..."

"Oh come on, exaggerated..." she laughed out. "Just to let you know though, you've met up with Jacob Richards' older sister."

"Really? Wow... didn't even know he had an older sister... ah well, she was griping about her boyfriend, thought I hit on her when I said hi, realized why you're possessive of me, and said that I wasn't her type. Other than the boyfriend part, the other things are the reasons why she reminded me of you." 

"Very typical of her," she grinned. "Haven't seen her for ages."

"You know her? Anyways, we should all go there together sometime... help you de-stress by beating something up." 

"Well... maybe... but our meetings when we were younger weren't that... peaceful."

"Maybe she's mellowed a bit?"

"Could be... I wouldn't be surprised that she did especially since you mentioned that she talked about her having a boyfriend. She used to tell me that I'd never get a man with my 'horrid' character, not that I blame her..."

"Well, you have me now, so that accounts for something."

"Definitely," she whispered, kissing his nose with a giggle.

"For sure."

"I'm actually surprised you struck a conversation with her... she's not that talkative a person, trust me."

"It seemed like a good idea at the time..."

"Good to know, that's quite astounding, really. And missed you at the office... in spite of the fact that I was terribly busy."

"Yeah, but at least she talked to me, so... I guess that accounts for something, hmm? And you missed me? Aww..."

"I meant it," she chuckled.

"See, told you we should've _you-know-what_ in your office earlier. _That_ way you wouldn't have missed me too badly," he teased.

"Oh stop it," laughed Gwyn, as she wrapped an arm round his waist to rub his back gently.

"It's okay, we can just do that before bed anyways. And Jasper looks hungry," Tristan smiled as Jasper continued to pant as he heard his food being poured into his bowl.

"Jasper, food's here!" Anne called out from the kitchen as the puppy jumped off Tristan and Gwyn's lap and ran hurriedly towards his bowl.

"She spoils him off worse than the two of us together."

"I guess it's logical, since they're always together during the day anyways. Still though, he's healthy, happy, and loved. And bigger too..."

"Mmm-hmm, he's growing, isn't he?" she agreed, as the puppy disappeared into the kitchen.

"Yeah, considering how tiny he was when I found him..." he smiled as he hugged her tightly. "So dinner is chicken, chicken, and chocolate. Shall we?"

"Did I hear chicken?" she laughed, kissing him squarely on the cheek.

"Yep. Apparently Anne found a whole stash of chicken in the freezer, so chicken is definitely on the menu." 

"I don't mind chicken."

"Me neither. So... you gonna just stay in your work clothes or are you going to change?"

"Maybe I should..." she replied, getting back on her feet. "I'll be back in a minute," she told him, placing a quick kiss on his hair and rushing towards her bedroom.

"Okay."

After quickly locating one of Tristan's t-shirts and a pair of jeans, followed by gathering her hair in a bun, Gwyn made her way back to the dining room, finding Tristan already seated as Anne started bringing food on the table.

"Couldn't resist," she told him, as she sat next to Tristan.

"The food was beckoning me... that and Anne could hear my stomach growl from the kitchen..."

"No I meant your t-shirt, and thanks Anne."

"I've come to expect you stealing my shirts, so you're more than welcome to wear them."

"Comfy, cozy, they're just perfect and... oh it's soup! Tris just mentioned the chicken bit," she smiled, as Anne placed the plates in front of the two of them.

"It mostly consists of chicken, hence me focusing on the chicken."

"There's much more to it though," Gwyn smiled, as she grabbed a slice of toasted bread and spread some garlic butter on it.

"Yeah, there's potatoes in the soup too," he grinned while taking a roll for himself and buttering it liberally.

"And leeks, carrots, and peas... but they're all processed so you can't really decipher what there is in it exactly," Anne replied, as she took her seat in front of them.

"And garlic, don't forget the garlic."

"Yes, that too," Gwyn chuckled silently.

"Look at it this way, since we're all eating garlic, it cancels out each other," Tristan laughed as he ate his bread and continued to eat his soup.

"Mmm-hmm," Gwyn nodded, as she started eating her soup. "Ah Tris, want to wrap up the presents after dinner?"

"Sounds good. That way that's at least out of the way..."

"Yes. For sure, and we can write the greetings card together."

"That's true. And anyways, the kids'll love you. Plus, they'll probably be happy that they'd be getting a prospective Auntie out of the deal."

"You think so?"

"My sisters think that I should find a nice girl to settle down with... and the kids are asking why Uncle doesn't have a girlfriend..."

"They really ask you that? Oh boy," Anne shook her head while Gwyn continued eating.

"All part of being in a big family. But I guess they just assumed that their uncle was lonely and needed someone. Guess I was in a way..."

"Not as much as me," Gwyn muttered, as she finished up her soup. "That was perfect Anne."

"Yeah, that was great Anne, thanks," he grinned as he hugged Gwyn tightly. "We were both lonely for each other, weren't we?" he whispered.

"Mmm-hmm... That's a nice definition."

"And very appropriate."

"And I'll go get you the wraps," Anne smiled, as she took the empty plates from the table and headed back into the kitchen.

"Thanks again, Anne!"

"Welcome!" she called back as Jasper started whining for more by her side. "And haven't you already had your share you?"

Barking, Jasper looked up hopefully at Anne.

"I can't say no to that face though," she smiled, chucking him a piece of chicken that he caught in one bite. "You could have at least tasted it."

Walking over, Jasper began to nuzzle up Anne's leg like a cat.

"I didn't know Tristan actually found a cat instead of a dog."

"Perhaps it's his new way of saying thank you..."

"Could be... but I wonder where he got that cat-thing from."

"No idea... but, he's a truly unique dog..." 

"That's because you're attracted by unique things Tristan," Anne chuckled as she walked back into the dining room with the dish full of chicken wraps and salad. "All yours."

"That would probably be true, since Gwyn is definitely one-of-a-kind. And thanks Anne, the food looks delicious."

"You're welcome, and you made her blush again," Anne chuckled as she sat down.

"I tend to do that easily it seems..."

"Pretty much so," nodded Anne, as Gwyn started eating her wrap with a reddish hue coloring her cheeks.

"So... is that blush from my comments or from the spice, Dear?" teased Tristan.

"I don't think I need to answer that, tease," she chuckled while continuing to eat.

"Just checking," he grinned back as he drank his chocolate milk and finished his first wrap. "So good with just the right amount of spice, but it's the rice and guacamole that compliment the mushrooms and spicy chicken..."

Raising an eyebrow at him, Anne moved a hand to her mouth and chuckled softly. "That's quite the technical analysis of the recipe."

"I've... um... had my fair share of burritos and wraps while traveling..."

"I think we ought to leave you free reign in the kitchen one of these evenings," Gwyn commented as Anne stared back at her. "I'm sure he'd have serious fun." 

"Oh really? What's brought this about?"

"What you just said about food, you take it seriously," she winked back at him.

"Obviously I take it somewhat seriously if I eat it," he grinned. "But if you really want me to cook you both something, I will. Just depends on how exotic you want it to be..."

"Exotic?" both of them replied in unison.

"If you couldn't tell already, I'm of mixed descent, so I know how to make food from my mom's homeland. Grew up eating a lot of it too, and spent a lot of time growing up there during my summers. So again, how exotic do you want it to be? Because they're known for eating sea urchin, sea cucumbers, and eels."

"WHAT?!"

"No no no, no way..." Gwyn winced, as she rested her knife and fork on the plate. "Forget it." 

"Fine, I can go the regular lobster, crab, shrimp, fish, and tofu route. Since I can't eat the lobster or shrimp, I'll leave that to you guys. But the fish and tofu, not a problem for me. Again, I did ask how exotic, and was giving you the extreme of the exotic."

"Have you ever noticed that we never eat lobster or crab or the likes? Gwyn doesn't fancy it much." 

"Never really noticed but... nice to know. Shrimp? It's not really fancy or anything, I just don't eat it due to be allergic to it."

"She doesn't like it either," Anne chuckled.

"Alright then, I'll make it with different fish, veggies, and tofu," he smiled while taking a bite out of his second wrap. "When are you letting me have free reign over the kitchen?"

"Whenever you like." 

"How about Friday?"

"I'll have to take a day off from the kitchen then..." Anne chuckled, as Gwyn nodded back and finished up her wrap.

"I know that it'll be tough, but I promise that she'll be in one piece, Annie."

"Well, it's not the Miss in the kitchen so it should be fine."

"Hey!"

"I'm joking, I'm joking," she grinned widely.

"I'll admit though, she's gotten better as she's made some passable French toast and pancakes for me."

"When?!" Anne blinked back at Gwyn as the latter lowered her head down.

"And did a royal mess out of that," she mumbled in return.

"Aside from the slight mishap with the sugar and salt measurements, they turned out fine. And she cooked for me on Sunday morning. Really Gwyn, it was a noble attempt, and again, I'm really touched by the fact that you'd do such a thing for me."

"Apart from the fact that I made you want to gag the thing out of your mouth, well, yes." 

Taking her hand, he kissed it gently. "Apart from that, it reminded me why I love you so much..."

"Mmm-hmm... if you take into consideration that pathetic attempt... yes..." she chuckled, placing a kiss on his cheek.

"I do. Which is why it made me happy."

"I'll try to get better at that though, can't make you want to throw up each time I try to fix something..." 

"You will, with practice."

"You're pretty positive about it." 

"Sure am."

"If you insist," Gwyn chuckled at the end holding out a piece of wrap for him.

"For me? Aww, you shouldn't have..."

"Will you eat that?" she laughed, making a face at him.

"I'll eat half of it, you eat the other half."

"You sure? You can have it, I'm pretty full, and leaving some space for dessert."

"Fine fine..." he grinned before devouring the wrap. "So dessert?"

"In a minute," Anne winked back at both as she took the used plates in her arms and headed back to the kitchen. "Want something to drink?" she called back at the two.

"More chocolate milk please!"

"Sure! And you, Miss?"

"Can you get me some sparkling water Anne please?"

"No problem, will get your chocolate mousse glasses and the drinks in a couple of seconds."

"Thanks!"

"Did she say glasses?"

"Yes she said glasses. Why?"

"I was trying to picture the mousse in the glass, that's all."

"It's mousse, so you can either pipe it in with a piping bag or just spoon it in. Nothing terribly fancy actually."

"Knowing Anne, it'll be something extremely good," she smiled in return.

"Oh definitely. She's better than most chefs..."

"For sure," she whispered as Anne came back inside with two large dessert glasses.

"Wow... those look great..."

"The different layers are a surprise, but the main one's chocolate mousse... I'm sure Tristan will love this," she grinned as she rested the glasses in front of them. "Enjoy it."

"You have to have some too, Anne. Pwease?" pleaded Tristan.

"I have a little cup for me, with just the mousse... you have all the extras."

Picking up his spoon, he smiled. "Well then thank you for the lovely dinner Anne. Gwyn? Want do have the first honours?"

"No go ahead, you're the connoisseur when it comes to these things."

"Ah ah, ladies first. I can wait my turn." 

Taking the tablespoon in her hands, Gwyn promptly had her first taste of the chocolate mousse, vanilla and cinnamon creme, nougat bits with pannacotta and coffee-flavored yogurt. "You must be joking..."

"Lemme try lemme try!" Immediately after taking his first bite, Tristan smiled brightly. "I don't know how you do it, but you always manage to keep outdoing yourself when it comes to desserts, Anne."

"You like it? There's quite the mix in that glass," she chuckled. 

"Mm-hmm..."

"Oh goodness... really Anne, this is so amazing."

"Glad you like... really."

"You're spoiling me with such awesome food... Between you and Gwyn, ahh, so much love."

"It's more Anne than me of course," Gwyn let out a giggle as she continued eating.

" _She_ spoils me with food, _you_ spoil me in different ways. Like a new wardrobe and all..."

"That I'm very proud of, I must admit," she winked back at him.

"As you should be."

"Mmm-hmm, since everything fits you perfectly."

"Apparently because I'm your personal model." 

"Totally, my one and only model at that," Gwyn smiled, as she finished off the mousse at the bottom of the glass. "Seriously, I'm full to the brim now."

"And I'm rather content too," grinned Tristan as he polished off his glass. "So... where'd our catdog go off to?"

"Either in the kitchen or in his bed, not too complicated a question to answer," Anne told them as she took the glasses from the table. "Glad you like these though."

Hearing a muted whining noise, Tristan stuck his head under the table to find Jasper resting against Anne's chair. "Actually, he's under the table by your chair Anne."

"Really? Hey little one, what's the matter?" she told the puppy as she placed the glasses back on the table and looked down at the puppy. "Is it me or you want some cuddling you?"

"He's being a cat this evening. Ah well, he could probably do with some more cuddling, though I have to admit him rubbing against the leg is probably better than him biting at our pants."

"True and... yes Anne?"

"Would it be alright with you if I let him sleep on my bed tonight, please?"

Raising an eyebrow, Gwyn merely smiled back at her and nodded in approval. "I don't see any problem with that... just make sure that he doesn't make any messes in bed."

"He's just as much your dog as ours Anne, no need to ask."

"Thank you... heard that now puppy?"

Barking, Jasper placed his paws on Anne's shin and looked up at her.

"Up on the lap, come," Anne told him as the puppy obeyed her order immediately.

"See, he's well-trained."

"Indeed. Right boy?" Gwyn called as Jasper perked his ears at her in response.

Nodding, Jasper barked as Anne scratched his ears.

"And he's smart."

"Very much."

"You should reply boy, mommy and daddy are praising you like crazy tonight," Anne chuckled as she placed a kiss on the puppy's head.

Letting out a few howls, Jasper continued to bark happily at both Tristan and Gwyn.

"Well, if everyone's all settled, I'll go get the presents. Do we have any wrapping paper and tags?"

"Mmm... interesting question," muttered Gwyn giving a blank look at Anne. "Do we have any of that here?" 

"Well... there _should_ be something... somewhere... I'll go check." 

"Don't look at me like that," Gwyn chuckled back at Tristan while Anne left for another room. "I barely ever give out presents." 

"That's a shame. Not even to the charities during Christmas?"

"No, not really." 

"Well, though it may be up to you, I think you'd find it rewarding if you volunteered with the charities or donated a toy or two to a child in need. Especially the kids in the orphanages, I'm sure they'd appreciate having something no matter how small."

"Tell that to Fred... he raised me with that non-giving approach towards those festivities, so... that's why. Then I continued taking that for granted I suppose."

"Yeah well we're gonna have to not do that anymore. Trust me, come the holiday season, I'm dragging you with me to volunteer for a few hours. It may not seem like much, but to a lot of people, it means the world too them." 

"Well... yeah..." she replied, not totally convinced at the idea of herself volunteering with children, or with anyone in that case. 

"Is that doubt I hear? You gotta trust me on this, you'll love it. I promise."

"I trust you... I don't trust myself with these sort of things... I never did that anyway, so... and it's not like children like me either." 

"We'll just get them to get to like you," he smiled as he held her hand tightly. "I think you're selling yourself short here, as I think the kids'll really like you."

"Mmh... maybe."

"There we go, positive thinking!" 

"Not really..." she muttered, fearing more herself and her instincts than anything else.

Sensing her discomfort, he hugged her tightly. "Just... don't be afraid. Kids don't really take well to people who are scared, as they might think you're scared of them." 

"I'm not scared of children... it's that... oh don't worry..."

"Alright... but you'll see, the kids'll love you. My nieces and nephew will be no exception."

"Think so? I mean, they've never seen me and don't know what they'd actually think..."

"Just let them get to know you. I'm pretty sure they'll be able to see why I love you so much." 

"I hope all goes well... in a way, I don't really know how to handle children, Tris, I'm not joking."

"Go with what feels... right. I mean, the twins are going to be ten, so they're already rather independent and don't need to be coddled too much. Just treat them like a regular person when talking to them. For Alice, she's a baby, so she just likes being held and cuddled. Anything other than that, the rest of us can handle. So again, no worries."

"Right," she sighed, exhaling a deep breath. "I'll try."

Kissing her cheek, Tristan continued to hug her as Anne came back with rather simple wrapping paper and ribbons. "Ahh, perfect. The kids aren't really fussy with the wrapping paper. I'm usually lazy and just toss them into a gift bag, but this should be good."

"Considering they'll probably destroy the wrapping in a minute," Anne chuckled as she noticed Gwyn's slight frown. "Something wrong?"

"Pretty much. Hence why the pair love it when uncle wraps gifts, no wrapping required. But, I actually do know how to wrap, so it's not that much of a problem. Lucky for us, we got boxes for all of the little figures. Be right back," he smiled as he disappeared into the bedroom, only to come back with two bags. "With the three of us, we should get this done rather quickly, right?" 

"Well, leave that to me," Anne winked back at Gwyn. "I'll handle one of the bags."

"And we'll handle this one..." Tristan grinned as he looked inside both bags. "Okay, I'll give you this one, it's Alice, so it should be pretty easy while Gwyn wraps Ethan's present and I'll wrap Claire's present. Fair enough?" 

"No Tris, I meant I'm taking care of the wrapping..." Anne nodded back at him as Gwyn watched the two. 

"I'm not too... good at wrapping either. Yes dear, you're discovering a whole load of weak points of mine this evening."

Chuckling, Tristan simply wrapped his arms around Gwyn as she remained in her seat and kissed the top of her head. "Well, I'm actually amused that I'm far more domesticated than you are, but we're gonna work on getting you up to snuff."

"Sounds like quite the undertaking, Tris," smiled Anne as Gwyn continued to blush while cuddling in Tristan's embrace.

"It'll be rewarding though... besides, I'm sure that I can think of _creative_ rewards for her..."

"Tris..." Gwyn chuckled in return as Anne grinned back at the two of them playfully.

"I guess you really like to see her blush, don't you?"

"It's a new hobby that I've gotten into," he grinned back.

"Well, it definitely looks like it to tell you the truth," Anne replied, as she took one of the presents and the wrapping paper in her hands.

"Yes, as I'm guessing before me, you probably weren't as relaxed as you are now, huh Sweetheart?" Tristan murmured as he kissed her cheek and hugged her tightly.

"Never blushed this much," she chuckled, while looking up to give him a kiss in return.

Kissing her back, he grinned at her. "So do you want an early night in or do you want me to teach you how to wrap a present?"

"Since we got all started about it," Anne told them as she proceeded into wrapping the first one. 

"Yes sure."

"Great!" Over the next fifteen minutes or so, Tristan began to show Gwyn the basics: measuring and cutting the paper, correctly placing the tape, folding the wrapping paper evenly, and properly tying a bow. "...And that's that. Great job Sweetheart! Looks quite professional, right Anne?"

"Indeed. I mean, it looks great but... it's in serious competition with mine," Anne laughed as she showed off her neatly wrapped present.

"She's a good student," chuckled Tristan as he finished wrapping his. "At least she listens and takes direction well. For a job well done, she'll definitely be getting tons of cuddles tonight.”

"Oh that's nice," Anne nodded as Gwyn chuckled and stacked the gifts one on top of the other.

"I live to serve as her personal heater, blanket, and stuffed animal to hug."

"That's a nice way to describe yourself... and it's the first time I've heard you say that," Gwyn grinned back.

"And terribly fitting too I suppose."

"Well, we know it's the honest truth. So, looks like everything's done, save for the cards. I'll write those in a bit... and where's catdog?"

"Sleeping with his muzzle rested on my feet," Anne replied. "And seems he's quite comfy too."

"Seriously, like a cat... Fuery will _love_ Jasper..." laughed Tristan. "I now have a dog that thinks he's a cat to go alongside my cat that thinks he's a dog."

"Where he got that from I don't have a clue."

"Me neither..."

"So... think we should wrap up the day now... what do you think?" Gwyn suggested as she got back on her feet and stretched out.

"We should... Go on, I'll catch up after I write the cards..." smiled Tristan as he began working on one of the birthday cards. "Alice's will be easy, as she doesn't need one - hers is just a present from me."

"Sure?"

"Yep. I'll be there soon."

"Alright... and Anne, you should go to bed too..."

"Yes I will in a minute, I just have to finish off some things in the kitchen, and I'll go Miss, thank you."

"You're welcome... have a good night's rest then," smiled Gwyn as she started making her way out of the living room to her bedroom.

After a few minutes, both Anne and Tristan finished what they were doing before bidding each other good night. Once inside the bedroom and locking it behind him, Tristan noticed that Gwyn wasn't lying on the bed. "Gwyn? You in the bathroom?"

"Yes dear," she replied, peeking out from behind the bathroom door with her toothbrush in her mouth. "Finishing in a minute, you can come in if you like."

"Sure," he replied as he walked in and found all of the candles lit. "So... found all the candles, hmm?"

"And tub's full too. I'd be happy if we soak in and relax... and nothing more."

"Aww... nothing more?" he teased while brushing his teeth as Gwyn stood next to him.

"Bit tired today dear," she smiled as she placed a kiss on his cheek once ready.

"Okay..." 

"It's not my choice trust me," Gwyn replied, noticing the slight frown forming on his lips. "Tell that to my tummy ache," she admitted. In spite of her vampire nature, Gwyn had always been absolutely normal in terms of physical cycles and normals aches, pains and troubles that a woman could have. Despite her immortality...

"Alright alright. We cuddle and no, I'm not disappointed, just hope you feel better."

"Cuddles might make it go away," she smiled. "It's not too bad but rather... irritating."

"So... if I cuddle you in the tub... it might go away when we get in bed...?" he asked in a hopeful, yet sly tone.

"Tris..."

"Just wishful thinking," he chuckled before rinsing his mouth out.

"You'll notice it when I'm better," she whispered, wrapping an arm around his waist to rest her head on his shoulder.

"I know." Setting his toothbrush back in the cup, he wrapped his arms around her waist and tugged on the cord holding her robe together. "It's just hard to resist _this_ ," he whispered as he opened her robe and ran a hand down her side.

"Mmm-hmm... same goes for me, believe me," Gwyn replied, as she stood on her tiptoes to place a kiss on his lips.

Kissing her back, Tristan slid the robe off her shoulders while she worked on his t-shirt and pajama bottoms.

"Tub now?"

"Yeah..." he whispered back as he picked her up, stepped out of his clothes, and carried her over to the tub. Dropping her in gently, he climbed in afterwards.

"How many days do we have left till our holiday?"

"Too many..." Kissing her sweetly, he hugged her tight. "One more week until we're outta here for two weeks."

"And trust me... we'll be begging for more," she laughed, slightly turning her face to look at him.

"I'll bet. I mean right now, when it's just us like this or in bed, it's definitely a vacation from work..."

"For sure... but I want a break not just from work, from everything..." she muttered in what sounded like a very tired voice.

"Well, just hold out a bit longer, we're almost there," Tristan whispered as he held her tighter. "For now, relax and tell me what you want - and I mean like a back rub or something..."

"Mmm-hmm, and maybe some occasional kiss, that's more than enough..."

"Whatever you want..." Kissing her shoulder, Tristan began to work on massaging her back and shoulders. "No wonder you're looking forward to our holiday... you're extremely tense..."

"Too many things on my head of late, I suppose."

"Mmm... seems like it." Leaning over, he kissed her deeply.

"I promise, I won't think of anything else... when we're there I mean. I don't want to either."

"Good... how're your back and shoulders now? They all loosened up now?"

"A bit. The only downside is that I'm still sore in other parts..." she sighed deeply, sliding down into the water a bit more.

"Sore where?" he asked gently as he began to massage her thighs.

"There, and lower tummy, and lower back... quite some places," she mumbled.

"If you want, I could work on those in bed, since it'll be a bit easier for me to reach those places. Or do you want to stay in the tub?"

"Do you mind if we go in bed please? I'm getting slightly cold and I don't think it's a good idea to stay for too long... at least for this evening..."

"Nope, don't mind at all," he kissed her back. Helping her out of the tub, they dried each other off and he carried her off to their bed. Setting her down, Tristan immediately climbed over her and began a deep tissue massage of her thighs, a gentle massage of her lower stomach and pelvis, and rested his head on her stomach. "Ready for the lower back massage?"

"Mmm-hmm... can you do that every month?" she replied with a smile, more relaxed than she actually was in the tub.

"Sure sure," he grinned as he gently rolled her over and began to massage her lower back. "Probably a good thing that you have it now versus next week... since I want all of you to myself over the next two weeks. Guess my body really misses yours."

"You think so?" she asked, while resting her head on one of the pillows on the bed.

"More like know so. I, as well as the rest of me, misses the more intimate connection..."

"Don't worry, we'll have more than ample time," she smiled, sighing happily at the feeling of his touch against her skin. 

"I know... and I'm quite looking forward to it... So, how's the back now?"

"Bit better now, thank you."

"Fantastic."

"And you? You alright?"

"Of course."

"Good..." she replied, turning face up to look at him again. 

"Yep," he whispered before kissing her.

"Any sleepy now?" Gwyn smiled as Tristan lied down to huddle against her side.

"A bit. You?"

"Pretty much, a good dinner, a relaxing bath... and someone cuddling you gently just makes you get all sleepy I suppose," she chuckled softly as she ran a hand through his hair.

"Mm-hmm..."

"Good night Tris..." Gwyn whispered in return as she realised that Tristan was actually dozing off.

"Good night Gwyn," he whispered back as he nuzzled into her neck.

"And sweet dreams... you deserve them..."

Rather than answering back, Tristan rested his lips against her shoulder and was already fast asleep. Once she was sure that Tristan was completely asleep, Gwyn tucked the bedsheets and the quilt cover around the two of them, cuddled closer to him as much as possible and let that warmth slowly lull her to deep sleep at last.

-

Once Friday night arrived, Gwyn had stayed a bit later at work while Tristan had left early as he had not only completed his work but also because he wanted to make dinner. As soon as she walked through the door, she was assaulted by the very exotic smells that were currently perfuming the apartment while she heard Anne and Tristan talk in the kitchen.

"Seems were pretty busy in the kitchen mmh?" Gwyn came inside the kitchen, with a full smile, and with a certain puppy in her arms.

"Oh yeah. I've been showing Anne some of the various rolls that we'll be having tonight. I also have a miso soup going as well, it's great to start the meal as well as warm you up. There's also a really basic salad we're going to have as well, but the dressing is definitely different than what you're used too."

Blinking back at the two of them, Gwyn walked towards the kitchen counter to check out on the different foods Tristan had just mentioned to her. Inhaling the appetizing smell of the different dishes, the woman quickly moved next to Tristan and placed a loving kiss on his lips. "Had a nice day though? Barely saw you today..."

"I did. Just had to run around getting all of the ingredients. Especially since I had to go to some specific stores to get everything. Anne was pretty much surprised by all the things that I had come home with. Oh and everything I finished today is what you wanted, right?" Tristan asked as he tossed a scrap of fresh tuna to Jasper, who gobbled it up immediately. "Jas has taken to the the fish really well too."

"He is a catdog after all," she laughed. "And you Anne, all's alright with you?"

"Yes Miss, pretty much, as it's quite entertaining to see Tristan in the kitchen. He's a culinary spectacle."

"He always is," she grinned back proudly.

"Glad you both think so. So..." Tristan grinned as he began to point out the various items. "This is sushi. Technically, they have various distinctions, but for now, just know that it's basically sushi. The ones that have the slices of salmon, tuna, and a few other fish on top of the rice, these are called nigirizushi. The small rolls, these are makizushi while the large rolls are gunkanmaki, the little pouch ones are inarizushi - the little pouch is made out of tofu, and finally the slices of fish are sashimi. Yes, all of the seafood is raw, but because it's fresh, you can taste the real flavor of the fish. It's quite refreshing and all of the portions in Japan are on the smallish side, so this should be perfect for your appetite, Gwyn."

"It's raw? It _really_ is raw?" she replied, staring back at the plates.

"Yes they're really raw. That's the whole point. Trust me though, it's a lot better than you think it seems. Anne was rather skeptical, but I let her try some and she actually loved it."

"It's true. I was practically looking at him like he had grown another head to be honest, but when I tried it, it was really good."

"To go with everything, the green stuff is called wasabi, and it's basically Japanese horseradish while the pink things are pickled ginger - they add both spice and also serve as a palate cleanser. I'm honestly not a real fan of the stuff, but everyone else seems to love it."

"Mmm," Gwyn hummed, still not entirely convinced with the whole 'raw' thing, in spite of the fact that she was used to other terribly more raw things.

Grabbing his chopsticks, Tristan picked up a piece of tuna sashimi and stuck it in Gwyn's mouth. "Just eat it."

"Alright..." Closing her eyes, Gwyn chewed up the piece and smiled as she took in the taste of the exotic food. "That's quite... something."

"Told you to trust me. And the wasabi helps give it another bit of flavor, especially mixed with soy sauce. Also, aside from the fish, I made some egg nigiri - it's really just a thick scrambled egg cake - and some veggie rolls. One of the veggie rolls is simply rice and cucumber, which is known as kappamaki. So you and Anne can go sit down and I'll bring out the food. Okay?"

"I think I fancy those vegetable ones already from the look of them," Gwyn commented as Anne grinned back.

"Let's not get started with the vegetable-only diet again Miss," the young maid smiled. "Let's go have a seat now..."

"Pfffttt... Just wait and see, you'll love it all," smirked Tristan as he proceeded to spoon out the miso into the traditional serving bowls and served them alongside a few bowls of edamame. "The beans are soy beans - they're raw too. And if you're wondering why there's no flatwear, you'll be eating with your hands and 'drinking' your soup from your bowl."

"Hands?!" Gwyn called out, as Anne burst out laughing at her reaction.

"Babe, relax and enjoy the food," Tristan laughed.

"But that's so..."

"Messy," Anne concluded the phrase for her, still with a giggle in her voice. "You should follow Tristan's advice, it's not like there's anyone watching you."

"Seriously woman, you need to not worry so much as to what people are going to think," he teased as he placed the platters of sushi out on the table before sitting down. "Oh, drink-wise, what did you want? We could either have sake, which is a fermented rice wine, or just hot green tea and water."

"I'll take the alcohol," she chuckled, raising an eyebrow as she saw the food laid down in front of her. 

"Figures... Anne?"

"I'll go with the tea, thank you Tris."

"Alright. I'll get the tea for all three of us and the sake for Gwyn and myself." Getting up from his seat, Tristan grabbed the small kettle and three cups before placing them on a serving platter alongside the slightly chilled sake bottle and two serving cups. Carrying them over to the table, he placed them in front of everyone. "Yes Gwyn, the cups for the sake are that small on purpose..."

"Oh I see..."

Shaking his head in amusement, Tristan began to eat the food without any problems. "Stop over thinking and just eat Gwyn..."

"That's because you're used to eating this," she pouted in response, as she looked over to Anne who was eating without any problems either.

"I am, but Anne's enjoying herself as well..."

"Yep."

Sighing in defeat, Gwyn took the first piece of nigirizushi with salmon, in her hands and studied it for a couple of seconds.

Reaching over, Tristan mixed some of the wasabi and soy sauce together to make a paste before snatching her piece of salmon nigiri out of her hands and dipping it in the wasabi mixture before feeding it to her. "Eat dear." 

"Right..." she replied, chewing the piece, smiling after a short while. "It is weird... tasting, but... it's good. I must admit..."

"You're tasting fish as it was meant to be tasted, fresh. Plus, the rice and wasabi help to bring it out too..." Looking over at Jasper, he saw that the puppy was thoroughly enjoying his pieces of fish with his dry kibble. "I'm sure he'll probably want fish from now on..."

"Just like a cat," the two women replied in unison.

"Yep... Either puppy's going through an identity crisis or he's embracing his inner feline. I have to admit though, it's quite funny. Maybe now we can train him to use the toilet..." grinned Tristan as he continued to eat and occasionally sip his sake. "Mmm... despite how time-consuming it is to make a proper meal, I'm really glad that I could at least do this for you guys."

"And it's very appreciated," Anne nodded as she watched Gwyn observe intently the food and have a try at different things, savoring their novel tastes one at a time.

"Mmm-hmm," Gwyn smiled in response. "It definitely is strange, but all's good."

"Good," he grinned. "Mmm, I was starting to forget how good truly fresh raw fish can taste... And the miso's hitting all the right spots right now..."

"What does that taste like?" Gwyn asked looking over at his bowl.

"The soup you mean?"

"Mmm-hmm."

"Hard to describe really... Miso itself is fermented soy bean paste, but mixed with some seaweed and tofu... it's just warm and comforting to me. Try it and see if you like the soup."

Taking his bowl in her hands, Gwyn raised it to her lips and took a small sip, wincing inwardly at Tristan's first description of the food. To his surprise, and relief, that followed yet another smile from her end. 

"Told you. A lot of the ingredients, I know they sound really weird individually, but when they're all put together, everything tastes great. And if you're going to be taking my soup, I might as well eat out of your bowl," he teased.

"No no, I just wanted a sip, that's all," she smiled as she placed the bowl back in front of him.

"Been a bit quiet Anne, enjoying everything?" 

"Mmm? Yes sure, and pondering on how good a cook you are," she winked back at him as she shoved a piece of veggie roll in her mouth.

"I'm okay to borderline good. You're way better than me, at least that what I think..." 

"You're wrong," Anne quickly retorted. "I'd never manage to get these things done myself, I don't have the faintest idea. Especially since the Miss never requested them, so... I don't have a clue. But you certainly are well versed with these..."

"Like I said, I've been well-trained since I was a kid. It helps not only eating the food, but also learning how to prepare it over the course of years. Especially cutting up the fish, _that_ took a lot of skill and patience for me to learn."

"That must have hurt too," Anne chuckled, as Gwyn continued eating. "Fish can be pretty tricky to prepare."

"Oh yeah... I constantly had cuts on my hands."

"Pretty understandable too..." the maid nodded. "But you managed to make the Miss eat raw fish, and that is quite the achievement."

"Yeah, and for that, I'm amazed..."

"You thought I wouldn't eat after you did all this, seriously Tristan," she chuckled, as she took another sip of sake.

"I was hoping that you would, but wasn't sure that you actually _would_..."

"I did though," she laughed. "Man of little faith..."

"That you did Sweetheart. And I'll be sure to thank you later..."

"No need to hear the details," Anne laughed as she finished off her soup, while Gwyn raised an amused eyebrow at her. "What's the matter?"

"You know, you actually sounded like Cynthia... I think they're starting to rub on you..."

"Why does everyone assume that I'd be doing _that_...? I mean, I'm not _that_ hopeless... am I?"

"No, but it's funny how you say some things, they actually always seem to point at that... sort of. But that's because I know how you and Gwyn are, don't worry, it doesn't sound like that with people that don't know you," Anne reassured him.

"I should hope not..."

"No you don't, trust me, plus, only Anne understood what you said _that_ way."

"Yeah yeah... So, enjoy the rest of dinner, I'm gonna go clean up the kitchen - I insist, since I cooked."

"Are you sure?" Anne asked, having her last sip of green tea.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure. Relax and I'll take care of everything," he smiled as he got up from his seat and headed back into the kitchen.

"It's useless telling him not to do it Anne, you know him well by now," Gwyn smiled as she rested her arms on the table, her eyes trailing him.

"Yep yep!" came the amused voice from the kitchen. As the pair continued to eat outside, Tristan calmly set about cleaning the knives before working on cleaning the cutting board.

"Tris?"

"Huh? What?"

"What do you have in mind for dessert?" Gwyn called back, letting out a giggle.

"I'll bring it out in a second," he called.

"Was just curious..."

Wiping the counters down and placing the pots in the sink, Tristan grabbed various ice cream mochi from the freezer and began to set them all onto a large serving plate before carrying them out. "And here's dessert, ice cream mochi. Flavours are: Chocolate, Vanilla, Strawberry and Green tea."

"There's something else other than ice-cream right?" asked Anne, as she started studying the dessert.

"It's what's covering the ice cream. Take a bite, and you'll know what I mean."

"Looks pretty fun though," Gwyn chuckled as she took what looked like a chocolate-flavoured one. "Let's see how this tastes now..." she chuckled, as she took the first bite with a giggle. 

"How's it?" Anne asked, eager to see her reaction.

"Good! Quite sweet you just have to admit it Tris, but it's just a perfect treat," she smiled as she finished the first one up, and reached for a vanilla-flavoured one. "Might go for the second one immediately."

"Wow, that was an prompt approval Tris," Anne chuckled as she tasted the green tea-flavoured one. "Mmm... this is exquisite... what's the covering made of? Rice?"

"Yep, mochi is pretty much pounded rice paste," he grinned as he ate a strawberry one. "Ahhh, these are so good."

"Mmm-hmm, I think this is the best thing I ate this evening," chuckled Gwyn as she popped a strawberry one in her mouth right after Tristan. "Yes definitely."

"Aww... you didn't like my dinner?" teased Tristan.

"I liked your dinner," she chuckled, sticking out her tongue at him playfully. "It was just too many new flavours at one go... but I liked it, trust me."

"I know you liked it. Maybe next time I can make other things..."

"Well, you can experiment while you're on holiday... which reminds me, I'll be staying with Cynthia while you're away, I was talking about it with her, and she just asked me whether it would be alright for me and Jasper to stay there for the two weeks. If that's alright for you, Miss..."

"Oh sure!"

"That's great. You all can keep each other company. Plus, it makes me feel better that you'll both be safe with her."

"And Cynthia had in mind to organise a sleep over at her place, tell James and Cole..."

"What?"

"It's alright Miss," Anne chuckled in response. "She has enough rooms to keep them in, plus, they'll be getting their sleeping bags."

"Right."

"Heh, reminds me of when we were little... Also, you can ask Cyn to show you the wardrobe that I managed to not only climb, but also hide."

"Oh... _that_."

"Gwyn babe, don't worry about that anymore. I've long forgotten about that. And as Cyn would tell you, I've climbed it before."

"I will," Anne nodded as Gwyn sighed and rested her head on Tristan's shoulder. "And you two need to start packing next week."

"Yeah..." he smiled as he held Gwyn's hands tightly in his.

"You're busy this week with work?" Anne asked, curious as she finished her last ice-cream mochi.

"Quite," Gwyn nodded. "I do have a couple of important meetings, and an update meeting with CEO if I'm not mistaken... it will be quite the week," she sighed.

"And I have reports to read, a meeting with Cole, and... I think I have to attend the update meeting too, right?"

"Mmm-hmm, to this one for sure," she mumbled in return.

"Yeah... dunno why though, but I _really_ don't want to go to it..."

"I don't want to either..." admitted Gwyn, looking away. "I'm off to the bathroom," she told the two as she got on her feet, placed a kiss on Tristan's hair and walked away.

"Okay, I'll be cleaning up here..."

"I can help Tris, really, you'll finish that off in a minute."

Popping the last chocolate mochi in his mouth, he grinned as both he and Anne cleaned up the dining table. "Just like Gwyn, always headstrong. I love that about you two..."

"Well, I follow her example," she winked back as she placed the last pieces of crockery from the table into the sink to wash. "Plus, you had already started the clearing up, should only take a few minutes."

"True, very true."

"If I were you, I would go to Gwyn right now," she whispered, as she started wiping off the clean dishes to place them in their respective cupboards. "She didn't leave the table for nothing... I know you noticed that."

Kissing her forehead, Tristan smiled. "Thanks Annie. I'll see you in the morning." Leaving the young maid in the kitchen, Tristan slipped into the bedroom and locked the door behind him as he found Gwyn lying on the bed. "Mmm... so, is this my _personal_ thanks from you?" he whispered as he crawled on top of her.

"If you want to think about it that way," she smiled, kissing his forehead. 

"Depends on how you want to think about it..." he grinned back as he kissed her.

"A weird thought came to my mind and got changed in my pyjamas to relax... now it's all a question of how you are interpreting that," she chuckled. "You and Anne finished with the kitchen?"

"Anne kicked me out of the kitchen... And... how do you want me to interpret this?"

"Maybe that someone is in serious need of cuddling to that some thoughts out of her mind? Especially since she's comfy in her pyjamas, on her bed, with her man by her side... need any more hints?"

"We could always do the cuddling without the pajamas?"

"You're significantly bad at hints," she blurted out instinctively, making Tristan laugh.

"No, I'm purposely being bad at taking these hints..."

"The pyjamas are there for a reason, as Gwendalynn just wants to tuck herself under the covers with someone and sleep..."

"Okay okay, I'll go get dressed."

"Love you," she chuckled, as she watched him get on his feet and rummage into his wardrobe.

"Love you too," he smiled as he located his boxers and pajama bottoms. "Be right back."

"Alright..."

Grinning, he disappeared into the bathroom and got dressed. "Am I all pretty now?"

"Yes you are, come here," she laughed as she patted the empty area on bed by her side.

Sliding into bed next to her, Tristan curled up next to her and cuddled her tightly.

"Hey Sweetheart," she smiled as she raised her hand to his hair and started caressing it slowly.

"Hi baby..." 

"Care to relax a bit, mmh?" Gwyn chuckled, as she started humming a tune softly.

"Sure..." he whispered as he slipped his hand under her nightgown and rubbed her stomach gently. "Does this feel a bit better?"

"It does," she replied, brushing her lips briefly against his. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. And... you did love dinner, didn't you?"

"Quite a lot," she nodded. "Really Tris, sometimes I can't help but think how lucky I was... to find you."

"And I'm quite lucky to have found you after all... That you weren't just a figment of my imagination, but rather, you really do exist."

"That's true..." she replied, still passing a hand soothingly through his hair.

"Mm-hmm... I love you Gwyn."

"Love you too," she leaned in to kiss his forehead.

"Can I have my naughty way with you in the morning then?"

"No!" she laughed, wrapping an arm around him to pull him close.

"Then how about in the shower before we head out?" 

"Tris..."

"Or...I can save all of my pent-up sexual energy for our holiday. Sound good?"

"That I could agree to," she chuckled. "Plus, that would mean I'd be in my fullest of energies, deal?"

"Deal."

-

  
  


"So... why do we have this meeting again?" whined Tristan as he sat in Gwyn's office. The rest of the weekend, as well as the week went by smoothly as easily packed their things for their holiday, as well as had all of the presents for Tristan's nieces and nephew packed away as well.

"Friday late afternoon. He thought of organising it right before we leave I suppose," she scowled.

"Fun... And straight from work, we have to head to my mother's house."

"Which means, you might have to wait for me here, Fred would want to talk to me without you present, I know him way too well."

"Yeah..."

"Tris listen, I have a meeting now with Jacob, then I'll meet you up for lunch break with the others, then, I'll see you later in the afternoon..."

"Okay. Can I have a kiss before heading back to my office?"

"Sure you can," she smiled as he moved behind her desk to kiss her deeply. "I'll see you later then... love you."

"I love you too and later then," he grinned before kissing her hair gently and leaving her office quietly as he greeted Jacob coming in. "See you later Jacob."

"Catch you later too, Tris," laughed the young man as he entered the office and closed the door behind him. "Ahh, you wanted to see me?"

"Lock the door and sit down Jacob."

"Huh? Oh sure..." Making sure that the door was locked, Jacob promptly sat down. "Commander, to what do you request of me?"

"Keep an eye for me on Black, and Lara Howell... which I'm assuming has been turned into one of us... but that I am not totally sure of as yet. Further to that, I also want you to watch, as discreetly as possible, over Ericsson, Purcell and Thompson for me in these coming two weeks."

"Will not be a problem. Since working for Thompson and Purcell, I have begun to consider them as friends and mentors, especially Thompson. Ms. Ericsson has also become a good friend. I shall do this task to the best of my abilities, and then some." Leaning closer, he whispered, "Are you certain of Black and Howell, ma'am?"

"Some what?" she asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

"I meant that even when I give it my all, I'll still continue to give everything to accomplish my task."

"Perfect. As for Black and Howell... I am getting strange vibes from the woman, all pointing towards her "illegal" turning to one of... _us_. I am certainly not going into the merits of how, when and especially who did it, as it is not my competence to do so, but, I want you to stay away from her too. Keep your distance from the two of them."

"Yes ma'am. I'll mind my distance of them. Speaking of which, Howell has been setting her sights on Tristan..."

"If she does even _dare_ , lay a finger on him, I swear on my name, I'll rip her to shreds and throw her in a river," she growled as she bared her fangs, making even Jacob, who knew her quite well, shudder.

"Yes ma'am. I believe you... What will you do, regarding Tristan? We can't protect him from Fred forever..."

"What do you mean?" she stood up, as she started pacing across the room.

"My grandfather's been talking... I know what Fred wants to do to Tristan..." he admitted quietly.

"Oh of course, all the Clan knows about it... and considering your relationship with your grandfather..." she muttered. "I don't want that boy to be turned into a vampire, it's totally out of the question."

"I understand. But it comes back to the question, what shall we do regarding the boy?"

"What shall we do what? Nothing. I'll face the music myself. No one else is involved in this except me."

"No... I won't let you do it by yourself. Tristan's become too good of a friend. And I'm sure that Neville would agree as well."

"I don't want any one of you to get involved, forget it. Neither you, and especially Neville who's in bad terms with Fred and the Clan. His human wife is expecting a child and I don't want her to get worried about anything like this. Trust me Jacob, I can get out of this situation. I'll have to tell Fred that his idea is futile and that having Tristan as a vampire won't add anything else to the group."

"Better and easier said than done... as we know very well what Fred is capable of."

"I'm very aware of that."

"Either way, we're already involved as it is, so no sense in telling us not to, Commander."

"I never asked anything of you, your grandfather... or Neville when it comes to this," she replied, gazing out of the window.

"You needn't ask. Again, we're friends with Tristan - though my Grandfather hasn't yet met him, but he's already wanting to do so."

"We'll see about that, I don't want to get you too exposed either. You're Grandfather's still a Clan Member after all."

"I know, but since I'm already friends with all of them... it's hard not to be involved..."

"Jacob, it's not a request, it's an order."

"Commander, I respect your decision, but I cannot abide by this order. I am involved no matter how much you do not wish me too."

"Still, even if you are refusing to obey, you still cannot do anything! Your Grandfather should be bound by a vow of silence, and thus, if Fred gets to know, your grandfather would be in serious trouble. Hence, you cannot say anything to anyone except me, and no one except me can act on Fred's order. So, whether you like it or not, there's nothing you or your grandfather can do in this regard. This should be only between me, Frederick and that order. Nothing more, nothing less. Even if you are involved, even if you're friends with Faraday, that doesn't change any of my situation as it currently stands."

"Commander..." Nodding slowly, Jacob sighed. "I will do as you ask of me."

"Good, as that should keep both you and your Grandfather safe. If someone needs to be in danger, or has to falter, that should be exclusively myself, neither you, not your grandpa, nor Tristan, nor Neville, nor anybody else. Just me."

"Though I cannot guarantee that I can completely abide by the order... I shall do my best to abide by it."

"Good, now. I have one last thing I was curious to ask you about, Jacob," she turned to sit back down at her desk. 

"Yes ma'am?"

"Have you met your older sister of late by any chance?"

"Umm... she came by for tea earlier - round lunch time... She mentioned something about meeting a new friend at the gym. Why?"

"Oh so I was right then..." she grinned. 

"Uhh... what?" Jacob asked completely confused.

"The person your sister met at the gym was Tristan," she chuckled. "They ended up chatting during a work out. Listen Jacob, tell your sister that I wouldn't mind meeting her up, if she agrees to that of course."

"I'll tell her for sure and she ironically mentioned wanting to talk to you, about him no less. She says that he's been a good workout partner..." Getting up from his seat, Jacob smiled. "I could call her once I get back - we're meeting for dinner and is stopping by."

"Definitely not today though, I'm too busy these coming days... just tell her to contact me in two weeks' time when I'm back."

"Sure sure. She says it's fun having Tris around while they work out, apparently he keeps all the men from approaching her and she keeps the women off him."

"Oh that's interesting... good to know," she grinned.

"She says she also enjoys the 'eye-candy' while working out too..."

"Tell her to stay away too," she grinned with an evil glint in her eyes.

"She's already interested in that Rhys guy - been so for over two years now - but she said that she can see why you're so protective of him, and that the view's nice."

"Hey, tell her... wait a minute. She told you what she and Tristan talked about? So you know that me and... oh shit," she panicked in a split second.

"Huh? You and Tris? Holy shit! I-I... No-no, she said that when they talk, he's never really said anything, other than he has a... girl... friend..." Slowly realizing what he was saying, Jacob shut up immediately. "I... should never say anything to anyone, right?"

"Don't you even _dream_ of doing so," she growled, placing a hand on her forehead.

Shuddering, Jacob managed to let out a squeak as he raced out of the room. Immediately after Jacob left, Gwyn's phone began to ring.

"Yes? What now?!"

"Uhh... is this a bad time? I just wanted to check on you, since I felt you... But I'll see you at home," Tristan managed to get out over the phone.

"I'll have to see you for that blasted meeting yet."

"Isn't that on Friday? It's Wednesday... and I can see that you're angry. I'll talk to you later Gwyn..." he frowned.

"Wait Tris... I'm sorry. I... just got frustrated about something, sorry didn't mean to snap back at you."

"...If you say so..."

"See you later," she sighed, resting her forehead against the desktop while she placed the receiver back in its place.

Staring at the phone, Tristan got up from his desk and grabbed his jacket as he headed out of his office towards Gwyn's - only to be pulled towards one of the empty offices. "What the?! _You_! What do you want from me?"

"Haven't seen you for a while, Sweetie, seems AD's keeping you _busy_ , isn't she?" the female snickered, as she locked the room shut.

Trying to regain his breath, Tristan tried to leave, only to be slammed onto the desktop as he saw Lara hovering over him. "What I do with my free time is none of your concern... Now let me go."

"My my, we have Mr. _Faraday_ issuing orders, how quaint," Lara whispered, as she crawled on the desk to start tugging against his trousers' belt.

"Hey! Wait a second! What are you doing-?!" he tried to yell as Lara covered his mouth with hers. Struggling with her surprising strength, Tristan bit down on her tongue to get her off of him.

"Doing what you're used to doing with your superior, darling," she cackled, as she licked her lips off the blood. "Sorry to disappoint you but... that was... terribly _arousing_..."

"What?! What do you mean?!" Tristan tried to yell as she felt him rip his shirt open and roughly pull down his trousers.

"What do I mean you ask, well well," she whispered seductively in his ear. "Faraday and Coulston kissing on a tree, f-u-c-k-i-n-g..." she moaned, trying to keep calm the urge of biting him senseless. "Don't tell me you don't _fuck_ her in her office when you can, Tristan. So fucking obvious that you do."

"Why do you care? Shouldn't you be fucking Black, instead of trying fuck me?" he growled as he felt her lips on his chest.

"You taste better than Ryan at that... so much more... _tempting_ too," she muttered as she started placing random kisses and licks across his body, while moving downwards, still keeping a steady hold on him at the same time.

Shutting his eyes, Tristan tried to keep himself from moaning out while silently trying to reach Gwyn. _Help me... please help me..._

"Oh so you're _enjoying_ it, mmh?" she laughed out, as she continued steadily with her actions. "Well well, just picture that... while I'm doing this to you, with all due pleasure, Ryan might pop up casually at your Gwyn's office, and do the same thing to her... but trust me, Ryan isn't _me_... he'd fuck her to the core... _ruin_ her, as much as I want to do with you, maybe more!" she exclaimed.

"You... you're definitely crazy..." groaned Tristan. "Stop... please..."

"Stop? I haven't even started... _Sweetheart_ ..." she replied, as she slid off his boxer shorts and licked her lips hungrily. " _Now_ we're talking..."

Breathing heavily, Tristan tried to fight her off, but couldn't as Lara had pinned his wrists to the desktop. "No, please don't..."

"Honey, your pleading is making all this even more exciting! I mean, just look at _you_ , Gwendalynn's _darling little baby_ pleading me to stop..." she muttered, holding down his wrists even tighter.

"You don't want me though, so why do this?" 

"What makes you think I don't?" she replied, while kissing the lower part of his abdomen and dipping her tongue into his belly button.

"What?! Stop! Don't! Please don't! I-I'll..."

"You'll what?" she grinned wickedly as her hands brushed against him.

Instead of answering, he rolled his head back and let out a ragged breath as he felt her stroke him vigorously. "So... if you're gonna do it, you might as well tell me how I compare to Black. Jealous that I'm bigger than him?" moaned Tristan.

"Think your Gwendalynn would get jealous if she shares a bit?" she grinned back at him.

"Very..." he continued to moan as he felt her lips on him, licking and sucking him wantonly for several minutes. "Oh God... Lara, please don't..."

"Well well well... if that has been agreed to then... Mmm, nice and hard, just how I love it," she whispered as she removed her underwear and placed herself on top of him, nearly sliding him into her. "Enjoy the ride, Fara-" she stopped as she heard the door burst open with one single kick. "What the fuck..."

"If you don't get out of this godforsaken room on the count of three, I swear Howell, I shall not be responsible for my actions."

"AD..." muttered Tristan as he continued to struggle under Lara's grip.

"Oh look at that, the damsel came to save her knight in distress, how touching," she replied, letting go of Tristan's wrists. 

Breathing heavily, Tristan simply remained on the desktop while trying to regain the circulation in his wrists once again.

"Ruin my fun," the woman muttered as she promptly jumped off the desk, quickly grabbed her jacket and skirt, slipped them on and straightened herself before starting to make her way out of the room. "No need for the countdown ma'am..." she replied with a snicker. "Just keep in mind that Ryan has something even better in mind for you, Ms. Coulston. I'll be seeing you... _Faraday_ ," she chuckled as she silently walked out of the room, as if nothing had just happened.

"Go to Hell," Gwyn roared as she slammed the doors shut once she was sure she had left.

Struggling to sit up, Tristan found Gwyn wrapping her arms around him. "Gwyn... did you hear me?"

"Mmm-hmm, that's why I rushed here..." she replied with a worried smile, while rubbing his back in comfort. "I'm sorry for all this."

"I'm sorry I couldn't fight her off... she was too strong - like she had some superhuman strength or something," he whispered as he hugged her tightly.

"Are you hurt?"

"Aside from my wrists... my pride..." he joked as he let go of her and tried to reach for his boxers and pants, which were currently around his ankles.

"Here," she smiled as she slipped them up for him. "I swear I'll kill her," she muttered, her eyes turning into that ominous shade of red which showed that she was completely furious.

"Babe, you're scaring me... Your eyes... they're turning red."

"They'll turn back to normal once I calm down," she mumbled, placing a kiss on his cheek while she moved to gather the rest of his crumpled clothes off the floor.

"I tried. I really tried to fight her off - but she jumped me and... and... I don't even want to know what she was gonna do with me..." sniffled Tristan as he struggled to button his pants once again, but found that he couldn't as he kept shaking.

"Are you still sure you want to spend your life with me?" she whispered, as she picked the completely ruined shirt in her hands.

"...Yes. I do want to spend the rest of my life with you..." he replied almost brokenly. "The question is, do you want me with you?"

"I do. More than anything. But, all I keep doing is make you go through things like these... And you deserve much more than this! You've been undergoing all these sort of troubles ever since you got closer to me! I'd like so much for things to be normal, like anybody else's in this goddamned world, but they aren't... to our misfortune, at least for the two of us, they aren't... I'm sorry for that, sorry the woman attacked you and scared you, I'm sorry I wasn't here immediately... and I'm sorry for snapping at you on the phone. It happens over and over again, and then it boils down, always, that it's perennially me the source of your troubles. Now, be true to me Tris... you never had these problems before you had me."

Slowly sliding off the desk, Tristan grabbed Gwyn tightly and kissed her passionately. "Never! Never forget how much I love you. I don't care, I want you to be mine forever. All the troubles and misfortunes... I don't care... I want you and only you. No one else."

"Want to go home now?" she whispered, as she helped him button up his pants and shirt, without replying to what he had just told her.

"Please? Look at me... I can't stop shaking and all I wanted to do initially was to make sure that you were okay after our phone conversation... and then _this_ happens..."

"See what I just said?! If I hadn't replied to you that way, you would have just remained in your office working, not check on your stupid woman that decided to reply to you that way. Nothing of this would have happened! It's all my fault."

"No! It's not your fault - it's not anyone's fault... It's just us being worried about each other, that's all. Even if nothing had happened, I'd still worry about you and you worry about me. We still just have to remember that we're still our own people... and not to live each other's lives. And... that's what happened today. But, it's done and over with. Stay with me now? I want you to stay with me forever. Please."

"Mmm-hmm, I promise..." she muttered, taking his hands in hers to kiss them gently. "Still... I should have just explained myself... instead of reacting that way..."

"It's okay..." he whispered.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. Please, I just want nothing more than to crawl into bed and hug you tightly."

"Not too difficult," she whispered back kissing his temple. "I'll tell Cynthia that you're sick and that I'll be taking you home, after all it should be around four..." she replied, holding out her arm to him. "Coming? The rest of the world can go to Hell if need be."

"Yeah, always and forever, I'll follow you."

"Ready to pass through Heaven and Hell Tris? Won't be easy... though... you've already had a taste of it..."

"You're my personal Heaven. Hell is living without you for me..." he whispered as he kissed her desperately as he clung to her. "When we're home, make me forget this, please. I know I promised you, but I _need_ you tonight."

Knowing that she couldn't deny his simple request, Gwyn nodded as she helped Tristan into his coat and led him out of the office. Waiting for him to gather his things, the pair headed back to Gwyn's office and notified Cynthia of their departure.

"What? I mean, what happened?" Cynthia asked the two with a hint of panic in her voice.

"I'll tell you myself when he's feeling better Cyn... can you take care of things while I'm away?" asked Gwyn in a very calm manner.

"Yes, sure..."

"What the... hey you're leaving already?" another voice joined in. "I was popping in to apologize for earlier, shouldn't have left that way AD."

"Not a problem, really Jacob, I know that you really meant what you said..." she smiled, never taking her sight off Tristan. "And please, keep what I told you in mind, more than ever before," she repeated with a stern tone of voice. 

"Yes ma'am."

"Cyn, I'll call, don't worry," Gwyn smiled as Tristan silently came by her side after gathering her things. "As someone needs to rest first," she whispered as she took Tristan's cold hand in hers. "See you tomorrow."

"See you..." both Cynthia and Jacob replied in unison as they watched the two leave.

"AD is furious."

"How do you know?" Cynthia asked, surprised.

"Her eyes were reddish... which means she got angry about something."

"I just hope they didn't fight."

"No it wasn't a fight... there was someone else involved..."

"Wait what? You came here after me and you already caught the gist of what happened? Are you a psychic or something?"

"No. Just a very attentive reader of facial expressions."

"Jake?"

"Mmm?"

"Go work, Cole must be wondering where you're off to."

"Ah uhm, right... well, they'll be fine Cynthia don't worry, I'll see you later!"

"See you," Cynthia nodded as she sat back at her desk, still wondering on what could have actually happened. On the other hand, Jacob rushed back to his office to continue working, keeping in mind both the order the Commander had imposed on him and the newborn aura he had felt on Tristan a few minutes before. 

_Trust me Howell, if it were up to me or the Commander, you'd be dead right now. Too bad it's terribly complicated at this point in time..._

_-_

Looking out of the car window as he was laying in the back seat, Tristan watched as the rain began to drizzle onto the glass. Having finally stopped shaking, he continued to stare listlessly at the passing scenery. Sighing, he cocked his head over to look at the back of Gwyn's head though he frowned as he saw that her shoulders were tensed up. "We'll be okay..."

"I'm just terribly pissed off, I'll be fine. That woman's going to pay for this."

"Don't worry, she'll get what's coming to her... as well as her classless asshole..." 

"No, I've got something better in mind - it's plain sexual harassment on work, hence, I am going to report her as an assualt on one of my staff. I don't give a shit about anyone's retort in this case. She had even the guts to do that to you," she growled in anger.

"Okay good. I'll help you fill out the paperwork then..."

"Apart from the fact that I'm going to have a fight with Fred about that. I don't want to talk to that woman again, because if I do, I'd rip her throat out."

Wincing at the image that popped into his head, Tristan shuddered briefly before continuing to stare out the window. "Not exactly an image I wanted to see in my head, but I believe you - the throat ripping thing..."

"Sorry, maybe that was too much... but trust me, I won't be acknowledging her existence any longer. Taking it against me wasn't enough..."

"But... what happens when you have to walk past her to get to Fred's office?"

"Ignoring her completely will be the first step, whatever she says, plus, she wouldn't dare. In addition, I'm hoping to get her fired on this."

"Why do I get the feeling that it's going to be easier said than done?" murmured Tristan as Gwyn parked the car in the garage.

"If I don't manage that, I have my _own_ ways and means," she told him, in a very serious, deep voice.

Shirking away slightly, Tristan remained lying down as Gwyn opened the door for him.

"You manage? Or do I need to call Anne," she smiled back, stretching an arm out at him.

"I can manage," he smiled as he grasped her hand and let her help him up. Grabbing his bag from the floor, Tristan shut the door with his other hand as he continued to hold onto Gwyn. "I just want to forget this afternoon... Can we do that?"

"I'll take care of that soon, promise," replied Gwyn, placing a soft kiss on his cheek while tightly holding his hand.

"I trust you," he replied back as he rested his head on her shoulder as they made their way into the apartment.

"Do you want to eat something before?"

"...Hot chocolate?"

"Consider that done," she whispered back soothingly, as Tristan looked into her eyes and noticed that the reddish hue had been replaced by that warm glow he loved so much. "And maybe a warm muffin too, filled with caramel."

"I think Anne made some cinnamon apple ones... that would be okay..."

"Whatever you like," she replied, as she opened her apartment's door. "Anne we're here."

"Already?" the maid promptly rushed to the entrance giving Gwyn a questioning look. "What's wrong?"

Smiling broadly since the incident, Tristan nodded as he was greeted by Jasper barking and jumping up to meet them. "Hey buddy, you been good?"

"Nothing, I'll just talk to you about it later. Do me a favour, can you prepare a large mug of hot chocolate with cream and warm up some of the cinnamon apple muffins you prepared the other day? We'll be in our room."

"Yes Miss, I'll bring them over in a tray and... what about dinner?"

"We'll see to that," Gwyn replied, turning her gaze back to Tristan.

Patting Jasper, Tristan looked up at the two women and continued to smile. "Just... gimme a bit, I'll probably eat a bit later, if that's okay?"

"I'll prepare something for later then, I'll keep it light," she replied reassuringly. "Go rest you two..."

"Sure sure. See you later Anne. Jas, be a good catdog and keep your eyes on Auntie, got it?"

Barking, Jasper nuzzled against both Tristan and Gwyn's legs before trotting off after Anne.

"It's funny when you call him catdog," she chuckled, as she wrapped her arms around him and rested her chin on his right shoulder.

"He's officially part cat now, but he's still a dog, so it's a marrying of the two..." he grinned as Gwyn led them into their bedroom, closing the door behind them.

"Guess you should get changed in your pyjamas now..."

"Yeah, I'll be right back..." Giving her a smile, Tristan shrugged off his jacket, the remainder of his shredded shirt, and removed his pants before walking into the bathroom. Moments later, he reemerged in a white t-shirt and his pajama bottoms and began to pick up his clothes, but stopped as he eyed his destroyed shirt. "Why? Why would she do that to me...?"

"Hey hey... don't think about that again," Gwyn told him, as she rushed by his side. "And I'll take this," she finished, as she snatched the shirt from his grasp.

"Okay... and... sor-I'll try not too."

"Please..." she whispered, almost in a plea. "I'm the one by your side now... she's never going to get that close to you again, I swear on my existence."

Dropping everything, he wrapped his arms around her and began to cry into her shoulder. "Promise that you'll never leave me? Promise that you'll protect me? And promise me that you'll love me forever?"

"I-I promise," she replied. "I promise you that..." she reassured him, holding him as close as possible to her. "I'll never leave you, I'll protect you with my life, and I'll love you till my very last breath."

"Thank you, Gwendalynn," murmured Tristan as he continued to hold her tightly.

"You're welcome Sweetheart," she smiled, as she passed a hand soothingly through his hair.

"I love you," he whispered as she led him to their bed. 

"Love you too..." she smiled as they both lied down while Tristan immediately snuggled closely against her.

"You're warm..." came the drowsy reply.

"Mmm-hmm... and you should rest now," she smiled, as she placed a kiss on his forehead.

Yawning, Tristan began to close his eyes and tried to push out the thoughts from the afternoon assault from his head. While she hummed a soft tune, Gwyn noticed that Tristan's breathing had slowed down and to her relief, he had quickly fallen asleep without much trouble. Seeing that she could sneak out of the room for a short while, Gwyn kissed Tristan's forehead once more and raced back to the living room, not after informing Anne that the snack had to wait.

"And what are you doing now?" Anne asked, as she trailed behind her as she walked into her office and sat at her desk.

"Phoning up Fred. He has to be aware of the sort of _slut_ he has as his assistant," she growled, as Anne decided to remain in the room since she had noticed she was getting furious at the thoughts once again. "Hello?"

"Good afternoon my dear, to what do I owe the pleasure of this call?" came Fred's pleasant response.

"If there's that bitch of an assistant of yours in that room, order her to get the hell out of there while I'm talking to you," she roared in response, while Anne observed the scene unfold while she sat in front of Gwyn.

In his office, Fred looked up and saw that his assistant was indeed seated in front of him as she was taking down his notes. Placing his hand over the receiver, he nodded over to Lara and said, "That'll be all Ms. Howell. Please go back to your desk and close the door on your way out."

"Yes Mr. Rhule," the woman nodded in return, trying her best to mask the satisfied grin that had been plastered on her face since that afternoon. "I'll be seeing you tomorrow."

"Yes of course." Watching Lara close the door behind her, Fred let go of the receiver. "Done, now do you care to tell me what's troubling you my dear?"

"Of course! Will you stop denying that she isn't a vampire?! Even walls have realised it Fred!"

Shutting his eyes, Fred let out a breath slowly. "Is this what this is all about?! My assistant being a _vampire_? One of _us_?! Yes I'm fully aware that she is, but you sound as if there has been a graver injustice done to you. Now, breathe my dear and tell me what's troubling you."

"That's because that's not all."

"Oh? Well then do tell, my dear." 

"She's assaulted a member of my staff, and I don't mean... attacked in the sense of, she got hungry and hunted... no, she's that stupid to go further than that... and, you know about her and you've done nothing?! Last time I hinted that to you, you told me I was blabbering nonsense."

" _Assaulted_ a member of your staff? And not in the vampiric manner, but in a different manner? What way would that be? And yes, I did know about her... to be honest, I prefer that she is one of us, her new self is much more charming than her _human_ self was..." came the nonchalant reply.

"Wait... what?" she blinked back, at a loss for words. "Weren't you the one against illegal turning of humans to vampires since these individuals hadn't approved by the Council?"

"Oh hang the Council. As ruler of the Clan, I have full authority on what goes on. Once I did detect her, I immediately sought out and dealt with Black myself. But, to be honest, she's been even better than before, especially when attending to my more, shall we say... _human needs._ Now, again, the assault. What of it or do I need to personally see you myself?"

" _Human needs_... oh tell me you're joking..."

"Of course I'm not... Adelaide can only attend to my needs when it benefits her... Plus, I love the fact that Howell is a bit more... shall we say _open_ and _free-spirited_ in regards to her sexuality..."

"Does... does Lady Adelaide know about it?" she muttered, placing a hand on her forehead, feeling that the situation was degenerating in seconds. 

"Of course not. Why would I be _stupid_ enough to tell my wife that I'm fucking my assistant? Besides, it's much more enjoyable being able to fuck a newborn - their needs are insatiable..." laughed Fred. "Since you're being so closed-mouth about the assault and were very adamant about Howell not being here... I'm guessing the assault is rather _embarrassing_?"

"It's not embarrassing," she snapped back, still confused at how Fred was actually talking to her that evening. "It's totally unacceptable to have a person prowling around the offices, deciding whether or not to _rape_ one of my people."

" _Rape_ one of your employees? Howell? That's preposterous! She would never do such a thing..." 

"Fred stop defending her dammit! You're siding with her and not believing me again!"

"Then _tell me_ Gwendalynn, _who_ has she raped?!"

"I'm bound by silence, as I promised this person that I'd kept this anonymous," she sighed.

"Well then you have no bounds on accusing her of doing anything, now do you? I know you've never liked her, but if this is some sort of stunt to get her fired, well _daughter_ or not, I'll believe the word of my _assistant_ ," Fred replied coldly as Lara stealthily made her way back inside the office and smiled coyly at him.

"What?! Hey hey, wait a second, what did you say?"

"Give me the name, or I will not endorse the claim." Smiling back at Lara, who proceeded to make her way to his desk, Fred raised an eyebrow as he saw her get down on her hands and knees by his chair.

"You know Fred, your attitude is disappointing me so much... and I'm telling you this as your daughter. And no, I won't mention the name, as every manager should do," she replied. "Next time you talk to me, make sure you're not brainwashed by Black and Howell and consider the fact that _I_ _should_ be your daughter. Or at least I thought I was..." she finished, as she placed the receiver back in its place.

Hearing the line go dead, Fred lazily placed the receiver back onto its cradle and leaned his head against the back of his chair as he felt Lara's lips on his lower half, licking and sucking him occasionally. "Did you try to rape one of Coulston's people, my pet?"

"Your little princess was angry at me, wasn't she?" she replied, with grin on her lips. "What if I did? Shall you punish me?"

"Give me the name, and your punishment will depend on the severity of the matter... Have I told you how exquisite you are with that tongue of yours?"

"Well well, you probably can come to the conclusion yourself... _Sir._ I don't think she'd be that angry if it were some other random person from her group..."

"Faraday? Mmm... manage to get a taste of the boy? Everytime he's in here...ahh, his blood smells quite delectable and sweet..."

"You should have seen your daughter's face when she found me," she laughed. "I think she would have killed me if it weren't for him being there. And yes, that boy's too tempting... Ryan had already warned me about that."

"Hmm... and what did he taste like to you? Human or one of us...?"

"Definitely human."

"So she hasn't turned him yet. No matter, I'll give her a talking to before she and the boy leave for their _holiday_... Now, for giving me the name, how _rough_ do you want me to be with you, my pet?" whispered Fred as he leaned down and kissed Lara fully as she continued to stroke him.

"As much as you like..." she whispered as she kissed him back. "And wait, your daughter has to turn the Faraday boy into a vampire?" she whispered, feigning ignorance of the fact.

"That is her current assignment. If she does not complete the job, I'll leave it to either you or Black... but I'd prefer to leave it to you," grinned Fred as he pulled Lara onto his lap and entered her roughly, making her moan as she began to work on his shirt and tie. "Black would only ruin the boy, I want the boy completely intact, as he'll be my lovely daughter's perfect mate... and they shall breed such wonderful little children together. Now, remove your shirt and jacket so I can touch you properly. Speaking of Black, when was the last time you were intimate with him? And, does he know of us?"

"Yesterday evening maybe?" she whispered as she leaned in to lick his neck and remove his glasses, while he started unfastening the buttons of her shirt. "And... haven't really told him anything. As for the boy, that's your plan then, providing her with a perfect mate... is it just me or this makes part of a greater plan?"

"The boy has a greater destiny, having him breed with Coulston is simply icing on the cake, as those children will ensure that I will remain head of this Clan," Fred replied neutrally as he removed her shirt and began to massage her breasts before sucking on them, causing her to rock back and forth on his lap as she moaned and gasped loudly and lewdly. "If you continue to play nicely, perhaps you'd love to bear a few of the boy's _children_?"

"Mmm... that is certainly quite the _intriguing_ idea..." she giggled, as Fred looked up to kiss her fully once more while she pulled herself closer to him.  
  


-

As Fred and Lara continued their 'meeting', Tristan woke up with a yell that could be heard through the apartment. Scrubbing a hand over his face, he realized that he was covered in a cold sweat while trying to slow down his breathing. "What was that? Why did I see that...? Was that my future?"

"What's wrong?" a breathless Gwyn rushed inside the bedroom, as soon as she heard that yell.

"I-I saw you and me... together... But we were fighting - not each other - but rather, we were fighting Fred, Black, and Lara... as well as other people... We were in a cave or something, lots of torches... Neville was there, and so was Jacob - Alice too - and some other people. We were outnumbered, but we were still fighting better than the other guys... I remember Fred whispering something to you - but he looked _different_ \- more _evil-like_ \- and I couldn't hear what he told you. He then had a dagger and was going to stab you but then I woke up... What did I see? And why were we fighting them?"

"I don't have a clue baby," she replied, as she sat on bed and crawled by his side. "What I do know is that you were right about Fred... absolutely right."

"Huh? What happened?" Tristan asked worriedly as Gwyn peeled off his sweat-soaked shirt and held him tightly.

"It was useless talking to him. Totally useless," she mumbled as she rubbed his back gently. "I phoned him up while you were asleep."

"Does this have to do with him and Lara? They're fucking each other on the side, aren't they?"

"What? How do you know? I mean I... I never expected him to say that... to me, that way, take the side of a woman that... after all, he was the one who raised me after the death of my parents... he wa- was a father... to me..." she stuttered as tears started running down her cheeks.

"For the first part of your question - I saw it... in my dream. And secondly, I don't know babe... guess he's not the man you thought he was?" he whispered quietly as they held each other tight. "Did you want to go eat yet? Or we can stay here and forget everything that happened today..."

"I defended him so many times, took his sides - Neville can tell you - for so many times, then... that slut comes along from nowhere... and he... takes her side, ridicules me in front of her, treats me as if I were a child. I've done him no wrong, always obeyed his orders, always respected him... always..." she muttered, burying her face against his neck. "And no... I'm not hungry..."

"Tell me what you want... I think we need each other more than we thought we would tonight..."

"I don't know..."

Holding her tightly, he kissed her hungrily, though was immediately surprised by the force that she was kissing him back with.

"Just make love to me to make all this go away, please... Tris," she whispered, fresh tears still running down her face. "Make it stop..."

"And please make love to me to forget what she did to me, Gwyn. I only want you..." he whispered back as kissed her back, only to realize that he had been crying himself as well. 

"Mmm-hmm..." she sniffled, raising a hand to his face to wipe off the tears with her thumb.

Kissing her tears away, he slowly began to unbutton her shirt and skirt while kissing the exposed skin in his wake. Smiling at his touch, Gwyn placed her hands on both of his cheeks and leaned up to give him one of the sweetest kisses she ever did give.

"Think Anne'll mind that we're skipping dinner?" he whispered as he removed her shirt, skirt, and stockings and left her in her bra and panties.

"I don't think she would..."

"Good, because I think we'll be in here for quite the while," he replied mischievously as they finished removing each other's clothing. "Hmm... top or bottom?"

"Let's just stay like this..." she whispered, with an almost pleading, half sad look on her face.

"Sure, we can ease into it," he whispered back as they held each other close, savouring the touch and feel of the other.

"Mmm-hmm," she hummed back, nuzzling silently against his neck as Tristan pulled her closer to him.

Lying in their bed while holding each other close, the pair continued to simply touch and kiss each other. Slowly, as time wore on, the touches and kisses began to increase and intensify until Tristan found his nude self draped over Gwyn's equally naked body, with her legs wrapped around his waist. "You okay?"

"Yes... you?"

"Yeah... ready?"

"Mmm-hmm," she replied, as she caressed his face with her index finger. "Whenever you are."

Nodding, he slowly kissed her as he eased himself into her. "We have all night, so how would you like to start off?"

"Everything opposite to what you went through today..."

"Gentle and slow it is then..." he whispered as he began to move.

"Yes," she whispered back, caressing his face from time to time as he moved against her. 

Caressing her face gently, he kissed her sweetly as they continued to make love to one another for the rest of the evening, with their energies strangely intact even after a quite some hours.

"Can I saw wow? Because that was a _wow_..." murmured Tristan as Gwyn lay on top of him, holding each other close.

"Mmm, guess so," she smiled, letting out a small giggle as she rested her head against his chest.

"What time is it anyways?"

"I don't really have a wrist watch right now you know," she chuckled, as she placed a kiss right where she had been resting her head.

"I meant the alarm clock babe... and as for the wrist watch... I'll get you a new one. Think I broke it when I threw it against the opposite wall from where we were..."

"At least it was a contemporary one," she smiled back. 

"True. Now, can you use your wonderful vantage point to see the clock, please? I'm currently enjoying the view from where I am..."

"Tris, it's... 2:06..." she gasped, blinking back at him.

"You mean to tell me that from say... five in the evening till just after two in the morning, we've been making love?" 

"I-uhm... yes," she muttered, surprised. "Well... it... does seem like it... maybe we had brief times when we rested, or napped or... oh my God..."

"Oh my God what and we barely rested... or napped... or... well crap. Didn't you say that you were going to call Cyn?"

"Not at two in the morning though!"

Realizing at how humorous the current situation was, Tristan laughed and pulled Gwyn down for a kiss. "Look at it this way, with you not calling, she'll probably guess that everything's alright with us..."

"I hope so, but I'll make sure to call her first thing tomorrow morning... you feeling better?" she asked, placing a quick kiss on his nose.

"After the love-making marathon? Sure, I'm fine... and strangely, not sore down there..." he chuckled as Gwyn slapped his chest playfully.

"It's not like you wanted to stop though," she replied.

"Neither did you... But, if anything though, it's definitely cemented the fact that I'm completely and utterly devoted to just _you. L_ " 

"Not that I needed a confirmation," whispered Gwyn as she raised her look up towards the ceiling. "No one can take this from us... whatever they do, even if they try to... they won't, and I'll defend it with all of my strengths... Even if I had an entire army against me."

"Same here. Now... can we just stay home today... tomorrow - whatever we're considering it to be right now? I'm really not to anxious to go back just yet... considering we have to see _them_ on Friday anyways..."

"I'll call in sick for the two of us, informing Cynthia only, making sure that she stays in James, Cole, and Jacob's offices."

"Good. Now... I think I want that hot chocolate and those muffins now... Need to regain my energies y'know..."

"Hey, it was the two of us doing that to my knowledge, so quit complaining," she laughed as she tucked herself under the bedsheets and hugged a pillow against her.

"Well fine then, you want something?" he laughed as he swung his legs over the side of the bed and bent over to look for his pajama bottoms. "And where are my pants?"

"By the relics of the wristwatch maybe?" she asked, letting out an amused giggle.

Glancing over at the now-broken wristwatch, Tristan located his pajama pants under Gwyn's skirt. Pulling them on, he took time to straighten a few of the now-crooked paintings on the wall. "Guess we _might_ have gotten a bit carried away..." he laughed as he took in the chaos that was now their bedroom. "On the other hand, I might have to take you on the chair more often - was pretty comfortable. And...you're _way more_ flexible than you thought you were..." 

"Awww stop it," she mumbled, covering her head up with the quilt and bedsheets as she blushed. "And no chairs or weird things for now, reminds me too much of that bitch..."

"Fine fine. Beds, couches, the floor, and...your desk. Those are the only places we can make love on," he grinned before heading out of the room.

"And you're still thinking about that... honey, you need a break now," she replied, as she popped her head slightly out of the covers. "And correction, leave the desk out of the equation for now..."

"Correction, I'm _always_ thinking about _you._ And nope! I still want the desk!" he laughed as he walked out of the room in search of something to eat.

"But I don't," she mumbled as she buried her head under the sheets again. Despite all of those hours had passed, and with Tristan completely unaware, Gwyn was still thinking about what she had seen in that office room and the imagery that was firmly stuck in her mind wasn't one she was gladly remembering. Hence why she actually didn't want to hear about desks for the time being. Neither those, nor work, nor anything... really. Nor Clan, nor vampires, nor nothing. She was sick and fed up of everything and everyone, feeling mostly disappointed at how things were going and how people she thought were on her side where deluding her, just like her adoptive father that evening. Feeling a bout of nausea at those thoughts, particularly at what Frederick had told her, Gwyn quickly slipped off bed and rushed towards the bathroom, hoping Tristan hadn't heard her doing so.

Returning to their bedroom, Tristan managed to carry a plate of muffins and two steaming mugs of hot chocolate for them and placed them on the dresser. Noticing that Gwyn was not in bed, he entered the bathroom and found her hunched over the toilet. Getting a glass of water, he sat by her side on the floor. "Y'know, when I was talking about the... _thing_ , I was already hoping you'd forget about _it_... Guess not. Anyways, I'm sorry that Fred's not the man you thought he was, and I'm sorry - really sorry - that he hurt you like he did..."

"I-I'm actually sorry for Adelaide too... she doesn't have the faintest... she's always been there by his side, _always_..." she muttered as she wiped her mouth.

Handing her the glass of water, he got to his knees and wet one of the face towels for Gwyn to clean her face with. "Adelaide? Is that Fred's wife?"

"Yes... his life-long companion... my adoptive mother."

"What an asshole of a husband..."

"Tris, he was never like this... at least with me, openly. And never talked to me the way he did tonight. He'd always been calm, respectful, patient... and loving. Maybe it was all a bluff..." she blurted out, clutching her stomach once again.

Taking the items from her and holding her gently, he pulled her hair back as she retched into the toilet once again. "I think that he really does care for you, but right now... maybe it's a midlife crisis or something? I don't know, but the fact that he's cheating on his wife and hurting you... it's definitely making me really start to hate him for doing this..."

"Tris, Adelaide's even more beautiful than the whore, give me a minute," she replied, as she got on her feet and went to rummage inside one of the wardrobe's drawers. "Here," she replied once she got back and handed him an old photograph, while she walked towards the handbasin to wash her face.

"Wait this is _her_ ?! She's _gorgeous_... Now I _know_ Fred's a moron if he's willing to stick his dick in a woman that's basically the village whore of the office versus _this_ woman..."

"You placed it very bluntly but yes, that's the situation... Adelaide was adored by everyone when she was younger, and she barely changed in all these years I've known them..."

"Well then that cements it... Fred's a motherfucking douchebag that doesn't deserve his loving wife or daughter... How can he just throw all that away? Because someone younger and more hornier than his wife is willing to give him a blowjob while he makes a conference call? Total scum for doing that..."

Shuddering at the thought, Gwyn merely nodded and grabbed a towel to dry her face out. "Adelaide's the type of woman that has her entire face glowing when she's talking about her husband... she'd be heartbroken if she gets to know."

"Hmm... now the situation's _really_ delicate... I mean, it's obvious she loves the cheating asshole, but... this'll easily destroy her... I almost want to lie and not tell her while Fred continues to screw his secretary... assistant... village bicycle... whatever. At least that way she's safe..."

"It's so unfair... and he knows too well what she went through, and he's not even respecting that..."

"Yeah..."

"Tris I'm referring to something else - Adelaide couldn't have any children... in fact, if you notice in the picture, she's wearing mourning clothes."

"Huh?" Studying the picture further, he did see the clothing. "Oh God... Now I feel even more sorry for her..."

"That picture was taken after yet another miscarriage... and that was the very last one she ever had... she didn't get black off her ever since," she told him. "That's why I'm angry at the situation with Fred... more than anything else, I'm angry for her..."

"What should we do then?"

"Nothing. Except hope that he smacks some sense into his head."

"The only head he's thinking with is currently shoved inside that slut's c-" Tristan replied but stopped as Gwyn clamped a hand over his mouth.

"What those two are doing at the moment doesn't concern us... as for Lady Adel, I might think of something in the coming days..." she concluded as she rubbed her stomach gently.

"Oh, okay. And I can make you some tea if you want...for the tummy... Also... I'd like to meet her someday..."

"Yes, but not for now..."

"The tea or the meeting her?"

"Meeting her. She'd want Fred to be there and I don't want to see him, in fact, I'm seriously considering canceling Friday's meeting."

"Really? Hmm... should we get an early jump on our holiday then? To avoid them, I mean..."

"Technically we could, but they only thing I'd be afraid of is Fred's retort. I don't want him to send people at the port trying to understand where we are going. On the other hand, canceling the meeting would be a sort of payback for his obnoxious telephone call."

"So... did he set up the meeting or you set it up?"

"He did."

"Fuck him then - cancel the meeting on grounds that you do not wish to proceed without your key assistant there. Say I'm still sick or something. That way, he can't do anything, _especially_ if I'm not there in the afternoon - like I went home sick again."

"Or else, I can go to work on my own and leave you here on Friday. I'll have informal discussions with the boys, and then when the time comes, I'll mention that I got caught in a very urgent meeting and that we have to reschedule for three weeks' time, what do you say?"

"That works too..."

"Not that I want to leave you alone but..."

"I'll be safe with Anne and catdog..."

"Alright..." she smiled, stretching out an arm at him. "We go to bed? You have a hot chocolate waiting for you."

"You have one waiting for you too actually..." he smiled as he took the washcloth and wiped her face with it before tossing it back into the sink and taking her hand in his. "And yes, bed sounds good..."

"You managed to warm up the muffins too?"

"They were piping hot when I warmed them, so they should be safe to touch now," he grinned as he grabbed the mugs and plate off the dresser and climbed into bed. "Can you believe we practically made love for nine hours straight?" he grinned as he took a bite out of one of the muffins.

"No I don't," she replied, stifling a laugh. "Plus I absolutely have no clue whatsoever on how we managed... I'm pretty sure we napped at some point, when we were cuddling or something."

"Me neither. But, I do know that my body completely belongs to you...as it's also the only place it wants to be close to on a constant basis. Did we really nap? I don't even remember..."

"That too," she smiled back. "Hence my point about the napping, we don't remember... Tris, nine hours is a hell a lot of time. So we may have slept a fraction of that without really remembering."

"Guess so... If anything though, it seems that your body makes mine come alive... since I always seem to still feel... tingly around you after we make love..."

"Tingly?"

"Like tiny shivers running through your body..."

"Won't say you don't feel like that," she whispered back.

"I do feel that - only around you though... Ironically, whenever I'm around Alice, I feel fire and ice from her... she'd probably tear me apart if I ever got on her bad side," he chuckled.

"Knowing her... yes."

"Thanks for the ringing endorsement of confidence there, babe."

"Alice is just like that honey, that's why."

"Figures... Ah well, she's way outta my league anyways, especially since I have you. Plus, I doubt she'd be able to keep up with what we did tonight in this room..."

"Well, yes... sure... erm... don't know actually, no idea..."

"Uhh... I was just guessing, didn't want you to actually _think_ about it..." he snickered as he finished one of the muffins.

"Wasn't thinking about anything," she replied, resting her head against his shoulder.

"Good. Because you're probably way better in bed than she'd be... since there's love involved between us."

"No one could be better than the two of us together," she chuckled in response.

"Exactly." 

"How's the chocolate?"

"Fantastic. Yours?"

"Haven't even had a sip yet..." she admitted.

"Here's a taste then," he smiled before kissing her.

"That was definitely chocolate flavored," chuckled Gwyn leaning against him while exhaling a deep comforting sigh.

"That it was... but I tasted something sweeter on my end," he grinned back as he kissed her bare shoulder. "Plus the fantastic glow that's currently surrounding your body... good to see my goddess back in very _fine_ form."

"Flatterer," she chuckled, smiling back at him while taking her mug of hot chocolate in her hands. "Wasn't too much of a fine form a couple of minutes ago..."

"And I meant every word of it, even _that_ was fine. Besides, take a look at our bedroom, it's pretty much proof of why you're glowing like the sun right now. I think we should probably replace the bedding ourselves tomorrow...as we don't want to scar Anne... And maybe we can look for our new bed as well? Those posts may have been handy tonight..." he smirked as he began to eat his second muffin.

"Oh stop that," she replied, letting out a giggle while warming her hands with the mug. "And no problem about the bedding."

"Sure you don't want to look for a new bed tomorrow? It'll be fun...and we can give it a test drive just before our holiday...since I have to be on my best behaviour when we're at my mom's house."

"I didn't say no to that, finding the bed I mean... I was referring to the posts," laughed Gwyn, leaning in to kiss him.

"Aw c'mon, it could be fun," he laughed as he kissed her back deeply. 

"Don't start getting weird ideas," she chuckled in return.

"Alright... we can lay off being tied to the bedposts for now... Besides, the wall's just a bit more supportive than a bedpost."

"Tristan..."

"...Okay okay... We can confine ourselves to the bed, the couch, the floor, and the tub... But I like using the wall too," Tristan smiled as he finished his second muffin and sipped his hot chocolate.

"That sounded a bit sadist," she mumbled, kissing his shoulder.

"It did, didn't it? Sorry 'bout that..." Setting down the plate on the night table, followed by the two empty mugs, he pulled Gwyn down into a warm embrace as they lay on the bed together. "How about we just forget about everyone right now and focus on us?" 

"Mmm-hmm," she hummed, nuzzling against his neck. 

Sitting up slightly, Tristan reached down and pulled up the blankets to cover them up. "Better?" 

"Yes," she smiled back, while gently rubbing his side. "Might as well have a good sleep now, then... how about this? We clean this room together, have breakfast, then spend the rest of the morning shopping for furniture? That would lead us having the rest of the afternoon for lunch and packing up," she suggested.

"I like that idea. We got the bulk of it done, but maybe we could find a few more things? As I can't imagine that you want me wearing shorts to a nice dinner out while we're there... In all my years, it's not as if I've ever bothered to look for proper clothes for tropical weather..." he laughed.

"We can go shop for lighter clothing then too... mmm... and I might get a couple of cocktail dresses... to which I need your opinion."

"Mmm, I'll gladly give you my opinion on those... Now me and linen... I should just be fine in a white shirt and pants, right?"

"Not white pants, please, forget the white pants..." she winced playfully.

"Babe, I didn't mean white pants... khaki or olive should work, right?"

"Much much better like that," she giggled, as she reached up to kiss his nose.

"Good. Now, I want you to rest on top of my chest, if you don't mind? I like feeling your heart beat against mine..." Tristan whispered as he ran his fingers through her still-damp hair. "Definitely had a _work-out_ today, didn't we?"

"More effective than an entire week at the gym, mmh?" replied Gwyn as she huddled closer just like he had asked her.

"Pretty much, but it's especially effective with you - and only you. Can't imagine doing this with anyone else..."

"Never, trust me... I'd never imagine anyone else. If it weren't for you, I'd still be working my heart out in the office at the moment," she admitted, letting out a bitter chuckle.

"We've come a long way, haven't we? Remember when I was stealing kisses from you against your wishes? You were so ready to kill me back then..." 

"Because I didn't want you to get involved..."

"I know, but I wanted to get involved with you oh so much... Then circumstances led to us becoming involved with one another...and it built up to one night in particular - when we made love to each other for the first time."

"I know... but it also led to a hell a lot of troubles... and I don't know what's in for us..." she sighed. "I'm not too positive about it... Tris."

Placing a finger on her lips, he kissed her gently. "Hey now, no more thinking about this - we'll deal with it when the time comes, but for now, the trouble's been totally worth it and I'm never letting you go. The one thing I am positive about though, is that I love _you_ , Gwendalynn Coulston."

"That's the only thing I have no doubt about at this point in time..." 

"Yeah... Sleep now? The feel of you against me is wonderful..."

"I'd go crazy if I'd doubt that too now..." she continued mumbling, as she placed a kiss on his chest. "One grand disappointment was more than enough I suppose." 

"Yeah..." Tilting his head up, he kissed her gently. "Night and love you babe."

"Love you too..."


	17. XVII

Reaching over to Gwyn's side of the bed, Tristan began to pat the space - only to find it empty. Cracking open one eye, he noticed that the blankets were pushed back and he heard the shower running. Letting out a yawn, he rolled over onto his stomach and pulled the blankets over his head to catch a few more minutes of rest as Gwyn had some private time to her thoughts and self.

After what seemed like half an hour and with a large towel wrapped around her, Gwyn slipped out of the bathroom and headed straight for bed to sit by Tristan's side. Seeing that he was still fast asleep, Gwyn raised an arm to his head and slowly started running a hand through his hair, smiling as she looked around realising the apocalyptical state her bedroom was in after the previous night.

"Seems like we were in the middle of a hurricane path," she told herself, laughing inwardly at the thought. "And probably significantly better than the blood baths that Anne used to find some months ago..."

Wriggling under the covers, Tristan let the rest of his head poke out from under the blankets and sighed softly as Gwyn continued to run her fingers through his hair. "Morning...?"

"Morning honey," she whispered back. "Slept well?"

"Mm-hmm... Ish still morning?"

"Of course it is... a couple of minutes to ten to be precise."

"Okay..." he yawned loudly as he reached over and patted her, realizing that she was wearing a towel. "You okayish now?"

"Just-ish, as I had to rush to the toilet bowl as soon as I woke up..." she sighed.

Rolling over to sit up properly, Tristan pulled Gwyn into a warm embrace as she rested her head on his stomach. "Nothing much we can do to change how things are, is there? Fred's still cheating on his wife with the woman who practically raped me, and said woman is the personal fucktoy of the asshole who beat you into a pulp some months ago... Why does it always seem like the good people always get royally screwed like this in life...?"

"Because life in itself is unfair in its inception... especially to us, I mean... even before we knew each other... your father dying, my parents dying... other things we've gone through, and everything we've experienced together, tell me... No, it's not fair at all."

"Yeah..." murmured Tristan as he instantly felt nauseous and began to get out of bed quickly. "Sorry... think I'm gonna throw up..." Holding a hand to his mouth, Tristan ran to the toilet and promptly threw up. "Oh God... what the fuck... stupid slut..."

"I'm sorry..." Gwyn tiptoed inside the bathroom as she moved close to rub a hand across his back. 

"Not you... it's  _ her _ ... She's having a morning fuck right now with Black... and some other guy - not Freddy... No, he's  _ watching _ them..." he groaned as he threw up again. "God she's such a sick and twisted bitch..."

"What?!"

"Like I said... Fred's watching her get fucked by Black and some other guy - I think they're in a library or something... Freddy's getting his rocks off by looking through a two-way mirror..."

Staring back at him, horrified at what he was sensing, Gwyn shook her head and wrapped her arms around his waist, resting against his back. "Sorry for all this... I'm so sorry baby..."

Sniffling and wiping his eyes as Gwyn's pleasant weight was resting against his back, he sighed. "It's okay... it's not your fault. It's hers and Fred's faults... If it weren't for you, she'd have gone all the way with me - and I'm glad she didn't... So please, don't feel sorry for yourself..." 

"I do... and I'm not feeling sorry for myself... you'd be living a normal life if I didn't exist," she growled, placing a kiss on his back before walking away.

Missing her warmth immediately, Tristan flushed the toilet and rinsed his mouth out before heading back into the bedroom to find Gwyn sitting on the bed. "But I don't want to live my 'normal' life without you. You're everything to me. Whatever happened to cause me to feel  _ her _ , even  _ that _ can't make me leave you," he whispered as he knelt in front of her and took her hand. "You've given me so much - so much more than a life of mediocrity could ever give me - and I never want to go back to living without you in my life. It'd kill me to settle for less than what I have with you."

"I know... I'm aware of that but... it's only because of me that you're going through all of this mess!" she exclaimed, her voice chocking in her throat.

"Gwyn, stop please. I regret  _ nothing _ , okay? Whatever it takes to be with you, I'll do it. And if I have to suffer through all the crap that the slut goes through when she marked me, then so be it. If anything, I'm glad that I'm connected to you - at least I know when you're safe and if you're in trouble, I can respond to you like you responded to me. So again, stop with the blame. You have  _ NOTHING  _ to be sorry for," Tristan replied firmly as he looked straight into her eyes.

Feeling tears welling up in her eyes, Gwyn leaned closer to Tristan and wrapped her arms around him, resting her weight against him - without uttering a single word in return.

Letting out a tired smile, Tristan kissed Gwyn's shoulder and hugged her tightly. "That's better. I love you, please,  _ please _ never forget that. I'll go get cleaned up and we can spend the rest of the day together worrying about nothing else but what we're going to have for breakfast, alright babe?" 

"Mmh..." she mumbled, as she closed her eyes while he placed a kiss on her hair and then watched him walk away towards the bathroom. Once he had closed the door shut, Gwyn crawled back up on bed, and took his pillow in her arms to hug it tightly against her. 

In the shower, Tristan simply sat on the floor as he let the hot water wash over him, trying to get the images out of his head. "What did you do to me...? I swear Fred, Lara and Ryan, I'll  _ never ever _ forgive you for any of this. I'll promise you all this much, you'll all die before I or Gwyn ever do." Growling, Tristan slammed his fist against the tile before getting up and cleaning himself off, never noticing the fist-sized impact he left on the marble tile. Shutting off the water, Tristan dried off and wrapped a towel around his waist and brushed his teeth before heading back into the room and saw Gwyn hugging his pillow tight and wrapped up in their bedsheet while standing on the terrace. Making his way over, he stood behind her and hugged her tightly. "Sweetheart? Did you still want to go out?"

"Probably it's better if we do, I suppose..." she answered, absently.

"Did you want to go anywhere else today then?"

"Wherever you have in mind is alright for me, really. I just want you relax and forget all about this, it's not worth it"

Nodding, he kissed the back of her neck and led her back inside their bedroom. "I'm trying to forget, and agreed, it's not worth it. Also... I think we should probably call Cyn... she might be throwing a tantrum right now..." he chuckled. "Girlfriend and boss aside, you're still involved with the boy that she thinks of as her 'little brother'... so a bit of courtesy should at least be extended, don't you think?"

"Go give her a call then," she agreed, giving him a tired smile.

Grinning, he headed back to the bathroom and grabbed her robe before draping it over her shoulders and held her free hand. "C'mon baby, let's go tease her together..."

"You sure? I don't really feel like..." she stopped as Tristan placed his hands on either side of her waist and lifted her up. "What are you doing?"

Twisting slightly, Tristan made sure that Gwyn's legs were securely wrapped around his waist and her arms around his neck as he carried her on his back out of the bedroom. "Trying to make you smile and laugh again," he continued to grin as the two of them stealthily made their way to Gwyn's office, but not before shutting the door to their bedroom so that Anne wouldn't see. 

"Will you let me down now?" she chuckled. "You're going to get hurt..."

"How? You're not exactly all that heavy y'know," he laughed as he gently set her down on the couch and picked up the receiver to dial Cynthia's number.

"Considering we haven't called, I think she'll be slightly freaked out..." she muttered, as she hugged her legs against her chest to get comfortable.

"Hi honey! How are you this fine morning," Tristan asked cheerily over the telephone while he sat on the armrest of the couch - only to pull it away from his ear as he awaited Cynthia's reaction.

"WHERE THE HELL WERE YOU? YOU ALRIGHT?"

"Cyn, calm down you'll make the whole building know..." James could be heard from the other end trying to calm her down, met by a low growl from Cynthia's part.

"Yeah Cyn... God you are so lucky to just be in our office today... Only  _ we _ can hear your screaming," chuckled Cole while Jacob let out a squeak.

Once he replaced the receiver by his ear once again, making Gwyn laugh as he did so, Tristan calmly replied back. "I'm at home... with AD... And I'm better today than I was yesterday - well, we both are actually."

"Will you now have the decency to tell me what on earth happened?! I've been dead worried since yesterday when I saw you two walk away."

"Agreed, she's been bugging me and Cole for the whole evening," James confirmed as Cole nodded back.

"You're all in your office, and by office, I mean Cole and Jamie's, right?" Tristan asked seriously as he sat next to Gwyn on the couch.

"Aha," Cynthia replied, getting slightly worried and nervous at the same time. "Tristan what's wrong?"

"So you and Jake no doubt saw my appearance yesterday afternoon, right...?"

"Yes..." she muttered, giving weird looks at both James and Cole, while Jacob bit his lower lip nervously and paced across the office.

"Yeah... so... I was... assau-no that's putting it  _ nicely _ ... Lara Howell attempted to rape me yesterday afternoon," came the blunt, yet honest reply from Tristan. "She only got as far as to give me a blowjob before Gwyn came..."

Hearing complete silence from the other end, Tristan and Gwyn weren't immediately aware that Cynthia had fainted as soon as she heard Tristan's admission. After placing her securely on the couch in the office, James took hold of the receiver as Cole stayed next to her side, while Jacob sat by Cole to hear the conversation unfold.

"Tris?"

"...Yeah?"

"What have you told Cyn? She just fainted on us..."

"I told her the truth. No sense in lying about it... I mean for fuck's sakes, my  _ shirt _ was ripped to shreds! My  _ wrists _ are bruised, I have  _ bite marks _ on my chest from her, and she nearly  _ raped _ me yesterday afternoon! How exactly could I hide  _ that _ fact when she saw me looking like a total zombie as I waited for Gwyn...?!"

"Oh what the fucking hell... Howell tried to... oh fuck..." James mumbled as Cole and Jacob glared back at him as they tried to decipher what was going on, while Gwyn cringed at the other end.

"Anyways... I am dead fucking serious when I say  _ stay the fuck away from them _ . I'm thinking she's only after me and Gwyn, but should any of you see the bitch or the asshole, get the fuck out of there..." growled Tristan as he started to shiver slightly, the gravity of yesterday's attack finally hitting him as he hugged his legs against his chest and tears began to fall down his cheeks. "Promise me... you'll at least do that, alright? I do not want  _ any of you _ to go through what I did yesterday..."

"I promise..." replied James and Cole in a very worried and frightened tone.

"Hey... hey... sweetheart, no... it's alright," Gwyn whispered as she tried to comfort him. "Don't cry... please..." she replied, raising her hand to brush away his tears.

Nodding, Tristan rested his head on her shoulder and simply stared at the wall as he listened to the conversations. 

"Oh I'm going to fuckin' rip her guts out," Jacob snapped back as he stood up and made his way towards the door.

"JACOB STOP RIGHT THERE!" Gwyn cried out as she overhead what was happening, and took the phone receiver in her hands. "Don't you dare do anything on your own accord without my permission, it's an order. Understood?"

Growling, Jacob's blue eyes changed to a menacing red color as he instead walked over to the wall and punched it before responding loud enough for Gwyn to hear. "Understood... but I still don't have to like the order, ma'am..."

"I know you don't, but Frederick's against us, so keep it low," she answered, sighing deeply while expecting Jacob's surprised reaction.

"What?! But how?! How could he let his assistant do that?!" yelled Jacob as both Cole and James looked on in surprise, as it seemed that Jacob was very  _ personally _ hurt by the news.

"Because my adoptive father's not the person we thought he was, Jake..." she muttered under her breath as Tristan leaned over to kiss her cheek.

Making his way back over to the group, Jacob took the receiver in his hands from James, who was helping Cole in talking to Cynthia. "This has to do with  _ her _ doesn't it? Oh I knew she was bad news..." Lowering his voice, he whispered just loud enough for Gwyn to hear. "Permission to speak to you from my private line later?"

"Granted. And yes it has to do with her."

"Thank you. I'll put the others on the line then?" Jacob replied normally.

"Oh I'm alright James... thank you... just... can I speak to Tristan again please?" Cynthia whispered as she stood up while she held her forehead. 

"Please? I want to talk to Cyn...privately," Tristan asked Jacob quietly.

"Sure... Cyn? Tristan wants to talk to you," he turned to tell her, as James and Cole followed her closely as she stood up and made her way towards the telephone again. "Here..."

"Thank you... Tris?" Cynthia whispered, as Jacob walked away silently.

"Yeah Sweetie? I'm so sorry for scaring you yesterday..."

"Are you alright though? I mean... and Gwyn? How is she?"

"Gwyn's feeling a bit guilty, I am as well - though I know I shouldn't but I do... Physically? I guess I'm okay, though last night, the two of us tried to forget everything that happened to us yesterday... It worked for those hours, but I guess everything's starting to hit me..."

"I know... and I can imagine... if you need anything, come over at my place, both of you... whenever you want... and Tris... need anything, call me."

Trying to inject a bit of humor into their otherwise serious conversation, Tristan grinned slightly. "Sure. We would've called you last night... but it was after two in the morning when we finally got out of bed for a bit..."

"You must have been dead exhausted then," Cynthia chuckled, slightly more relieved when she heard him joke. 

Catching the whispered admission, Jacob began to laugh softly. "Those must've been a good couple of hours then, hmm Tris?"

"Jake, I heard that, I'm still here you know..." Gwyn replied as she nuzzled closer to Tristan and placed a series of kisses on Tristan's shoulder.

Looking up at Gwyn, who blushed slightly, he grinned even wider. "Oh those hours were great - considering neither of us remembers taking a break... and I wouldn't say we were  _ exhausted _ Cyn..."

"After God knows how many hours?!" she gasped, as Jacob chuckled by her side.

"Jake," Gwyn whispered back again. "We slept at some point..."

"...Which we don't remember..."

"But we did."

Rubbing her shoulder, Jacob and Cynthia continued to laugh at Tristan's and Gwyn's comments while both Cole and James sat back with a confused look on their faces.

"Cynthia... can I ask you a favour please?" asked Gwyn as she delicately took the receiver from Tristan's hands.

"Yeah, sure... tell me."

"Keep away from Black, Howell... and CEO, even if they call, keep it as cold as possible. And don't stay in your office on your own. While we're away, go to James and Cole's office space please. That way you'd all stick together and at least... we'd know you're safe."

"Even CEO's involved in this?" she blinked back.

"Mmm-hmm, much more than you could ever imagined..." she finished. "But please Cyn, stay safe..."

"I... I will, I promise."

"Ah and Cyn?"

"Mmm?"

"I'll be working from here tomorrow, so you won't be seeing me at work for the coming two weeks... and, if anyone has a problem with that, tell them that AD sent them to Hell with the best of compliments."

"With pleasure!" replied everyone over the other end.

"Good..."

"Remember, not a word of this to anyone else, got it?" came Tristan's stern reply. "And again, just stay the fuck away from them."

"Don't worry, and anyway, other than us, there's not really anyone we can trust," Cynthia replied as Jacob was gesturing in front of her. "What is it Jake?"

"Cyn, tell Jake to phone me up when it's alright for him, I'll be home for a couple of hours maybe before we go out? Can you relay him the message please?" Gwyn asked as she rested her head against Tristan.

"Sure AD," smiled Cynthia as Jacob nodded in agreement.

"Yep and definitely," chuckled Cole as everyone else nodded. "Y'know Kiddo, for a moment there, you sounded like an Assistant Director..."

"That's because he has a good tutor," Gwyn smiled, letting out a giggle.

"That he does and I'll call you in a little while, ma'am," smiled Jacob. "Got the message loud and clear."

"And that's because Cyn has a very loud voic-OWWWW!" yelled James as Cynthia stomped on his foot with her heel.

"...And James has an equally big mouth..." sighed Cole.

"Yeah..." agreed Tristan, Gwyn, and Jacob as the pair in question were bickering.

"Take good care of yourselves, all of you please..." Gwyn told them once more, in almost a plea-like voice.

"We will and both of you, take care as well!" chimed everyone in the room.

Once they said their farewells and hung up the phone, Gwyn wrapped her arms around Tristan as he wiped his eyes. "Are you okay with seeing your boyfriend breaking down like that in front of you? I know you are, but I just need to hear you say that you are... please?"

"Even thought it hurts to see him like that, I don't mind... and my boyfriend can do that as many times he likes as long as I'm by his side when he does..."

"Okay and fair enough. Also, same goes for you too. Got it?"

"Mmm-hmm."

"Well, I think I'm pretty much cried out for this morning, so how about we fix our bedding? Though do you want to fix it while wearing towels or at least partially dressed?"

"Can I grab one of your t-shirts maybe?" she chuckled. "Please?"

"No need to ask babe, you're always free to wear them... though are we still implementing the underwear rule or not?" he grinned mischievously, which was definitely a relief for Gwyn to see.

"We'll I just said t-shirt, so I'll take one of your longer ones, and have my comfy panties on," she winked back at him.

"The red bikini ones and you have a deal," he chuckled back as he stood up from the couch.

"Aww, I said comfy ones, those aren't comfortable," she pouted as she stuck out her tongue at him.

"Fine... are the red hot pants ones comfy? You said they were since they cover up more..."

"Well, they are pants, so they're like mini-shorts in a way... and they do cover up... hey wait a second, you like those?" she chuckled, raising an eyebrow at him.

"I like you in any underwear that you wear, but those are particularly hot - since they leave more to the imagination than the other ones... like your thongs, but I know enough that for a dress, it's not proper to show pantylines, now is it? But the boy shorts... hot pants... whatever, yeah, I do like those more actually..."

"True... but, that's for the bestest of occasions... sincerely... I don't bother that much, you must have noticed that by now. And it's good to know that you like those, at least they're more comfortable  _ and  _ you like them, I cannot ask for more," she grinned.

"Yeah, as they're more fun to take off with my teeth," he smirked as he led them back to their bedroom while avoiding Anne and Jasper once again.

"What? The pants?"

"Mm-hmm, and you know it," Tristan laughed as he found one of his longer blue t-shirts and handed it to Gwyn. "Besides with the thong or the bikini briefs, since when was I patient enough to let you take them off before we started making love, hmm? I usually just moved them off to the side." 

"Never, precisely," she laughed. "And... can we change subject now please?" she told him, letting out a giggle. 

"I love you... and yes we can."

"Love you too and thank you... brat," chuckled Gwyn as she changed out of her towel and robe quickly.

Blowing her a kiss, Tristan re-tightened the towel around his waist as both he and Gwyn began to strip off the bed linens from their bed, laughing as they noticed some of the tears in the sheets caused by Gwyn's nails during the previous night. After continuing to tease one another, the pair made short work of placing the dirty linens on the floor and locating the clean ones in the linen closet outside in the hall. Shoving the dirty linens into the hamper, Tristan managed to move everything with the dirty laundry before Anne spotted him and smiled as she saw that he was feeling better. Sharing a few words, he headed back into the bedroom and helped Gwyn finish replacing the linens before helping her straighten up the room - which caused them to laugh again.

"Told you, the room seems like it was smack in the middle of a hurricane path..." Gwyn commented, stifling yet another laugh.

"Must admit though, it was a pretty wild night... Guess we had a lot of energy to burn up..." Tristan grinned back as he moved the chair back into its proper place. "Still though, it was one of the best nights of my life."

"We needed it...  _ I _ needed it..." she muttered back.

"Same here," he whispered back as he pulled her into his arms. "No regrets?" 

"Not at all," she smiled back, as she gave him a sweet kiss. "And I guess we're done in making the bedroom prim and proper once again."

"Hold on... does the mirror look straight or is it crooked?"

"I don't have a crooked mirror in my bedroom, so..."

Walking over to the mirror with Gwyn, Tristan noticed that the mirror was indeed at a crooked angle. "What exactly did we do to make the mirror crooked? I know we were near the wall... doing our thing... but... were we near the mirror?"

"I don't remember... really. As much as I don't remember getting up from bed anyway... are you superstitious about breaking mirrors by any chance?"

"So... we were so into making love to one another that we don't really recall all of the places we made love...? Huh? I don't really think so... after all, we just broke the supporting hinge to the mirror... so we didn't really break it..."

"Oh my God," she blushed slightly, as she huddled closer to him letting out a giggle in the process.

Laughing, he hugged her tightly as they looked in the mirror together. "Oh my God what?"

"That we don't really recall everything that happened yesterday," she mumbled as she buried her face into his chest. 

"Then that means we had a  _ really good _ night then, didn't we?" smirked Tristan as he let go of her and dropped his towel onto the floor as he headed over to the dresser for his boxers.

"Mmm-hmm," she hummed back as she sat on the edge of their bed. 

"Any colour preference for my boxers?"

"Navy blue," she immediately replied.

"Wow. And she says it with so much confidence," he chuckled as he managed to find a clean pair of navy blue boxers and slipped them on, though he had to fiddle with them slightly. "I swear... I have so many boxers, and yet I keep forgetting to get rid of the pairs that are getting on the small side..."

"They look good from here though," she grinned back, holding her thumb up.

"Yeah but all you can see is my ass, look at the front at then tell me what you think," Tristan replied back as he kept tugging on the front of his shorts. 

"Turn." 

Turning, Tristan faced Gwyn and arched an eyebrow at her as he tried not to tug on his shorts. "So...?"

"Is it comfortable to you? If not, don't worry, change it. It's not like I'm imposing that on you..." she smiled back.

"Oh I'm fine, it's just the fact that it's  _ really _ breezy wearing them... and that even tucking is not helping... and the fact that the moment I wear my jeans, you can already tell just how bi-" he replied as Gwyn tossed a bigger pair of boxers at his head.

"Put the bigger pair then," she laughed. 

"Fine..." Laughing, Tristan slid off the smaller navy blue pair and pulled on the correctly-sized navy blue pair. "How about this... once we find all of the matching furniture, we can go through my boxers and I can give you all of the smaller pairs? They're only small because I've grown out of a lot of pairs..."

"And...? What would I do with them anyway?" 

"You could always wear them, since you're shorter than me...?"

"Only slightly... and... could be an idea." 

"Pffft...'only slightly'... I have like a good five inches on you," he teased gently as he picked her up and set her on top of the dresser.

"No way." 

"Way," he murmured before kissing her sweetly.

"Heels do the trick quite nicely though," she chuckled back, as she rested her forehead against his.

"Mm-hmm... they do. But when we're like this... yeah, it's pretty noticeable. I don't mind though, as when we're laying down... we're about the same height..." he grinned as she slapped his chest playfully.

"Stop it," Gwyn laughed out as Tristan gently let her down on her feet once again. "Get dressed and go have breakfast out?" 

"Yes we shall..." Grinning, he dragged her behind him towards the closet to get dressed.

"How about this shirt, that sweater... and uhm... the dark blue jeans? And a scarf... it's pretty cold this morning." 

"So... white long-sleeved shirt, charcoal grey sweater, dark blue jeans, and the navy blue plaid scarf. Wear my black pea coat as well?" 

"Mmm-hmm." 

"Alright then. And for you... that shirt, this sweater... those jeans... and that scarf."

"I do have these too," she chuckled, showing him a fluffy pair of black earmuffs. "Anne got them for me once but I've never worn them for obvious reasons..."

"Now that's terribly cute," he grinned as he found a gray tweed driving cap for himself with his belongings. 

"Think I should wear them? I suppose they're too girly..." 

"I think you'll be safe for one day being terribly girly. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone that Gwyn Coulston can be a girly girl from time to time."

"Now, tell me, what you  _ really  _ think about them now," she asked him, as she put the earmuffs on.

"I think you look terribly  _ adorable _ now... And I love it," he smiled.

"I'd feel better if it actually snowed now..." she whispered back, while looking at her reflection in the mirror. "Well, they don't look that bad actually, you're right."

"Who knows? We haven't even looked outside since earlier this morning... maybe something happened, weather-wise that is..." 

"It definitely wasn't snowing when I was on the terrace," she continued as she slipped on her jeans. "But it's pretty cold, that's for sure."

"Either way, it's cold enough to actually wear winter clothes, so might as well," he replied back as he ran his belt through his jeans, but proceeded to pull on his shirt - allowing Gwyn to button it for him.

"Which means... we should wear coats," she winked back at him as she finished buttoning up his shirt.

"Yep, we should wear coats. Do you want me to pick out your coat? Oh and thanks for that... guess I'm still not up for buttoning things just yet..."

"Choose whichever you like, I'll finish off getting dressed in the meantime," she nodded as she sat down at the edge of the bed and finished putting on her shirt and sweater.

Pulling on his sweater, Tristan grabbed his pea coat and a pea coat for Gwyn to go along with her white shirt and black sweater. Digging through the closet, he grabbed a pair of black boots for the two of them. "We'll be matching...sort of..." he grinned as he handed her the coat and his favorite boots for her.

"Thank you," Gwyn winked back as she took the items in her hands. "So, jeans in or out of the boots?"

"Jeans in... God those look so good on you..." replied Tristan as he was practically drooling over her appearance.

"What the jeans?" she blinked as she slipped them on, and then proceeded into pulling up the boots.

"The whole package... but the jeans and boots especially."

"You did say once that you'd want your Assistant Director in a leather crop, so subconciously you do have something for... tight things on me," she laughed as she got back on her feet and walked towards the mirror. "And I think that's fine."

"Can you wear said leather crop for my birthday?" Tristan asked hopefully. "My birthday's still about a month away after our holiday..."

"Not really looking forward to something like that, the leathery stuff I mean... no, " she growled, rolling her eyes in distress.

"Fine... your red dress and we can go out to the theatre, since my birthday's in December and all, it'll be all Christmas like and stuff..."

"Perfect from my end," she replied as she started putting on some light make-up. "And we can go out for dinner too."

"Yeah... Hey, maybe it'll snow on my birthday..."

"Wouldn't be surprised," she winked back. "And I'm ready here baby," she told him as she put on her pearl earrings.

"Me too," he winked as he pulled on his coat, combed his hair back, and pulled on his hat. "Oh yeah, that too..." Grabbing his scarf, he draped it simply around his neck. "So I'm pretty now?" 

"My, my, my, how stylish... and pretty too," she grinned proudly as she gazed back at him. "Scarf, coat and bag... think I'll need a cap?"

"Nah, you have the earmuffs... I think that should be enough, don't you?"

"Mmm-hmm... guess so," she muttered as she slipped on her coat.

"Did you want to leave just yet, or did you want to talk to Jakey?"

"I'll go phone him up before we leave then," she smiled back, while walked towards him to place a quick kiss on his lips. "Love you baby..."

"Love you too, Sweetheart," grinned Tristan. "I'll be with Annie and Puppy, okay?"

"Mmm-hmm, alright... I'll be back soon," she replied, as she walked away to her office. Once there, Gwyn immediately sat at her desk and dialled Jacob's direct extension, hoping that he was actually seated at his place at that very moment.

Dropping his bit of doughnut, Jacob picked up his phone as it rang. "Hello? Jacob Richards speaking."

"Come on Jake, answer... uhm, hey... it's me."

"Oh! Um, hi ma'am..." came the sheepish reply. "How's the boy...?"

"Much better now, thank you. How's the situation there?"

"Uh... Cynthia is with Cole right now, they're going over notes for the meeting tomorrow... James and Izzy are reviewing the timetables for upcoming projects... And no sight of Fred, Lara, or Ryan... though I did detect a weird spike earlier this morning 'round ten or so, there was like a heightened vampiric aura near Fred's personal library..." 

"I know... Tris felt that..." she sighed audibly. "And I'm hoping it's just a one-off random event... however if it's not, I'm going to rip the woman to shreds."

"Wait... he  _ felt _ that? How? He's not one of us... And...do you know what the cause of it was?" 

"You know what happened right? Tristan's pretty sensitive to these things, so... let's say she's somehow marked him and he's feeling her  _ extreme  _ emotions..."

"So... the bitch  _ marked _ him as she tried to rape him?! And he can feel her  _ extreme  _ emotions? As for the spike... no, I don't know what happened, I just felt it, but couldn't see it. Grandpa says that not everyone in our family has the Sight, though we all do have the Sense." 

"As much as I hate to think about it... yes, she most probably did. And... Jake, he saw a glimpse of...  _ everything. _ "

"Everything?! What did he see and did you see it too?"

"I haven't seen a thing - he just told me, and got sick after... you can imagine Jake: Howell and two other people, with CEO watching... such an intriguing sight," she spat back.

"Oh Jesus I think I'm gonna be sick..." groaned Jacob. "And they were  _ doing it here _ ?! In the  _ office _ ?! Holy fucking crap has CEO gone off the deep end... I mean... he was  _ getting off _ on watching her...  _ screw _ someone?" 

"Jake, I don't know what the hell's happening and how she actually persuaded him... I don't have the faintest clue... but yes he did. And he even told me... himself. On the phone. And she was there..."

"Well then fuck... I mean, pardon my language... but there is no other way to describe this... And the Lady? Does she know of Fred's infidelity?"

"No she doesn't Jake... and she doesn't need to know. It would probably kill her out of grief."

"Agreed... But still, I can't get over the fact that CEO and  _ Howell _ ?! As well as the fact that Howell marked Tristan... he's an innocent boy, and yet what Fred plans for him and what he's allowing his slut to do to Tris... It's all too much, ma'am..."

"Jake," she replied in a low voice. "What can I do? Kill the man? Kill them all? The temptation is all there... but you know what would happen - Council would try me for insubordination, and probably kill me in return..."

"And all us good guys get screwed in the end... I can't help but feel sorry for the boy... especially since now he can sense Howell's emotions... Though it's also interesting that he can as humans don't feel these things... rather I don't think that most of them are capable of feeling these things..." 

"He's close to me Jake after all..."

"Yes but... he's not one of us... And I doubt you imprinted on him... oh, wait... How do we imprint on humans? With us... it's simply by touch..."

"I might have... I mean... we're far closer than she got with him so," she smiled as she continued talking to him. "Anyway Jake, what did you want to tell me?"

"Oh! Uh... Grandfather's having a little party around when you come back from holiday... and he was wondering if you, Tris, and Anne would like to attend? I believe Neville and Lisa may be attending, but since Lisa's due soon... they may not attend..."

"Maybe... but I think you might as well call just in case it's alright for them... Neville wouldn't mind having a chat with you I suppose. And by the way... Neville knows nothing of this yet."

"About Tris and the slut? No, but Grandfather's already been in contact with Neville and Lisa for the party - he went to the restaurant last night - and they're going to attend so long as they can... And yes, I can't wait to see Neville... haven't seen him in a few months..."

"Yes. Jake listen... if you talk to your grandfather about all this... swear to me that you'll keep it strictly between both of you. Not even Lady Abigail has to know about it."

"No... I won't tell him a thing about Tristan's situation or the thing with Howell... Grandfather's never really been too keen about Fred, so I'll just tell him to mind him when they meet next. And I swear to you that this will remain between us. You have my word, Commander."

"Thank you..." she sighed. "At least you're one of the persons I can trust... within the Clan. And Jake wait... how come Reginald wants to invite Tristan too?"

"I think it's just to formally meet him and thank him for placing me with Cole and James - as I'm really learning a lot from them, Cole especially."

"That's good, we were absolutely certain that you'd get along well with them," she smiled. "Jake, I know what you're thinking about though: Don't try to confront any one of them on your own. And if CEO calls for a meeting, try to decline it. Please."

"I'll be sure to, don't worry. If anything though, the others were right about Cyn and Cole respectively - they are like the mother and father of the group and all of them, including James, is extremely protective of Tristan. So, I'll do my part to keep him safe, not because he's your... Intended I guess? But also, because he's my friend. Learning about yesterday though... that  _ definitely _ shook me to the core..."

"I am too... imagine me talking to him on the phone. Mocking me as that... _ bitch  _ was right in that room..." she growled, shivering slightly as the thoughts came back to her.

"Well either way, you two have a two-week holiday away from here. Probably best to recharge a bit and not think about  _ them. _ As for the others and myself... Permission to take lunches outside of the office as 'research'?"

"Yes, and actually that's better. You must stick together as much as possible while we're away. Anne will be at Neville and Lisa's place so... she'll be alright."

"During the day, correct? I heard Cyn mention that Anne would be staying with her as well..."

"Yes but I don't want the two of them being alone for the night... I'm not really trusting anyone... I can't really track their movements at the moment, my chessboard's all messed up..."

"Your ches... Oh, I see. Will you be notifying Anne and Cynthia of their temporary arrangements? I know that both Cole and James are roommates..."

"I'll talk to Anne this evening, don't worry."

"Ahh. Will that be all?"

"Yes... if you don't have anything else to tell me."

"No, other than have a good day with Tristan. Hopefully you both can help each other to forget?"

"We are already... thanks for your support Jake... it really helps right now..."

"Not a problem, ma'am. And it's the least I can do, you both have been far to kind to me... Also, Alice has managed to make a new friend whom she's very fond of, so not only would I incur your wrath, but hers if something worse were to happen to Tris..."

"Say hi to Alice for me too please... and thank her from my end."

"Not a problem. Have a good day, Commander."

"You too Jake. And it's Gwyn."

"I-um, thank you ma- Gwyn..."

"Take care of yourself and good day," she smiled as she removed the receiver from her ear and placed it back on the telephone set. Closing her eyes for a short while, Gwyn stood back up and made her way out of the office, meeting Tristan face to face as she was opening the door. "Sorry it took me so long..."

"Oh! No-not a problem. I just wanted to check up on you actually, since you seem to be feeling... lighter? Emotionally I mean..."

"Had a long discussion with Jacob on the state of things, and asked him to keep an eye on Cynthia and the guys for us, especially considering how things stand at the moment... oh, and he told me that his grandfather will probably invite us for a little party at his house," she told him as she placed a hand on his cheek.

"Oh yeah? Well that's really kind of Jake... And good that he'll be able to help them out... Anyways, shall we get going? Anne and Jasper are going out for their walk."

"Yes... and I was also telling him that I'd want Cynthia and Anne to stick together as much as possible. Fred knows my connection with Anne too well, and it is well known that Cyn's close to you... so, knowing those three assholes..." she muttered. "I don't want to take any risks while we're away."

"You're gonna have Cyn and Anne stay with Neville and Lisa, right?"

"Yes. And I'm sure Neville won't mind having them, as they could help Lisa if the baby arrives while we're abroad."

"That's true... C'mon, we have some furniture shopping to do, and I for one am anxious to check out the beds... after we eat of course... Anne had to feed me a bit because she was complaining that my stomach was growling too loud..."

"Let's get going then."

-

"So... where exactly are we going for the furniture?" asked Tristan as he took a sip of his hot mulled apple cider.

"I do know a place, it's owned by someone I know, and it's where I got all of my Victorian furniture... well, almost all," she smiled as she finished off her slice of apple pie. "It's not too far from here."

"Mmm, sounds good then. Can I have the rest of your danish... pwease?"

"Go ahead, I had my croissant before after all," she winked back, as she drained the rest of her cinnamon tea.

"Yay!" he cheered before gobbling up the rest of the cheese danish. "So... what shopping do we do first?"

"The furniture one... as we might get it delivered this same afternoon," she grinned back at him. "That would leave us the rest of the morning and early afternoon for any other shopping you have in mind."

"Okay. Then let's get going... maybe the movers can move Cynthia's new bed over to her place?"

"Shouldn't be a problem... and that would actually be a pleasant surprise I suppose."

"Yeah, it would. I have a key to her place, so it should be easy to get in there and surprise her with it..."

"Perfect..."

"So you drive or I drive?" he asked as the waiter took their empty dishes away.

"I'll drive, as I know of a shortcut to get to the place," she winked back at him as she stood up after grabbing her car keys.

"Fine with me..."

"Are you sure?"

"Mm-hmm... Gives me a chance to oogle your legs while you drive..."

"Don't you dare," she laughed out as Tristan got back on his feet too. "You'd seriously distract me."

"Aww... that's no fun then..."

"It's not like you haven't got time for that," she chuckled, as she wrapped his scarf tightly around his neck. 

"I guess... since I was focused on your legs while we were eating breakfast..." he grinned as he nuzzled his nose against her cheek.

"When, now?!" she blinked back at him, surprised.

"I have my stealth oogling skills... That and I was running my foot along your calves while we were sitting down..." 

"Right... that I felt somehow... and I thought you were focused on just the food..."

"I was focused on you  _ and _ the food... Though  _ you _ were garnering more of my attention than the food was, despite it being very good."

"It helped me focus on  _ you _ rather than my thoughts so... yes."

"And do I get a reward then for my good behaviour tonight?"

"We might consider checking out the new bed if you like..." she suggested, raising an eyebrow in amusement.

"Oooh, I wuv you bey much..."

"What was that?" chuckled Gwyn as she locked her arm to his. "We'll be there in a couple of minutes..."

"I said I love you very much?"

"Similar to how a child would?" she asked, curiously.

"Pretty much, and hopefully one of our children would say it like that too one day..."

"Mmmh... if that day'll come... they might..." she mumbled thoughtfully as they arrived at their car.

"Yeah..."

"Let's go fetch that bed now," she winked back at him as she slipped the key in the car's doorlock.

"Whatever you say..." he smirked back as he slipped his hand into her rear pocket and gave her a squeeze before opening the door for her. 

"Hey..." she grinned as she turned to look at him, face to face.

"What?" Tristan asked innocently.

"Oh nothing," she chuckled as she gave him a quick kiss on his cheek and got inside. "Let's just say someone's being naughty..."

"Who me? Nah, I'm totally innocent..."

"Right right," she smiled, as she switched on the car's engine just as Tristan had closed his door.

"Mm-hmm," he smiled back as he leaned over and kissed her deeply. 

"Off we go..."

-

"How about this chest of drawers?" asked Tristan as he studied a highboy dresser.

"Told you this place was full of nice pieces," a very ecstatic Gwyn replied as she gazed at the piece of furniture Tristan had just shown her. "Well... it certainly does look exquisite..."

"Think it'll look nice in the corner where the mirror is? We can move the mirror to be over the lower set of drawers, since we broke one of the supports..."

"Mmm... I think that's quite the good idea, particularly since I like that mirror... don't want to get rid of it to tell you the truth."

"I think it'll look good with the new dresser..."

"That's taken then... so... let's see which of the beds you like most..."

"Sure, but you're better at this than me... so you can pick..."

"Mmm... I've already spotted that one as soon as we got inside," she snickered back, as she held out her arm to point at a bed at the far end of the hall. "I really love the colour of the wood used for that."

"And it goes really well with the dresser... Care to see how the view is?" he smiled as they walked over to the bed and laid down on it.

Chuckling as she rested against one of the posts while crossing her arms on her chest, Gwyn gazed up at the upholstery adorning it and sat down right at the very edge. "And I do love the colour they used for this too..."

"Very much so... Think we can get the same linens for our bed?"

"There's the store at the corner if you like," a male voice interrupted them.

Looking up from where he was lying down on the bed, Tristan cocked his head at the tall, silver-haired man, while Gwyn greeted the man warmly.

"Hi Craig... good to see you," smiled Gwyn as the man took her hands in his and placed a quick kiss on them. "And yes, I had forgotten about that store."

Holding back from growling aloud, Tristan sat up and simply watched Gwyn and Craig talk, silently telling himself that the two were simply good friends, and nothing more...

"So you mean it's mahogany? Oh that's good..." Gwyn nodded as Craig showed her round the bed, with Tristan still seated on it, watching the two.

"Pretty much, and the exquisiteness of this piece of furniture lies in the fact that it's never been used, in spite of the fact that it's almost a hundred years old. Have a look at the style of the posts and the work on the front and the headrest, perfectly mid-nineteeth century. And you're pretty used to those so, it shouldn't come as a surprise, Miss."

"No it didn't... and I like the varnish and the colour and..." she stopped, realising that their conversation had moved so quickly that Gwyn hadn't had the time to introduce Tristan to the man. "Craig... this is... Tristan Faraday."

"Your boyfriend. Pleased to meet you Mr. Faraday, it's my pleasure," he answered with a sincere smile.

"Pleased to meet you, Sir," nodded Tristan as he shook Craig's hand amiably.

"Craig Edwards... but just call me Craig, formalities are right about not necessary. And Miss, you shouldn't be looking that way at me. Definitely obvious that the man is your significant half."

"You're another one of those I can't hide anything from it seems."

"You did come in the store holding each other's hand and... Mr. Faraday almost killed me with his look when I kissed your hand so... I could easily come to that conclusion," he grinned at the two of them. "And Miss, just to let you know, this piece came all the way from a English castle, outskirts of London, and was stored in a spare bedroom that no-one used, hence it's perfect state of conservation. Plus, since it's you, I'll have it delivered to your apartment today and with a special discount."

"Too generous as always. The same day delivery is already extremely generous Craig... but the discount..." Gwyn mused back.

"You're one of the few people that really appreciates these pieces. Customers come in, see something they consider being 'nice' and buy it. You, and a limited few, enter the store appreciating the history behind these little works of art, which I really appreciate. So, certainly not a problem from my end, neither for the delivery nor for the discount. Plus, I know that you'll take care of it," he told the two, turning to smile back at Tristan. "I'm absolutely certain that you've realised how much the Miss loves this kind of furniture by now."

"He does, especially when he had to witness my sheer glee when we went to visit the furniture gallery of that Victorian museum," she smiled as Tristan winked back at her.

"That place does give you a significant overdose of that, but it's not as if I haven't learned to appreciate the history of the time period..."

"And with not just the furniture I presume," Craig grinned back at them.

"You would be correct in that assumption. The museum also allows patrons to try out replica costumes of the time period, as well as enjoy a traditional meal. The gardens were also quite the sight," smiled Tristan as he slipped his hand into Gwyn's.

"I must agree with you, that place is marvelous, and very attent to the littlest nitty-gritty detail of the time period. They've consulted me a couple of times when they got new furniture - just to check its authenticity. Yes, I do have quite the fancy for that place myself."

"Well, apparently, so do we, Craig."

"Excellent. So, seems you're all set for this one? Don't want to see anything else?" he asked, looking back at the two.

"Uh... dunno. Gwyn? Anything in particular you want to see while we're here?"

"I have my mind set on this one Craig, if Tristan agrees," she smiled.

"I do, it looks great and I love the matching dresser... though, do you have an accompanying storage piece? Say like a trunk or something small? It'd be nice to keep a spare quilt in there or something, don't you think?"

"Follow me," Craig told them as he walked away while Gwyn waited for Tristan. 

Taking Gwyn's hand once again, Tristan wrapped his arm around her shoulders as they walked after Craig.

"Gwendalynn, do you like traveling trunks? They've been quite in demand of late and I do have one in splendid condition..." he called back as he walked through the hall with a rather brisk pace.

"They're good storage items... especially in bedrooms... and some of them can be used as coffee tables."

"This can be used as both, trust me. There," he nodded as he pointed out at a particular piece lying in a corner. "Have a look at it."

"Oh... thank you..." Gwyn smiled back at him, as she gave a slight squeeze at Tristan's hand and walked over to check the trunk out. "This sure looks sturdy..." she asked, opening the top lid to check the inside. "Wow, really well manufactured."

"Told you, I think it was conserved in a dry place and so the wood didn't get damaged or anything, especially since these things end up in attics or storage places."

Looking at the trunk with Gwyn, Tristan smiled warmly at her. "I think it'd be great at the foot of the bed. A bit of extra storage wouldn't hurt in the room..."

After closing it, Gwyn sat down right on top and smiled back at the two of them. "So it's the bed, the chest of drawers and this Craig... think you'll manage to bring them over to my place today?"

"No doubt about that... any preferred time?"

"Say at about... four... five o'clock maybe... I do have... another little favour to ask of you if you don't mind."

"Go ahead."

"I'll need you to transport one of the beds I have in my apartment, to a friend of ours place... if you don't mind... say about that time, especially since it should be a surprise for her."

"Oh not a problem... just tell the movers that you need to get that transferred to another apartment and they should be there in no time."

"Really?" Gwyn beamed back at him, smiling widely.

"Of course."

"That's great, thank you!"

"You know you always have top priority on anyone, little Miss."

"Thank you so much, Craig. You're far too kind."

"My pleasure. Anyway, I'm not going to detract more time from you since you'd settled on these three items... I'll go call the movers. And... Miss, mind if you come with me, please?" Craig asked Gwyn, as Tristan looked on. "It's just for the details and addresses Sir, not to worry. Just make yourself comfortable on your bed now."

Chuckling, Tristan grinned. "You make it sound like I need a nap, but in any case, I'll just take a look at the other fine items you have here. I'll see you in a bit Gwyn?"

"Mmm-hmm, shouldn't take long..." she smiled back at him, while placing a kiss on his cheek.

"Okay, see ya," he whispered before kissing her cheek and setting off to explore the store on his own while Gwyn followed Craig to his office.

"It's more than just the address details, isn't it?" whispered Gwyn as Craig closed his office door and rummaged on his desktop to fetch a blank paper and a pen.

"Ahh, you know me too well... after all these decades..." chuckled Craig as he wrote down Gwyn's address without any problems. "Now, I've kept up with the latest news regarding our illustrious Clan, and its enigmatic leader... as well as rumours of Frederick wanting to add to our ranks. Are the rumours true?"

"They are," she muttered as she sat down in front of his desk and took a post-it and a pencil and started scribbling.

"My God... and would Tristan be the boy in question? The  _ human _ boy?"

"How do you know?"

"Reginald tends to have a big mouth, but he never mentioned the human by name. Simply said that you were close to the human child... And as for  _ Frederick _ ... Hmm, I'll bet he's finally given up on his marriage, all the years that I've known him, he's always maintained that 'marriage' of his as a sham..."

"I've already  _ warned _ Jacob, his grandson, about that. I really hope he doesn't blurt out anything with the Council... I don't want to do anything that goes against my wishes," she mumbled. "And what about  _ Frederick _ ? I mean, did everyone know about that except  _ me _ ? I always thought he adored Lady Adel..."

"No, they won't. If there's anything to be said about the Richards, they keep those close to them extremely close. Again, Reginald simply passed on Frederick's plan, but never mentioned names. And as for your adoptive father... He does adore her and love her - to an extent, but he's never been one to settle on having one woman - not in all the years that I've known him. He's repeatedly had affairs with several women over the centuries... but he always comes crawling back to Lady Adel." Sighing, he took a look at the post-it that Gwyn had doodled on and passed over his ledger. "Please write down the address of where you wish for the old bed to be moved too, if you will."

Giving him half a smile, Gwyn promptly took the pen and papers in her hands and jotted down Cynthia's address without any problem. "You know... I think I was the only stupid person in the entire vampire population that thought that Fred was... whatever."

"Oh he's actually hidden his affairs quite well - only those who knew him well know of his tendencies. And pardon my language for saying so, but he's never been too shy in the fact that he loves to stick his dick in any willing hole..." grumbled Craig before giving Gwyn a small smile. "And thank you for this. To keep this between you and me, when I say any  _ hole _ , I mean it, and I'm not simply referring to  _ women _ ..."

"Was I the only one who thought he was a noble leader of his Clan?" she muttered, resting her forehead against his desk.

"No, as most of the entire Clan believe he is of noble standing. Also, he probably wanted to protect you, but since it's rather clear that he's wronged you, I have no problems telling you the truth about him. When we were younger, probably around your age or so, he loved to visit the brothels and have his way with anyone willing - male or female... Again, if they were willing to fuck him, he'd take advantage of that fact..."

"I think I'm feeling nausea coming up again, especially if I think how much I hugged him when I was still a girl..."

"Dear, it's not your fault. You loved him like a father, and he treated you so very much like his very own daughter, but... he did have his private life, though if one knew where to be, you could easily find out about it."

"I don't want to. I think I've heard enough of him."

"Ah, my apologies then. But, should you ever need to rely on my services, you know where to find me. And...I'll have to attend one of the Clan meetings next week, at least I have Reginald and Thomas for company. They're the only ones who don't look down upon humans..."

"No need to apologize, it's not your fault."

"I meant regarding telling you the torrid details regarding Frederick and his 'secret life', but if you say so. Now, shall we calculate the bill?"

"Y-yes please," she shivered slightly as she replied.

Reaching over to pat her hand, both Craig and Gwyn went over the mundane portion of their discussion - calculating and paying the bill. As they continued to work out the figures and while Tristan had decided to nap for a little while as he waited for Gwyn, everything seemed to be at least relatively normal for both Gwyn and Tristan.

-

At the same time Gwyn and Tristan were shopping for their new bedroom furniture, Lara Howell was strolling through the halls of the office. Straightening her skirt slightly, the female vampire smiled widely as she recalled her morning with Ryan Black and another member of the Clan, Timothy Poole in Fred's private library. As enjoyable as the three-way tryst was, she continued to smile as she knew that Frederick Rhule, CEO of New Dawn Securities was completely getting off on watching her having sex with two men at the same time. After both Black and Poole had left, Lara immediately attended to Fred, who had been basically blue-balled at that point. Once he had been relieved, Lara had gone to the bathroom to freshen up and as she walked through the halls, she realized that she was passing Tristan's office.

Noticing that the door had been left ajar, Lara decided to slip into the boy's office. Licking her lips, she shut the door and began to take in her surroundings. Two paintings tastefully covered the walls and right below the paintings was a rather comfortable-looking couch. A coat rack was tucked away in a corner next to a small wardrobe. The lower shelves also had several drawers while the top of the piece had several picture frames. Making her way over to them, she noticed that most of the pictures were that of Tristan with his friends and family - but none with Gwyn. Closing her eyes briefly, she instantly remembered the incident from yesterday. Chuckling to herself, she noticed a picture of a half-naked Tristan who was sitting on his bicycle and wearing a medal around his neck and grinning happily.  _ Mmm, and that completely hard body was almost mine. And speaking of hard...  _ Sliding a hand under her skirt, Lara grazed her lower half as she thought about when she saw  _ all _ of Tristan.  _ Such a crime that Gwyn would keep him all to herself. He's easily bigger than both Fred and Ryan - at least nine or ten inches long... _

Taking a deep breath, the woman stood down at Tristan's desk, making herself comfortable on Tristan's executive chair, crossing her legs while chuckling to herself. Noticing the good number of drawers at the desk and fueled by curiosity, Lara decided to have a quick look, constantly reminding herself that she was doing that for Ryan's sake. After all, that's what he had told her - to keep an eye on the boy as much as possible. Stationary, rough papers, old paperwork, tea-bags, coffee jar and some biscuits was all she could find, which to her tastes were terribly boring and uninteresting. Except for the final drawer. Grinning as she opened it, she realised that Tristan had placed the item she was now proudly holding in her hands on purpose, so as to make whoever was rummaging inside his drawers lose interest in what he or she was doing.

Holding up the picture frame with himself and Gwyn, dressed in what looked like period costumes, Lara suddenly felt a strange feeling running through her spine - something she hadn't felt ever since Ryan Black had turned her into a vampire, even earlier before. Seeing the looks in their eyes, how they held each other in such a loving manner, noticing the smiles on their faces as they rested each others foreheads together, Lara let out a low growl and placed the frame solemnly in front of her on the desktop.  _ That actually... explains her reaction yesterday... they... must... love each other dearly... that woman's so fucking lucky _ ... she said to herself, as jealousy, lust and envy started taking possession of her thoughts. It wasn't fair to her that the  _ princess  _ could get what she wanted while she ended up with whoever came along. Not that she minded fucking her boss... after all, it would be a stepping stone in both the Clan and the company. Apart from the fact that she got a kick each time at the fact that the man was married to one of the most revered ladies in the vampire world.  _ Probably Ryan would feel the same thing if he'd have to... encounter little Miss Coulston... after all. _

Setting the photo face down on the desktop, Lara took a look at the rest of the office. On her right, there was a large bookshelf, one shelf of which contained a record player and several records while the rest of the shelf contained books and binders. Getting up from the chair, she decided to take a look at what records the boy had... as well as realised that she hadn't taken a look through the drawers of the other storage piece.  _ Hmm... Jazz, swing... and classical music. My, aren't you such a knowledgeable and talented boy... Now, let's go see what's in the other drawers... _

Crossing the office to look through the other storage piece, she began to rummage through drawers. Several of the drawers contained files, but the last three of the piece yielded more interesting results.  _ Well well well, extra clothes hmm? So thoughtful too... One of these should make a nice little trophy for myself - oh, what's this? _ Looking through the various piles, Lara found a simple sky blue t-shirt that looked far smaller than the rest of the shirts, but still looked as if it would fit him.  _ Swim team? Does the talented Mr. Faraday also swim... Mmm, yes he does indeed, _ she smirked as she took the shirt in her hands and noticed a picture on the shelf that she didn't notice before - a picture of Tristan in his swim team uniform that had been taken the previous year. And said uniform consisted of nothing but a pair of swimming briefs, which caused Lara to lick her lips hungrily.

Taking the photo with her, Lara made herself comfortable on the floor as she kept the shirt in one hand while studying the photo that was in her other.

_ Really now, according to Fred, his daughter didn't even want to marry, or accept any of the suitors he'd present her with, and here she comes, strutting along, and taking one of the cutest males around the block... fuck you...  _ she growled as she clutched tightly at the shirt.  _ You had your chance, with your brother, with a couple of humans that came along your path... and you declined. You should have continued in that path, little Gwendalynn... Instead, you found this human and made him yours. What if you two would have never met... what if... YOU never existed Coulston... after all, I did feel...  _ something  _ from the boy's end yesterday... something that... oh God... _

_ I need to get you out of my way, Princess. _

Walking past Tristan's office on their way back to Cole and James' office, Jacob's sharp hearing caught some faint noises emanating from Tristan's office.  _ What the... wasn't his office door open and why do I hear... moaning? _ "Hey Cyn?"

"Hey Jake... what's with that face?" she replied, raising an eyebrow at him. 

"Didn't we leave the door to Tristan's office open earlier?"

"Yes, because I placed a couple of documents on his desk."

"Then... why is his door closed?"

"Closed? The window's shut too, so there shouldn't be any draught or something... or wait... don't tell me that there's someone in there..." she muttered under her breath, gaping back at Jacob.

"I think someone might be..." he trailed off as they both walked over to Tristan's door and pressed their ears against the solid wood - both surprised to hear the noises from within.

"What the hell..."

Giving her a confused look, Jacob managed to silently open the door just widely enough for both him and Cynthia to peek through - though what they saw caused the pair to clamp their hands over their mouths immediately. Inside the office, they found a very  _ naked _ Lara Howell bent over on the rug of Tristan's office, something bright blue laying on the floor under her as she held a photo in one hand and was using her other hand to please herself, as she continued to mutter obscenities while calling out Tristan's name lewdly.

"Get out of here..." Cynthia growled in a whisper. "Just get out..."

For his part, Jacob felt his blood start to boil as he could easily see what photo Lara was looking at as she continued to moan loudly.  _ You truly have become obsessed with the boy, haven't you Howell? A simple photo of him and already you're imagining him pleasing you... _ Growling, he kept a hand on her wrist, not realising just how hard he was clutching it.

"Jake let go," Cynthia whispered by his side, in a menacing tone. "So, bitch, what's all this goddamn farce now?! EH? WASN'T IT ENOUGH THAT YOU ALMOST RAPED MY BEST FRIEND YOU... FILTHY... WHAT'S WITH SCREWING YOURSELF IN HIS OFFICE NOW?!"

Letting go of her hand, he leaned in close, trying desperately to keep the anger in his voice to a minimum. "Cyn, we should leave... Watching her isn't going to be doing us any good..."

"Ah no no no, I need her to get the hell out of this place, right now, even if I'd have to drag her out of here myself. Howell, get the hell out of here this instant!" she shouted out, simply furious, while Jacob tried to muffled the sounds of her voice as much as possible.

"No! We can't let her know - she might go after us... I hate to say it, but let her finish... she'll probably leave on her own when she's done..."

"Jake, I can't let her do her thing while she's in Tristan's office, come on, it's insane!" she glared back at him.

Keeping his eyes on Lara, who appeared to be close to climaxing, Jacob shot Cynthia a quick glare. "She's almost done! Just let it play out and we'll sort the mess out afterwards. Please Cyn, if something bad happens to us, they'll never forgive themselves. And you  _ know _ just how badly Tris will take it... Should he even try to go after her, she'll probably finish what she started with him..."

"Fuck... just... what the hell's happening Jake, these people are totally sick!"

"I don't know... but just keep quiet, she's just about done..." he whispered harshly back as Lara screamed loudly as she finished.

"And how can I keep quiet?! We're surrounded by sick people in here or what?!"

Pulling her close, Jacob hugged her tightly as Cynthia rested her head on his shoulder as while Lara began to clean herself up, using the piece of blue cloth to wipe herself off. "Shh, shh... We'll be safe, don't worry..."

"I don't care, I just want Tris and Gwyn safe from these monsters..."

"Me too Sweetheart, me too..." whispered Jacob as they continued to hold onto each other tightly.

"Thank you... I probably would have killed her if it weren't for you. This is just too much..."

"Oh believe me, I'd probably go after her too if it weren't for you. But let's get out of sight for a bit - she's headed our way..."

"Can't we make her trip on the fitted carpet? Something in the middle of the corridor? Push her down the stairs?"

"No ma'am, we can't," chuckled Jacob as he gently helped her up as the pair hid while Lara strolled by, the blue cloth held firmly in her hand, which caused Cynthia to instantly remember what Lara was clutching.

"Jake, if you weren't holding my wrist, I think I would have ripped that woman to shreds right about now... she did her... stuff... on a shirt I gave Tris myself some years ago... and now she's taken that away... what the," she screamed as Jacob immediately placed a hand on her mouth to muffle the sound as much as possible.

"Shh, just let it go... Please Cyn?"

Taking a deep breath in, Cynthia simply nodded and failed to utter another word as she tried to calm down while the other woman walked away.

Noting the satisfied smirk on her face as she walked away, Jacob waited until Lara was out of sight before pulling Cynthia with him as they entered the office, wrinkling his nose at the smell in the room.

"Jake, do me a favor, open the blessed window before I throw up, please."

"Right..." Letting go of Cynthia, Jacob opened the window and smiled as the brisk fall breeze blew into his face. Turning around, he tried to keep his vampiric senses in check as he began to examine the carpet, noticing that it was dry and sighed. "At least she had the foresight to not drip on the floor..."

"Ugh... stop it," Cynthia growled in return as she started properly closing the various drawers. "I seriously need to get the stupid image out of my head now... any suggestions?"

"Suggestions for what?"

"To remove that from my memory Jake."

"I'd kiss you, but you'd probably kill me?"

"Yes I would, the only things acceptable would be a hug and a kiss on the cheek."

Giving her a warm smile, he hugged her tightly and gave her a kiss on the cheek, blushing brightly as she kissed his cheek back. "A bit better? And no doubt for Tristan and Gwyn, they probably had a really wild night last night... I mean, nine hours is a long time..."

"You're blushing... and it quite suits you actually," she winked back at him, chuckling. "And yeah, nine hours is  _ hysterical _ , but Tristan most probably fell asleep at some point in time and doesn't remember that he did. But, joking apart, they must have needed each other desperately..."

"Definitely... Hey Cyn, can I ask you a personal question? You don't have to answer if you don't want to..."

"What is it?"

"Were you and Tristan... you know... _ intimate _ with one another? Like in a relationship?"

"We dated, for a short while... but it didn't work... especially when we... well, when we got intimate in the way you're referring to Jake. It just... wasn't right. So we thought of being best friends with one another for the rest of our life, and I must say it works that way," she grinned.

"That's good... but do you ever find yourself... dunno... jealous of his and Gwyn's relationship?"

"No," she replied, giving him a sincere smile. "I'm fine with what I have right now... and... like I always say, I've never seen him as happy as he is with her, even when they're just holding each other's hand. There's a sparkle in his eyes that for the years I've known him, I've never encountered... really. So, I'm pretty fond of both of them and can't wait to see them married and with a couple of kids I can spoil off like crazy," she finished. "Our relationship is special now, Jacob... Kind of weird to explain if you never had one."

"I think I know what you mean... I've been pretty close to Gwyn my entire life - she's like a big sister to me and she's great friends with my older sister, Alice. Those two love teasing each other, but it's always been out of fun. I think I had a bit of a crush on her when I was younger, but now, I'm glad she has Tristan in her life..."

"Crush? Really?" she replied, with a mischievous look in her eyes. 

"Wait wait... I  _ thought  _ it was a crush... but it was actually... adoration so to speak, and I still think she's one of the most beautiful women I've ever seen, plus, she's a great manager, and... just like you said about Tristan, I've never seen her this happy either. We've always thought of her as the serious Com-" he halted as he noticed Cynthia's weird look. "Serious Comanding Officer... oh come on Cyn, imagine... AD in an army, she'd make an awesome General if she had to."

"Don't say that to Tristan or he might start getting weird ideas... but I think you're right. And you have a sister?"

"Yep! My big sis! First woman ever to royally kick Ryan Black's stinking arse," he beamed proudly.

"No, you're kidding..." chuckled Cynthia. "Oh my God she must be really something."

"That she is! She's awesome!"

"You're sounding like a fanboy Jake."

"I... uhm... sorry..."

"For what? That was cute!"

"Cute?!" he blushed as he gladly noticed that Cynthia had calmed down and was back to her usual self.

"Yes Jake, cute. And it suits you," grinned Cynthia as she looked at the picture of Tristan and Gwyn. "Also cute tends to suit Tris as well, though he can go from adorably cute to dangerously sexy in about five seconds. But in this photo, this is how I'll always remember him, hopelessly devoted and in love with Gwyn."

"Oh? Let me see, please?"

"Sure. Here," Cynthia continued to grin as she handed the picture frame over to Jacob, who began to smile warmly as he studied the photo.

"They make such a beautiful couple, don't they? Especially with these clothes... He was meant to be her Knight, wasn't he?"

"And then some, as she affectionately calls him her 'Prince'... though I think she thinks of him as her King, but she probably won't call him that regularly until they're married."

"How fitting... Well, are we about done here? Cole might start worrying about us..."

"Agreed, and knowing him, he's probably pacing around the room already. That's what's always made him such a great big brother..."

Smiling at each other, the pair finished cleaning up Tristan's office and left, both deciding to make sure that the office cleaners gave the room a good cleaning as well as leave a few presents for Tristan when he got back from his much-needed and well deserved vacation with an equally deserving Gwyn.

-

Once her business with Craig was concluded, Gwyn set about looking for her wayward boyfriend while Craig was talking to his delivery staff. Looking around the store, she finally located the boy, peacefully napping on a bed meant for a small child. Noticing that someone had taken the time to cover him up with a warm quilt, she chuckled as she sat on the bed and stroked his now-exposed hair, as his hat had fallen onto the pillows. Leaning down, she gently kissed the corner of his mouth and smiled warmly as she watched him fuss slightly as he began to wake slowly.

"Have a good rest baby?"

"Mm-hmm... Is everything all taken care of?" came the sleepy query from Tristan.

"All taken care of. Craig's also arranged for us to have the same bed linens as we saw earlier - he called the owner of the store and ordered the exact set for us. Ready to go? I think we still have some shopping to do for our trip, right?"

"Yeah," he replied with a yawn as Gwyn helped him sit up and placed his cap over his mussed hair.

As Tristan continued to get himself situated, Gwyn began to busy herself with folding the quilt that had covered Tristan, but was stopped by Craig, as he had reappeared. "Ah, so there you two are! The movers have already left for your place Gwyn, and never mind with the quilt - it's yours to keep."

Sharing a look with one another, Tristan reached out and warmly shook Craig's hand. "Sir! I-this is really unexpected..." 

"It's no big deal... let's just say that the quilt will be a token for your custom, you've already bought quite the lot from us today. Plus, I barely ever see you Gwyn around here these days so... consider that as a present from my end," Craig told them grinning as he gazed at the children's bed. "You might come back here when the time will be due..."

"Due for what?" asked Tristan, still rather sleepy. 

"You'll see in time to come," Craig finished off his comment in a rather enigmatic way, winking back at Gwyn.

"How about the movers? How will they get things done if we're not there?"

"Just called Anne, Tris. There will be her and Jasper so she'll know that the movers should be arriving at the apartment and she should have everything done for getting the bed for Cynthia out too. Plus, she insisted that we should have some more time for the two of us... I know, I didn't accept that at first, but... she insisted and had to accept," chuckled Gwyn. "Plus, she wanted us to stay out for a little longer..."

"Not that I mind staying out more, but, you're sure about Anne?"

"Yes yes, knowing her, she'd actually prefer having all the house for herself to get things on schedule... and yes, she's just like me when it comes to these things."

"No doubt about it," grinned Tristan as he got up from bed and straightened his cap again.

"So, you two leaving?" Craig asked as he smiled back at the two. 

"Yes Craig, as we still have some shopping to do... we'll be leaving for a holiday this weekend," Gwyn smiled radiantly as the older man chuckled.

"Holiday? That's great! I mean, you probably need a break from everything more than I do... make sure to enjoy it and forget about everything, both of you."

"We will, trust me," Gwyn smiled in return as Tristan gave a slight squeeze to her hand. "And... thanks again Craig, all of this was much appreciated."

"Thanks to you too... it's been an honour. And, do contact me if you need anything Gwendalynn... you know what I mean."

"Yes I will... thank you and have a nice day."

"You too... and enjoy your trip."

"We'll be sure to do so Sir," grinned Tristan as he shook Craig's hand once again before straightening Gwyn's scarf and offering his arm, which she took warmly.

Giving Craig one final wave, the pair has made their way out of the store, carrying their new quilt, before heading off to their next destination.

Upon arriving at their car, Gwyn placed the quilt in the back seat before both she and Tristan climbed into the car. Once they got settled, Gwyn drove them to another one of her favorite stores in the area.

"Where are we off to now?" asked Tristan as they drove past a part of the city he had not really explored on his own before. "Huh... never been around this part of town before..."

"Weird... so you've never been to that mall before?" she told him, pointing out at a huge building not too far from where Gwyn was parking the car. "They've got everything, from clothes, to homeware to... food," she chuckled.

"Food is good and nope... Most of my clothes are from the stores near my apartment. I have no car, remember?" he grinned.

"Yeah that's true... but, I think, you'll like this place... it's functional, has almost everything you'd need in one place and... I do quite like it myself," she winked back at him, switching off the car.

"Huh, okay. I'll take your word for it." Leaning over, he gave her a quick kiss before climbing out of the car.

"Well, that was quick... you didn't even give me time to respond," she chuckled as she locked her door as Tristan walked to her side.

"You can respond now if you like."

Pinning him slightly against the car, Gwyn wrapped her arms around Tristan's waist and gave him a warm, lingering kiss.

"Probably a good thing I let you respond out here than in the car, since that was  _ far more sexy _ ," he whispered before holding her tightly.

"Well... happens rarely... but I can be sexy myself too," she laughed as she kissed his shoulder.

"Oh I know you can..." 

Smiling brightly, Gwyn took Tristan's right hand tightly in her left and dragged him away playfully to start making their way towards the mall. "So... who's going to start the treating first today?"

"Me. Since you were asking about a hat, I'll find one for you... and maybe a few more trinkets that'll fit right in while we're on vacation," he grinned as they walked together. 

"Depends what you mean by trinkets," she chuckled, as she held his hand close.

"My idea of trinkets is not mutually the same as your idea of trinkets dear, you'll see."

"I'll leave that to you then," she just smiled back, letting him lead the pace as they walked past the entrance. 

"Good," he replied as he found a store to his liking and immediately spotted a female version of his cap. "How about this?"

"Mmm... I'd have to try that out though..." she replied, gazing back at the shop window. "Think we should go inside?"

"We should."

"Maybe I'll find something you like too in there," Gwyn winked back as they walked inside to try the cap out.

"You might," he grinned back as he made his way over to where the hat was.

"What do you think?" she asked him as she walked towards him and placed her chin on his shoulder.

"I personally love it, go check it out in the mirror if you want," he whispered before turning and kissing her cheek.

Following his advice, Gwyn took the cap in her hands and walked briskly towards the large mirror in the store, slipping the item on her head to check it out. Chuckling as she wasn't used to wearing hats, caps or the sort of late - she used to wear hats pretty often when she was young since they were much in fashion - Gwyn merely turned towards Tristan for advice and smiled when she saw the grin on his lips.

"Yep... looking pretty sexy right now... I like it a lot..."

"Really... mmh..."

"Really."

"I'll buy it if you like it that much then," she smiled as she let out a giggle. "Well... it really does look good actually."

"Correction,  _ I'll _ buy it for you," he grinned as he plucked the hat off of her head. I have a few more things in mind, but for that, we need a candy store..."

"Candy store?" she blinked back at him, raising an eyebrow curiously.

"Mm-hmm, candy store," he replied as he paid for the hat and handed it back to her. 

"Oh this is getting interesting," she replied as they walked out of the store together.

Grinning, the pair kept walking until Tristan found exactly what he was looking for, a bright and colorful candy shop. Opening the door for Gwyn, he followed quickly and smiled as he found what he was looking for - a candy necklace and some candy rings. "I may not be able to marry you just yet, but... I think these can do for now. What do you say? Will you still play house with me?" asked Tristan as he held out a candy ring to Gwyn. 

Holding out her left hand to him, Gwyn let out a giggle and laughed back in return. "I do accept... and, let's just say that this is... the preliminary of preliminaries... apart from the fact that this is one of your most original ideas ever."

"Why thank you," he laughed as he slid the candy ring onto her left ring finger and kissing her gently, making the salespeople chuckle and smile as well, which made Gwyn blush slightly when she heard them.

"Welcome..." she whispered back softly.

"And... should we get some chocolate covered strawberries for dessert?"

"Those would be very much appreciated... or else... we'd just have to get fresh strawberries and some chocolate good for melting... we'd just have to warm the chocolate in a large bowl and just dip the strawberries before we eat them, what do you think?"

"Well, what's more fun for you? Making them or just getting them pre-made?"

"Making them. Plus, we can bring the bowls on the new bed tonight in celebration of the new room," she chuckled.

"Perfect. So let's buy the chocolate here...and some caramels? We can dip those too..."

"How about marshmallows?"

"Sounds good too."

"And shortcake biscuits," she continued, making Tristan smile. "Oh, we should get fresh cherries too."

"Shall we just make an entire dessert tray for us to dip? Might as well make a chocolate fondue at this rate," he grinned wider.

"Could be an idea actually..."

"Fondue for dessert then. How about dinner to go with that?"

"We might grab something for take away, even though I have the suspicion that Anne is going to prepare something for us, so I'd keep light, trust me."

"Snack at Neville's? Wouldn't mind checking on Lisa too..."

Nodding, Gwyn immediately agreed to taking a quick detour to Neville's place, since after the discussion of the current matters with Craig at the antiques' store, she started feeling the urge of telling the story to whoever was close to herself and Tristan, as that would also serve as a warning sign against all of the people involved.

"Hi, I'd like a pound of the bittersweet chocolate, half a pound of caramels, half a pound of marshmallows, and... I'd also like to pay for this candy necklace and six candy rings - one of which is being worn at the moment, please."

"Don't bother about the rings sir... you can take those for free. Consider them on the house," the store owner replied, with a gentle smile.

"Oh-thank you," blushed Tristan as he handed the money over for the other candies he was buying.

"Not a problem son. You both take care now," smiled the older man as a young woman handed the bags of candies over to Tristan.

"We will, and thank you again!"

"Think we'll manage to arrive to this?" Gwyn mumbled as she pulled Tristan closer to her as they locked each other's arms.

Taking her left hand in his, he kissed her hand gently before giving the candy a lick. "Yes. Maybe not now, or even during our holiday... but I'll guarantee this - you and I will be married before your birthday, which I know is July thirty-first... Count on that."

Stopping in her steps, Gwyn looked up at him, gasping for breath. "W-what... really, I... you mean that?"

"Mm-hmm... I mean it. I don't know why, but something's telling me that we will..."

"I hope so too," she replied in a whisper, placing a quick kiss on his nose.

"Yeah, me too. Oh and I'll probably propose in a way that makes sense to the both of us," he chuckled.

"Oh come on, the candy ring has quite the originality attached to it," she replied, letting out a giggle.

"Trust me on this one too... my real proposal will easily top this one," Tristan grinned as he hugged her close.

"I've always trusted you..."

"And I trust you. So, can I go pick out a pretty bikini for you? Pwease?"

"Mmm... yes, but without it being too revealing or something and... Tris..." she chuckled as she noticed the mischievous grin on his lips.

"...Yes?"

"Not what you have in mind please... don't want an entire beach to stare..."

"Who said we're going to a public beach?" he continued to smirk mischievously.

"That's beyond the point," she blushed slightly.

"I was thinking black with white polka dots..."

"How about a full swimsuit?" she suggested as they entered the store in question.

"Red bikini and I'll get you a matching sarong so you can wrap it around your waist, deal?"

"That's better... and... we can get both if you like, even the black one with dots."

"Yes!"

"Let's see if we find what you like..."

"Oh believe me... anything looks good on you..."

"Flatterer," she chuckled as she started looking at the different racks with swimsuits. Noticing that Tristan was eyeing the lingerie section from time to time, Gwyn let out a giggle and continued rummaging through the different pieces.

"Can I pick out something for you to wear for bed while we're on holiday too...?"

"As long as it's not too skimpy... just, keep it comfy, please," she smiled.

"I know, don't worry. I spotted the perfect thing for you - matching panties too..." he grinned before walking off towards the lingerie racks.

"Mmm, if that is a challenge..." she grinned back as she chose a couple of bikini swimsuits and then turned her attention to the men's section.

Not hearing Gwyn's last comment, Tristan wandered around the lingerie section. After shuddering at a few pieces that seemed to remind him of Lara, he located things that seemed to fit both Gwyn and Cynthia's tastes. After being around her for so many months, he easily found her size in a few items that he seemed to like before wandering back over to where the swimsuits were. Locating a red and orange sarong, he grabbed that as well as a simple white one with a purple pattern. Pleased with his finds, he easily located Gwyn and walked over to her. "So, do these pass muster?"

"You'll have to sneak with me in the changing room while I try them on..." she chuckled, sticking out her tongue at him playfully. "But with your eyes closed of course."

"Aww... really?" he playfully whined as he closed his eyes.

Dragging Tristan inside the changing room, to the amusement of the changing room attendant, Gwyn placed her bags to the side and rested the items Tristan had got for her on the little stool found at the side. As she started removing her clothes, she thought of the items she had gotten for him and smiled. "You can try out those if you want... I won't look either till you're done."

"So, does that mean I have permission to open my eyes now?"

"Yes you can since I'm still in my clothes."

Opening his eyes, he located the items and laughed as he picked up a pair of swimming briefs. "You know I do have a pair of these, right?"

"An extra pair won't do any harm," she smiled as she slipped off her jeans and quickly took off her underwear to grab one of the bikinis chosen by Tristan. "Especially since someone will start showing off his extreme swimming skills once we're there..." she teased back.

Laughing, he stripped off his pants and boxers before easily pulling on the briefs and removing the rest of his clothes, though making sure that his back was to her the entire time as they changed. "What extreme swimming skills? I just have skills..."

"Honey, can I tease you myself once in a while?"

"Yes, you may... And... can I look now?"

"Mmm-hmm... and be honest about it."

Turning around, Tristan began to smile mischievously as he leaned over and kissed her soundly.

"So...?"

"I think I said everything in that kiss, but if you want to know what I said, it's 'you look perfect,'."

"It's not too revealing or anything..." she muttered as she had another good look at her reflection in the mirror.

"See, you need to trust my taste more," he grinned. "And how about me? Everything up to your high standards?"

"Yes, but only to  _ my  _ standards... that will have to wait till when we're in the secluded beach you talked about," she nodded. "Would make a lot of heads turn and I won't be in the mood of death-glaring everyone who does that."

"Fair enough. So should I try on the regular swim trunks then?"

"Yes baby, the briefs will have to wait till it's just you and me."

"Whatever you say." Kissing her cheek one more time, he turned around and began to try on a pair of swim trunks.

"Dark purple Tris?" she asked as she took off the red set and put on the next one. "Alright... I'm within average when it comes to...  _ assets _ , but this... makes it seem..." she chuckled, stifling a laugh as she looked at her reflection. "Two-fold the size."

"Hmm... then we'll have to save that one for the secluded beach then. The red one is just perfect on you but this one... Yeah, I don't particularly want to be glaring at everyone..." he grinned as he modeled off the swim trunks. "And these?"

"Those are just right... and... strange you didn't put forward any comment on mine though," she laughed. "What do you think, should we get them?"

"Well... if you want to know what I'm really thinking about the purple suit... Let's say that this would not be the  _ appropriate place _ for me to express my opinion," he grinned mischievously. "Also thanks and yes, we should. Aww, you found the polka dot one - I'm sure it'll be cute on you."

"Right," she blushed as she turned to give him her back again. "So we're getting all the items we tried out... now let's try the polka dots..."

"Ah ah, I'll be getting all your stuff - which also includes the lingerie. It's black so no worries about that."

"If it's the same size of the bikini, then I don't even have to try them out... I'll just have a look at them."

“But... but... but... I wanna see you wear them..." came the whine.

"We'll see about those," she laughed as she quickly slipped on the final set of bikini. "So... what about this... it's kind of... fun."

"Told you it'd look cute. I quite like it a lot - so you will so be getting all three bikinis while I get my trunks and briefs.  _ Now _ can you try on what I picked for you?"

"Oh alright, no need for the puppy eyes," she chuckled. "Just turn honey, I'll change in a minute."

"'Kay," smiled Tristan as he turned around. 

Checking out what Tristan had picked out, Gwyn smiled softly as she realised that he went for the comfortable yet rather sensual pieces that he used to love on her - all of them in black lace. "Honey... did you get a babydoll by mistake?" she laughed as she saw the item at the bottom of the pile when she was changed in the first set. "And I'm ready if you want to turn."

"Nope, I meant to pick that out... And oh my God you look gorgeous..."

"You know my tastes by now, don't you?"

"Mm-hmm..." he nodded slowly.

"Tris, you're gaping back at me," she laughed out.

"I am aware of this fact..."

"And..."

"Do you have any idea how much I want to take all of that off you right now...?"

"Turn," she grinned, letting out a giggle. 

Grumbling slightly, Tristan turned back around. "Not fun..."

"You'll get enough of me in these eventually," she chuckled as she put on the other set. "Tristan Faraday, turn now."

Turning, Tristan smiled. "Somehow I doubt I'll ever get enough of you and told you the babydoll was intentional. It's both cute and sexy... though I think it's the panties that help. Hot pants are so much better than thongs anyway..."

"I told you," she winked back at him, strangely making him blush which made her smile in return. "And I'll be sure to bring this with us... anything else?"

"I need some lightweight pants... but that's easy enough," he replied while still blushing slightly. "But first... we need to get changed..."

"Tris? You're getting these for me too?" she asked, holding out other two or three sets.

"Yep. It's not a problem, afterall, I said I'd get you a few trinkets today," winked Tristan as he removed the swim trunks and pulled on his boxers. 

"We're off for a clothes' store then now?" asked Gwyn as she pulled on her jeans, boots, followed by the rest of her clothes.

"Yes, that's the plan," Tristan replied as he finished pulling on the rest of his clothes and gathered all of the items they tried on. "Take your time, I'll go pay for these."

"You sure?"

"Yes Sweetheart..." came the amused reply.

"I'll finish up then..."

"Good." Carefully opening the door, Tristan made his way over to the cash register and proceeded to pay for the clothes as Gwyn continued to finish getting dressed. Greeted by a rather joyful salesgirl at the cashpoint, Tristan immediately thought that this was going to be another encounter with a free commentary of the items he had just bought which would have led the salesgirl eagerly asking him whether those were for his girlfriend, what they were for and so forth. However, to his relief, the cashier merely nodded and smiled at him, neatly wrapping each of the items in what looked like crêpe paper but was significantly thinner, and then in a large gift bag.

"Thank you Sir," the girl answered handing him the bag and his change.

"Thank you and have a good day as well," smiled Tristan as he took the bag and change.

"You too... and, seems you caught up m'am," she smiled as Gwyn arrived at the cash point with a small box in her hand and a mischievous grin on her lips.

"Apparently you found something to your liking," chuckled Tristan.

"More to yours than mine, but won't tell you what it is for now, it'll be a little surprise," she winked back, handing over the box to the cashier who immediately wrapped the box as Gwyn handed her a cheque.

"Fair enough."

"Thank you," Gwyn smiled as the cashier handed her the bag. "So... off for some clothes shopping then... thanks and good day."

"To both of you, enjoy."

"Shouldn't take too long... I'm getting hungry actually..."

"We just need to get the necessaries... then off to Neville's, plan?"

"Yeah. So pants for me and... sun dress for you?"

"Mmm-hmm... and maybe a hat too."

"Sure, we can go look for that too."

Heading off to the final store, the pair found what they were looking for quite easily and were in and out of the store in a matter of minutes. As Tristan carried the bigger bags while Gwyn carried the candies, they continued to laugh and smile as they made their way to their car. Tossing everything in the backseat, Gwyn drove them over to Neville's place, chuckling every time she heard Tristan's stomach gurgle in rebellion.

"I swear it has a mind of its own..."

"I don't mind that... means you're hungry," she smiled as she parked the car just a few metres away from Neville's place.

"Well yours is starting to growl a bit too, so guess we're both really hungry..."

"You heard that?"

"Yep, sure did."

"Let's go inside then," she winked back at him as she climbed out of the car and locked the doors. Taking Tristan's hand in hers, the two walked up the couple of steps in front of Neville's place and rang the bell, waiting for a response from either of one of them. Looking around as they waited, Gwyn spotted a car parked at a distance from hers that seemed vaguely familiar but to which she couldn't attribute an owner. 

"Gwyn? Tris? Shouldn't you two be at work?" teased Neville as he ushered them inside.

"Emergency leave Nev?" Gwyn replied as they both of them got inside.

"Hmm... I'd like to believe that, but I'll say that you two are just playing hooky from work... and that's fine with me. Oh and you're just in time to entertain my other guest right now."

"Huh? Who?"

"I'd prefer if we really were playing hooky, Nev. But the story's more complicated than what it seems..." she replied, giving him a strange look. "And what about the guest?"

"Alice!" smiled Tristan as he spotted the familiar blonde woman sipping a drink at the bar.

"Richards? Really now," she grinned as she took off her coat. "This is quite the unexpected reunion today..."

Studying the three in front of him, Tristan began to feel the same tingling feeling he felt around Gwyn when they were alone or when he was working out with Alice. Noting their similar pallor, blonde hair, and clear eyes - though Gwyn's were a more reddish-brown color to the other pairs' blue - he felt safe and warm with them around. "Neville? Where's Lisa?"

"Next to the fireplace reading... she felt a bit tired this morning so I ordered her to stay away from the kitchen for today, I have my staff after all. You can go talk to her if you like, she'd love that."

"Hey kid, no greetings today?" chuckled Alice, with a glass of what looked like whiskey in her hand.

"Just waiting for the right moment," he grinned as he made his way over to her and was immediately pulled into a warm hug. "Everything okay with Rhys?"

"Yeah, was telling Neville that he just told me yesterday that he's going to come over for a year now... and I can't wait dammit! He'll have a temporary office here for the time being so... I should be calmer, technically."

"Alice Richards, calmer, that would mean the end of the world is coming," muttered Gwyn as she joined their conversation. "Nice to see you again Alice, it's been a while."

"Yeah we haven't quarrelled for a long time, I've missed that!"

"That's really touching you know."

"Probably a good thing, as I doubt the punching bag was going to keep up with you beating the crap outta it..." he laughed before reaching out to Gwyn. “And this, as you know, is Gwyn."

"Oh don't worry, we know each other far too well than you could ever imagine Tristan," Alice nodded as she moved over to hug Gwyn. "Haven't seen my youngest sister for a while... and with such a smile either... my, my, time makes people change so much."

"Sister?"

"We're not really sisters, but... we grew up calling each other that way... especially since she's the eldest," replied Gwyn with a wicked grin.

"Old?!"

"You're older than me, than Nev and than Jacob, hence, you're old," Gwyn insisted, teasing her in the process.

"Just the same as always you two," chuckled Neville as he turned to look at Tristan. "Bear with them Tris, it's their way to greet each other after a long time."

Smiling, he nodded. "No problem. Well, I'll leave you guys to catch up - I'll check on Lisa for a bit. See ya!"

Observing Tristan walk away, Gwyn turned her look first on Alice, then on Neville who glared back at her. "What?"

"Something happened right?"

"I'll tell you everything after a good glass of straight whiskey..." nodded Gwyn as Neville shook his head in response. 

"That bad huh? Well, one whiskey... after that, you're sticking to irish coffee, got it?" tutted Neville.

"You're denying me alcohol now? Really Nev, you're babying me far worse than my fa... whatever," she replied. "It's alright, irish coffee will do."

"Why do I have the suspicion that loveable good ol' Freddy's involved with all this  _ happening _ ?" mused Alice, as she took another sip off her drink.

"Not so much as babying you - but rather I'd hate for the kid to see you like this..."

"He's already seen much worse than that... you can't even imagine."

"Hooo boy... I'm giving you a triple and that's it, alright? After that, I'll give you something else..."

"Told you already that the irish coffee will be fine, so can I have that drink now Nev, please?"

"Yes you may," sighed Neville as he poured some whiskey for Gwyn, as well as started work on making her an irish coffee. "Don't say I didn't give you what you wanted..."

"Never meant to say that Nev," she replied as she took the glass in her hand and stared at its honey-coloured content.

"Now that you have your drink at hand Gwyn, will you bloody tell us what's bothering you?" Alice glared back at her.

"Easy Ally... And I only gave you that because you really looked like you needed it, since I know the coffee will probably relax you..."

"Mmh..." Gwyn sighed in return, taking the first sip from her drink. 

"There's the boy involved in all this, isn't he? What's wrong?"

"No! Well... yes... sort of," she stuttered as a reply. "Till what part of the story are you updated in?"

"That Freddy wants to create an army of vampire-humans?" Alice snickered, earning a grimace from Gwyn's end. "I'm joking, I'm joking... till the part where Fred's given you the order to turn  _ him  _ into one of us, nothing more."

Pouring himself a bit of gin, Neville took a drink. "Not exactly... he simply wants to enslave the humans. Only ones he deems worthy will he turn. Everyone else, either dinner or slaves. And that leads us to the boy... Fred sees him as perfect - Tristan's young, talented, brilliant, and no doubt handsome... meaning he's perfect to be Gwyn's mate. Turning the boy, plus making sure that both he and Gwyn get busy in creating heirs... he's ensuring that he'll remain head of the Clan for forever really..." Draining his glass, he slammed it on the bar. "But that's only part of his reason... Fred thinks that Tristan's a Destined One..."

"Wait wait wait... Destined what? Oh you've got to be kidding me!" growled Alice in response, her eyes turning to a slight red as she heard the very first part of the story

"Don't worry, I'm against that order. Destined One or not, I won't be complying to his request."

"Therein lies the problem... Tristan's already demonstrated his abilities... Whether he knows what he's doing or not... Fred knows. He's already connected to you Gwyn... He feels what you feel. That unto itself is not common - not with humans and certainly not with us.. Are there any other abilities he has that we don't know about?"

"I think he might be able to see future events, but... I'm not too sure of that. However, past ones I'm certain about, he's actually painted me years ago... when he didn't have the faintest idea who I actually was," she muttered, while resting her head on the bar bench.

"No wonder... He has Future Sight... And I'm sure he's far stronger than we realize... He was always meant to be one of us... but never has been. Gwyn... He's in the books - Tristan is your Destined One, he was always meant to be yours..." Neville replied quietly and in awe. "We have to protect him. Whatever it takes, he needs to be protected."

"I know... but. There's not just Fred to worry about," she muttered, taking another sip from her whiskey.

"Wait... Talk to us Gwyn... What's happened to Tristan?" 

"There's Ryan Black to worry about... and... Fred's PA..."

"His PA? Lara Howell? What about her?" 

"Have you felt a newborn aura of late? A female newborn aura?"

"New... born?"

"Jacob never mentioned that the Council wanted to turn anyone of late... heck no, they did it without the Council's consent..." mumbled Alice as she tried to figure out who it could be. "Hold on... you don't mean that Fred's assistant is a vampire now?"

"You're not serious... are you? Howell? One of  _ us _ ? By who's authority? The Council never allows for unauthorized persons to become one of us..."

"Oh, by His Royal Highness' Ryan Black's authority... and with Frederick's blessing of course," she scowled, snickering bitterly. "The Council  _ may _ not be aware of this... but Fred certainly is." 

"Oh Jesus... I knew he was ambitious... but... I'm so sorry Gwyn..."

"Don't be sorry for that. That’s  _ nothing. _ "

"There's more? What  _ more _ could have possibly happened since I last saw you...?"

"So, just keep in mind that Howell's a vampire now... and, that... well, you know what Ryan Black thinks about myself. And what both of them think about me and Tristan," she told the two, exhaling a deep breath to calm down. "First there was the order... and my trying-to-bargain-with-time... which was working, I suppose. Then, before that there was Black attacking me..."

"Geez, I should have ripped his balls off when he tried that on me..."

"Alice!"

"Well, she's kind of right Gwyn..."

"I know, anyway... I wasn't aware that, Howell was one of Black's side-kicks... and definitely not to the extent that made him turn her into one of us..." she continued as she took another sip of whiskey, as she started getting visibly nervous. "I'm also assuming that a lot of chit-chat's occuring behind my back, between her, Black and Howell."

"Probably.. .but what's this got to do with everything?"

"Let's just say that... I was almost going to rip that fuckin' slut apart," she snapped back, drinking the rest of the whiskey in one go.

Sliding over the coffee, Neville poured himself another glass of gin as well as glass of whiskey. Looking over at Alice, he wordlessly refilled her glass as well. "Go on, talk to us."

"If it weren't for Tristan there... I would have slit her throat out... trust me."

"Tristan was there?" Alice replied as she shot her a confused look.

"She's almost... raped him... I arrived just in time, as he was screaming out in my head for help... I..." she shivered, curling up her legs close to her while she warmed her hands with the coffee mug.

"No... No one is that... I can't believe it..." muttered Neville as he drained both of his glasses. "An innocent boy... How could Howell do such a thing and why would Fred..."

"She could because she did. And that scared both of us... made me realise how much I'm putting him in danger."

"Right, so that places both Black and Howell in my Most Hated blacklist... and don't start with that Gwyn, it won't work, you need to be strong for both of you." 

"She's right... for both your sakes, you need to be strong for each other. He's only holding himself together because he wants to be strong for you. Gwyn... be his strength - be each other's strength... He called to you, with his mind, didn't he..." 

"Mmm-hmm... I am being strong, and I'm restraining myself at the same time... I was a psychological wreck when I took him with me back home, and phoned up CEO to inform him of Howell's behaviour, which is harassement to a member of my staff after all. That's when the worse started off..."

"Which was...?"

"In a gist... that shit was fucking Fred while I was talking to him..."

"Oh damn..."

"What the fuck..." 

Pouring himself another shot of whiskey, Neville downed in immediately as he reached out for Gwyn and hugged her tightly. "I'm so sorry honey, you never should've found out about him this way..."

"He was actually  _ glad _ that all that happened, I could sense that..." she mumbled under her breath, as tears started welling up in her eyes. "And he was goddamn proud about what he was doing..." 

"Shh... I know you don't want to hear it, but we did warn you about Fred and his ways... It's one of my reasons for leaving - the fact that he so willing cheats on Lady Adel, yet comes crawling back to her bed after fucking anything that walks... But still, you never should have found out about him in such a manner..." 

"Oh fuck him for that too... Lady Adel's the sweetest woman,  _ ever.  _ Man, hasn't he become an asshole over the years..."

"But there lies the problem Ally... He still loves Lady Adel as she loves him... To this day, I honestly don't know if she knows of his infidelities - considering they've been going on long before they were married from what I've heard... Still, he loves her dearly..."

"What?!"

"Yes, he loves her dearly, mmm-hmm," Alice nodded as she drained down another glass of gin. "Very much... and he's fucking everything he sees... seriously. What kind of love is that?" 

"They've had  _ centuries  _ together Ally, that's a long fucking time to be married... It's kinda hard to throw that away, you must admit." 

"I'm not saying that I'm not acknowledging that... but... what the fuck? She used to know that he was a goddamn cheater before they were married?!"

"No! She didn't know... Everyone protected Fred back then, save for two people, according to Reginald, and that was Gwyn's parents. I was only able to verify all this shit because I stole his books before I left the goddamn Clan! He may be secretive, but he's also a moron for keeping his journals..."

"They had always been good friends though... at least that's what I remember..." mumbled Gwyn as she buried her head against Neville's shoulder.

"They were, but they did have a falling out of sorts - he wrote that in his journals, but never really expanded upon it."

"Right... what a bastard... then he acted all holy by taking Gwyn in when her parents died... what a fuckin' doublefaced douche." 

"Anyways, what's done is done... all we can focus on now is what are we going to do for Tristan? Aside from us, there's Jacob and most probably your grandfather... either way, there's no way that all of us can keep tabs on a young boy like Tristan - well Gwyn can, but that's beside the point."

Still shivering, Gwyn let go of Neville and sat back in her former seat, taking the mug back in her hands. "I seriously don't know what to do... I don't have a clue what Fred has in mind..." 

"For you or for the boy?"

"For both." 

"Now that the question... Speaking of which, how are they?"

"They who?" 

"Oh um Tris and Lisa... can you sense them Gwyn?"

"They're fine," Gwyn smiled. "All three of them..."

Letting out a sigh of relief, he nodded. "Good."

"I have the urge of kicking someone's ass right now, apart from other things of course." 

"You always have the urge of kicking someone's ass..." snickered Neville.

"What does that mean? Aw come on, don't tell me you don't feel like going up to our lovely  _ daddy _ 's office and punch him in the face for real..." she grinned, finishing up her last glass of whiskey. "A kick in his groin would feel good too." 

"Oh I'll beat him up, you and Gwyn can just cut off his balls... and dick. What I meant was, you're so violent," Neville laughed.

"It's part of my charm, and Rhys loves that so, shut it," she promptly replied, sticking her tongue out at him. "And that would also be applicable to Black and the slut of course."

"Oh I have no doubt about that... and I have no doubt as to why both you and the kid get along so well... You both are rather to the point about things... The bluntness is quite endearing."

Smiling once again, Gwyn drank off her mug of coffee and sighed. "Thanks for listening though... both of you, I still can't believe all this is happening."

"Neither can we," replied the pair.

"Thanks again."

"Gwyn, it's fine. No need to thank us over and over again, we did nothing spectacular to earn your gratitude. Actually,  _ I  _ should thank you as I'd just love to meet one of the assholes right now and punch him or her to the next tomorrow."

Laughing, Neville made Gwyn another coffee. "Of course you would Ally. You were always anxious to be up anyone that you thought was a jerk - even when we were kids..."

"Well, I always had my reasons... take you for example, we used to bicker on everything whenever we met, and Gwyn used to back away to study... nerd," she snickered as Gwyn gave her half a smile.

"True, but the bickering was out of affection. And Gwyn's always been the studious one... which begs the question, how'd you end up falling for a kid that's a bit on the lazy side?"

"Lazy? Nev, you really don't know Rhys... he's working abroad for the sake of the two of us," she grinned. 

"I was talking to Gwyn, not you doofus..."

"He's not that lazy trust me, I'd just define him as being more relaxed than I am..."

"Relaxed to the point where he tends to nap in his office? Cynthia and the gang mentioned that to me last time."

"I am truly shocked to hear that revelation, really now Gwendalynn," chuckled Alice, grinning back teasingly at her. "Surely he doesn't nap when he's into other more  _ interesting  _ activities..."

"Definitely  _ not _ from what I heard when they both spent the night here..." came Neville's sly reply.

"Will you stop the teasing you two?" she muttered as she blushed furiously and slowly drank her warm coffee, while enjoying the soft alcoholic aftertaste it left as she did.

"Noooooooooooo!"

"Right," she smiled, resting her mug down again. "You've got my permission to do so then... I've bugged you too much with depressing stuff after all."

"Fine. Bedroom antics and performance. Inquiring minds need to know," snickered the pair. "And no backing out."

"I said teasing not questioning! And what do you want to know anyway, mind your own business," she laughed, sticking her tongue out at both of them.

"Again, no backing out!" the elder pair continued to grin evilly. "Spill  _ everything _ ."

"Absolutely. No. Way."

Sharing a quick look with one another, both Neville and Alice flanked Gwyn's sides and made sure that she couldn't get away. "Start talking Gwyn."

"My lips are shut. Won't say a thing, even under torture."

"Oh really? Ally, how would you like to proceed with our little sister?"

"Mmm... probably tickling is useless... so if you have any other brilliant ideas..." she grinned back at him.

"Could always grill Boy Wonder for information..."

"Ah no, no no no, let him be... at least for now... mmh?"

"Ally... got anything?"

"Don't want to stress her much... but, you seem to have significantly more evil ideas than me today..."

"It's your influence... But, can you answer this then Gwyn, does he have as much stamina as we do?"

"Let me just tell you this and that's it - I end up pleasantly exhausted every time," she chuckled. "Plus... how the hell should I know about actual vampire stamina, seriously... as if I ever..." she blushed, looking away from them both.

"Yep... if a human can tire out one of us... They've definitely got enough stamina..." chuckled Neville.

"Oh, heck. Yes," muttered Alice, as Neville nudged her at the stomach with his elbow. "And what the heck was that for now?"

"And what about Rhys? I thought you two hated each other when we were kids, what changed?"

"Let's just say that all that bickering was puppy love," she laughed out.

"And how much of the bickering has Tristan heard while you're both at the gym?" 

"Apart from the fact that he's one of the very few men I know that looks at me in the eye when I talk to him," she chuckled. "Mmm... gym huh? Not too much really..."

"Ah, the gym. So, the kid able to keep up with  _ your _ routine Ally? And does Tris actually look you in the eye when speaking to you too?"

"Gave me proper kickboxing lessons too," she nodded. "Well Gwyn, just like Neville said, that man exists for you, trust me. Pfft, Nev, he does. Except for the first time... dammit you men really go wild about it, yeesh."

"Kid knows kickboxing? Thought that was just your speciality?"

"Said he's quite the athlete, right Gwyn?"

"Mmm-hmm," she nodded as she absently played with the mug in front of her.

"Knowing the Kid, I think he only looked there because he was scared those were gonna hit him if you two met while working out at the gym," smirked Neville. "And in any case, shall we see what the Kid, my lovely wife, and soon-to-arrive child are up to?"

"That would make me forget about other stuff in my mind right now," Gwyn smiled as she got back on her feet.

"What the hell Nev?!" she glared back, giving him a smack on his back.

"What? Jeez..." 

"Stop commenting about my bust darn it!" she snickered. "You were worse off when I used to wear corsets though, way long ago."

"Yeah, and that was a long time ago... I'm now happily married and Lisa's are currently rivaling yours so there," laughed Neville.

"I'm certainly not going in competition with your wife's, trust me," she replied, as she watched Gwyn walk away silently into the living room. "She's still feeling bad about all this," she whispered, crossing her arms on her chest.

"About Tristan? I don't blame her... Kid gets attacked, finds out the truth about Freddy - specifically the infidelities, and of course the main kicker, Kid's supposed to be Turned..."

"Have in mind any way we could help her in?"

"All we can do is keep them safe, but knowing  _ dear old dad _ ... he'll want Tristan turned before winter solstice, which is about a month and a half from now..."

"Nev? Think Gwyn will consider turning Tristan herself?"

"If it boils down to it... I do, but only because he'd be the one to ask her, that's my guess in any case. Should Freddy start cracking down on her to do it, she won't let anyone else do it."

"Thing is, I'm sure the cheater would have Black or Howell on it, if he's in such good terms with them... should Gwyn consider to buy more time to do it. You know, I still can't believe that the oh-so-protective Head of Clan really isn't giving a fuck about his so-called daughter's feelings."

"I realized this a long time ago... And no, he doesn't really give a fuck about anyone's feeling... not even that of either Gwyn or Lady Adel's sadly... Anyways, let's go check up on them. Besides, this way, you can ask Tristan yourself if he was scared of your boobs hitting him..."

"Oh shut up!"

Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, Neville and Alice wandered over to where the others were and smiled as they saw Tristan kneeling in front of Lisa's stomach and pressing his ear against her stomach. "Hear anything interesting Kiddo?"

"Amber says that daddy's going to invest in a lot of pink for a very long time..." 

"No doubt about that," Lisa chuckled softly as she saw her husband wince slightly.

"So you're sure it's going to be a girl right?" Alice asked. "Absolutely sure...?"

"I know it for sure, and Lisa agrees with me..." smiled Tristan.

"Wow, that's astounding..." she nodded as she saw Gwyn smile and observe quietly from the other side of the table.

"Daddy over there isn't totally convinced, but he will be... three weeks from now."

"It's that close?! Heck wait... three you said?! That's when Rhys should be back here!" she beamed back. "Oh my God!"

"Huh? What?"

"No nothing, I'm just happy. I can be, right?"

"Oh yeah, I forgot that you said he was coming home soon... and yeah, you have my permission to be happy Alice," Tristan laughed as Alice lunged forward and began to tickle him.

"Gee, she just has to do that every time," grinned Neville as he watched the two playfully wrestle against one another.

After several minutes, Tristan found himself sitting atop Alice's stomach and grinning triumphantly. "You know those things could really hurt someone..." he teased as he nudged one of her breasts with his knee. "Bit too big for my tastes..."

"Hey did Neville give you tips or something, stop that too," she replied with a pout.

"Tips about what?"

"About how to make snark comments on my bust."

"Well, if I said that I was scared of those hitting me as we were punching the bag when we first met... Would that be considered snark or truth...?"

"Oh good heavens, whatever."

"So both... gotcha," he smirked back mischievously before getting up and settling next to Gwyn on the couch, resting his head on her shoulder and snuggling against her side.

"Gwyn you're terribly quiet, just stop worrying," Alice chided her as she got up.

"Yeah, listen to very nice, yet very well-endowed lady, babe. Everything's going to be alright and we'll soon be on holiday. Ahhh... to be as far away as possible from that Howell slut and Black asshole... Oh and the Cheating CEO..." grinned Tristan as he hugged Gwyn tightly.

"See, he put in yet another comment too!"

"Ally, you're bickering like brats, stop that."

"He's starting it!"

"Alice..."

"Fine."

Smirking again, Tristan let out a yawn. "I'm hungry..."

"Still hungry? I though you were full up after that brownie and that sundae," chuckled Lisa.

"They were appetizers?"

"No! They were full desserts."

"Black hole," Neville and Alice grinned in unison.

"I meant that they were appetizers for me..."

"Oh gosh... well, miscalculated that then," Lisa commented, as she slowly got back on her feet. "I'll go prepare something else then..."

"No no no, you stay right there,  _ I'll _ go prepare something for the dark void over there..." laughed Neville as he headed towards the kitchens. "And the rest of you? Want anything?"

"No thank you," Gwyn immediately replied.

"You're sure?" Lisa answered, furrowing her eyebrows. "It's not a problem Neville really..."

"Yes dear, not a problem. Besides, at least the Kid's in safe hands."

"Slightly sleepy safe hands," Alice commented as she noticed Gwyn dozing off. 

"She's had a long day," Tristan smiled as he laid Gwyn's head in his lap.

"And she was getting thoughtful and worried again... I'm actually relieved she fell asleep," she nodded as she sat by Lisa's side.

"She worries a lot, but I understand... Still, I worry for her a lot too... I'm pretty much dreading when I have to go back to the office... Wish I could move my office to be closer to where it's safe, but at the same time, I don't want to put anyone in danger because of me..."

"Next to Gwyn's office maybe?"

"No... It's too obvious, as no one outside of our circle of friends know we're together... Plus, I don't want either Gwyn or Cyn that close to my proximity if something like this happens again..." 

"Tristan, it won't happen again, for God's sake, what do you want us to do? Come there and kill them all off? Even you even mention that again I might start getting the urge to do it... trust me."

"No! Don't please... Despite how bad things seem... they're gonna get better soon, trust me. Everyone involved, Black, Howell, and Fred... they're gonna get theirs before they know it..."

"Heck, don't I wanna see that."

"Not like that, but... I'll guarantee you right now, they're not going to survive next year... count on it." 

"That's the best news I've heard in decades."

"Decades? You can't be older than... thirty..." Tristan replied with a confused look on his face.

"Just a simple figure of speech Tristan," she replied, inwardly sighing in relief.

"Huh? Oh, okay..." he yawned.

"You could do with a nap while we fix you something," Alice smiled back at the two of them, as she patted Lisa's shoulder lightly. "I'm off to show my culinary skills to Neville..."

"You have culinary skills? I wanna see!"

"Of course," she grinned back at him. "I'm not just good at fighting you know... see you again in a couple of minutes. And you Lisa, need anything?"

"No not really, that sundae I had was more than enough... and seems the little one's sleeping right now, all of that chocolate made her hyper I suppose," she chuckled.

"Keep an eye on Gwyn for me?"

"Oh sure... going in the kitchen too Tris? Thought you were having a nap..." Lisa replied as she watch him settle Gwyn on one of the couch cushions and place a kiss on her hair.

"I'm okay. She needs to rest more than me... things have been rougher on her... Also, she knows where I am at all times, so if she needs me, I'll be right by her side. See you in a few, and hopefully I can get her to consume something that isn't alcohol..." he smiled wrly as he trailed after Alice.

"Will you just stop bragging about how good you are and give me something to do please?!"

Watching both Neville and Alice trade barbs, Tristan grinned. "Something the matter?"

"Someone doesn't want me to help," Alice replied, nudging Neville at his side.

"Aww... How come you don't want her to help, Mr. Neville?"

"She might be slightly better than Gwyn but... not  _ that _ much..."

"You liar!" she pouted, making Tristan stifle a laugh.

"Can I help with anything then? I'm pretty sure Anne has told you of my actual skills in the kitchen."

"And let the two of you have free range in here... I don't have the kitchen insured you know..." snickered Neville in return.

"Hey, I'm totally responsible in the kitchen. I've worked in a restaurant when I was a kid and I have knife skills that you only wish you had," smirked Tristan.

"Talk about overconfident," laughed Neville as he backed away from the kitchen counter, raising his arms up in amusement. "Go ahead, surprise me... since you're so... sure that you'll make a good job, I'm off to see my wife in the other room, ta ta."

Watching Neville take off, Tristan looked around the kitchen and began to get a few ideas. "So, what do you feel like making? I have a few ideas already, but if you have anything in particular you want to make, we can make that."

"Chicken wraps."

"Chicken wraps? Huh, was expecting something a bit more exotic, but we can make chicken wraps. What else do you want to go with said chicken wraps?"

"Chips? And yes, I'm not that sophisticated as you are when it comes to food..."

"Hmm... do you trust me?"

Giving him a weird look, Alice just chuckled and handed him a wooden spoon. "Go ahead, kitchen's all yours. And yes I do trust you... dork," she laughed as she gave him a light smack on his back.

"Do chicken cordon bleu sandwiches and chips tickle your fancy?" Tristan grinned as he began to gather the dry ingredients needed and placed them onto the counter.

"It certainly does... need the chicken from the fridge?"

"Yes ma'am, as well as some ham and cheese. If they don't have Swiss cheese, which I doubt, we can always substitute with something else..." murmured Tristan as he began to clean and peel some potatoes for the chips. "Also, how crunchy do you want the chips to be?"

"Very crunchy," she grinned as she handed him over the ingredients he had requested.

"Twice fried chips then. Do you want to work on the chicken or cut up the potatoes for the chips?"

"You'd better give me the potatoes I think... since you mentioned that you're good at knives."

Locating the knives, Tristan handed Alice a knife for the potatoes before taking one for himself and began to work on the chicken. "Once you're done cutting up the potatoes, just place them into the bowl of water next to you - that way they don't turn brown."

"Right..." she nodded, following his instructions to the letter.

"Wow, you're actually listening to me," he chuckled as he began to cut pockets into the chicken breasts in order to stuff them. "Shoot... I need some eggs..." he muttered as he was about to wash his hands to grab some eggs but stopped as Alice held them in front of him. "Oh, thanks."

"You're welcome... and yes, I'm not always a rebel you know. Apart from the fact that you listen to me too, so it balances itself out." 

"Guess so," he smiled as he ran toothpicks through the chicken before breading them. "Fry or bake?"

"Fry, never mind the calories," she chuckled.

"That's my girl. What kind of bread do you want to use for the sandwiches? Crusty rolls or soft burger buns?"

"Whatever!"

"Fine! Pick whatever you want," he called as he already dropped two large pieces into the large frying pan. "And then you can fry the potatoes... you  _ do _ know how to deep fry them, right?"

"Yes I do know. Hey, I am the one that prepares dinners for Rhys when he returns home... and... no snark remarks, I know that look, you're thinking something dirty, stop it that..."

"No, I was thinking that I could let you make dessert..." snarked Tristan as he continued to fry the chicken pieces before removing them and frying two more pieces. 

"That was another dirty comment, wasn't it?" 

"No, a dirty comment would be me saying that I could do many mean things to you with a can of whipped cream and a four-poster bed. My actual comment was saying that you could make dessert, since you could make something that you like," he replied with a straight face.

"Sheesh, you gave me dirty imagery in my head, stop it again," she replied, giving him a smack on his shoulder. "Hey wait, you do that with Gwyn?!" she gasped back at him with a grin forming on her lips.

"Nope, since we only just purchased the four-poster bed earlier today," he smirked as he continued to watch the chicken frying before removing it and frying off the last few pieces.

"You're thinking about it though..." she teased back.

"Nope, sex in the tub is just as fun as sex in the shower which is still a step below sex in bed."

"Okay. Didn't want to know that," she shook her head, laughing lightly.

"You sure? You did seem interested in whether or not I was fantasizing."

"Oh shut it, I didn't need the details. I'm actually surprised and kind of glad though.

Laughing, Tristan removed the last pieces of chicken and placed them on a cooling rack with the other pieces before grabbing the bowl of potatoes. "Why are you surprised and glad?"

"Because Gwyn had always been extremely reserved when it comes these things... I was actually the one that always teased her on the fact that she'd never be able to find a partner that way. She'd always send me to hell and mind my own business... and... that she didn't have time to think about that bullshit... it's strange how things change, don't they?"

"Well, she was like that when I started working under her, but once I was brought onto our current project... I managed to worm my way into her heart. That and I'm her first..." he smiled gently as he placed the chicken into the oven to keep warm as he began to fry the chips.

"And last knowing both of you... anyway, just to let you know, she wasn't like that when she was younger... I mean when her parents were still alive."

Letting the potatoes fry, Tristan set down the mesh skimmer and looked at Alice. "Do you know what her parents were like?"

"The most splendid couple ever... and I'm not joking. Ever seen a photo of them?"

"No... And I keep forgetting to ask Gwyn to see pictures of them."

"She never showed you a photo album or something?" she blinked back at him. "Have you seen Lady Adel? You know, the bastard's wife..." she growled as she rested against the kitchen counter.

"Uh-uh... haven't seen Gwyn's parents, but I did see Lady Adel. After Gwyn told me about Freddy and showed me a picture of the lady in question, I said that he was a moron if he was willing to stick his dick in a pussy that was probably fucked by Black beforehand..." grumbled Tristan.

"Indeed... the most irritating thing that apart from the Lady being hopelessly devoted to her husband, she doesn't know that he's fucking around so there... anyway... as I was saying, if you think Lady Adel's quite the beautiful woman... Gwyn's mother was, much much more beautiful." 

"If she was even more beautiful than Lady Adel, obviously Gwyn inherited her looks." 

"She was. Very much..."

"When we get home this evening, I'll ask Gwyn if she has any pictures of her mother..."

"Yes you should, probably she'd love that herself too."

"Gwyn mentioned that her father was a doctor, what did her mother do?" 

"She helped her husband in the clinic... other than that, she just took care of Gwyn full-time," she replied, giving him a sad smile.

"She was pretty young when they died, wasn't she?" 

"'Bout the same age Gwyn is now..."

"How old was her father?"

"Just a few years older than her, maybe four, five maximum, I'm not too sure."

"Too young... My mom and dad were pretty young when they had my sisters - they were say seventeen or eighteen when they had my eldest sister, Catherine. She's ten years older than me...then came Olivia - she's six years older than me and finally they had Valerie, who's four years older than me. I told Gwyn that she was lucky to at least know her father - as I never knew mine..." Tristan admitted quietly as he removed the chips from the oil for a bit.

"Not that I had a very nice childhood either... father didn't want to acknowledge the first that his first birth was a girl... so, he sent me to Grandfather to raise me."

"That sucks... And was life with your grandfather good? My lack of father was simple - he was sent to fight in the war before I was born... So it's always been my mother and sisters..."

"Grandpa's plain awesome. Understanding and caring... took care of me up till a certain age, then just packed my things and left... going back home from time to time."

"Good and obviously Jacob adores him too, so at least you guys turned out great. Anyways, enough with the depressing stuff, time to fry these a second time so they get nice and crunchy. Also, got to work on the simple accompaniments - like lettuce and tomatoes and spread for the bread." 

"Need help with those?"

"Sure. What kind of spread do you want on the bread? We can also toast the bread beforehand for some extra crunch."

"Garlic and herb spread? What do you say? And that sounds perfect."

"Sounds great and I'll leave that in your capable hands, if you don't mind?"

"No problem, no problem..." she chuckled as she grabbed the bread and started slicing it. "Can you prepare the spread though?"

"Oh? Don't you want to do it?" 

"Er... you might need to guide me into it... I don't have a clue."

Grinning, Tristan let the chips fry for another second more before removing all of them and set them down to drain before seasoning them lightly. "Would definitely be an honor to help," he replied as he began to walk her through making the spread. Eventually, after all the whisking and chopping of the herbs and garlic, the spread was finished. "So, what do you think?"

"That it looks good," she replied as she tried the spread out by placing it on a small piece of bread. "Tastes good too."

"So, last thing for me to do is chop the tomatoes whereas you get to make dessert," he grinned as he took a bite from her piece of bread.

"Sounds easy... and... what's for dessert?"

"Dunno, you pick and I'll help make."

"Ice cream... something?" she tried to suggest.

"Cake? Floats? Sandwiches?" 

"Sandwiches," she repeated. "Those sure sound interesting... with what? Double chocolate chip cookies for example?"

"That works. Last time I made ice cream sandwiches for them, I used peanut butter cookies and chocolate ice cream."

"Yes!"

"So what ice cream do you want for the sandwiches?"

"Vanilla, caramel, cinnamon, strawberry, anything's fine," she smiled back at him. "Think Neville has apple cinnamon cookies?"

"Go raid the baked goods, but I think he has some..." he smiled as he began to assemble the chicken sandwiches.

"Yes Sir," she chuckled out, as she moved over to check out the cookie jars, grinning when she found what she had expected. "How about... toffee cookies? Lemon merengue... oh God, there are the apple cinnamon ones too!"

"How weird, both you and Gwyn do that," chuckled Tristan.

"Wait... do what?"

"The 'Yes Sir' thing... Not like I'm ordering you or something..."

"It's cute," she chuckled as she handed him the cookies over. "Me and Rhys do that sometimes too."

"So you say, 'Yes ma'am' to his face?" teased Tristan.

"Ah shut it... he's my boss," she replied, letting out a giggle. "In all possible senses..."

"Ironically, Gwyn's my boss... though I think we're pretty equal for the most part, since I was originally supposed to have her job..."

"Oh really? You're  _ that  _ good?" she teased back.

"It was offered to me when I joined the company, but I declined the position." 

"How come, I mean... Gwyn's an Assistant Director after all, right?"

"She is and I was supposed to become an Assistant Director - as I'm qualified to be one - but, I decided that it would be best to just work my way up from the bottom, so I technically joined New Dawn as a junior employee and 'bout a year and a half later, I'm now a manager."

"And I'm sure that impressed good old Freddy," she replied, rolling her eyes in response.

"Fred, HR, and Gwyn - as she picked me to join her team."

"Well the key one apart from Gwyn, was Fred, as he could have easily ignored your request and placed you as an AD anyway."

"He could've, but apparently, he was actually thrilled that I turned down the job since I was pretty insistent on doing so. Said he liked that 'determined and driven' attitude."

"Asshole..." she growled, as she handed him the tubs of ice-cream she had pilfered from the freezer.

"Who? Me?" 

"Not you! Fred..."

"Oh..." he continued as he took the ice cream, "HR was actually surprised that Fred let me do it, but though I make less than I should be, I haven't minded one bit."

"You'll see... you'll be up in the ranks in no time," she winked back at him as she stole a spoonful of ice cream from one of the tubs.

"I have no doubt about that. I'll be Assistant Director and Gwyn will be Director before Christmas, bet on it," he grinned.

"And you'll be CEO in a few months."

"Funny... I actually think I will be come the summer months..."

"Seriously? Trust my sixth sense... I know you will."

"I'll trust that and what I see in my head... It doesn't happen too often, but when I see something in my dreams - it usually comes true..."

"Told you you're weird," she laughed back.

"Apparently, most of the women I know are fond of the fact that I'm weird..."

"Yes, but you're weird... in a cute way."

"So... I'm weird and cute... Guess that works."

"Gwyn sure likes that."

"Apparently you do too," he smirked. "And what do you think?"

"They look pretty good..." she nodded in approval. "And... if I didn't like you, I would have never talked to you in the first place."

"You thought I was hitting on you," he whined jokingly.

"That's because I get idiots doing that pretty often."

"True... it's because they openly oogle your boobies."

"Precisely," she sighed, rolling her eyes. "As if it's the first time they see something similar."

"Well, it's because they don't regularly see boobs that are as big as yours."

"What the hell, it's not I have an enormous bust or something, let's be serious."

"But I am being serious..." Grabbing a still-warm chip off the cooling rack, he placed it in her mouth. "How's it taste?"

"Mmm... from where did you get the idea of frying them twice? They're really good..."

"I worked in my sister's restaurant as a kid. I used to make stuff all the time... One of which being twice-fried chips, as they're crunchy on the outside, but still really soft on the inside."

"Now I'm getting hungry myself too."

"Then let's bring these out to the others then," he grinned as he placed the chips in the middle of the sandwiches while Alice grabbed the platter of ice cream sandwiches. 

"Go wake up your Gwyn first though. I'll handle these," she said, taking the other dish from him.

"Yes' ma'am..." winked Tristan as he headed back to where Lisa, Gwyn, and Neville were. "Ah, so we have a nice meal waiting for everyone," he smiled as he saw that all three of them were chatting quietly.

"Oh? Obviously you're in one piece, so hopefully the rest of the kitchen is in one piece as well," chuckled Neville.

"Alice is in one piece too..."

"Really? Well then that's good to know too."

"I heard that Neville!" exclaimed Alice from the informal dining room.

"Hey," Gwyn smiled as Tristan walked over to her side to place a soft kiss on her hair and rest his chin on her shoulder. "Ended up cooking?" she whispered back. "Sorry for falling asleep, didn't realise I was still, sort of, tired."

"Hey yourself and yes, ended up cooking some chicken for sandwiches. And don't worry about you falling asleep, we're both kinda strung out after all this... Up for some food though?"

"Just a little bit though... not too hungry," she replied, raising her hand to rest in on his cheek.

"Okay. We're having chicken cordon bleu sandwiches, chips, and ice cream sandwiches... Hope you don't mind," he chuckled quietly as he helped her to her feet.

"Ah well... that actually made me slightly more hungry," she chuckled back, while standing up and turning to kiss him. 

"Good. It smells even better than it sounds - which is still really really good."

"Let's get going then, I heard your stomach gurgle again," she smiled. 

"Yours is too, so don't blame everything on me," laughed Tristan as he took her hand and led her to where the others were seated, looking at the food anxiously.

"You should have started eating," Gwyn chided them softly as they got inside the dining room. "Especially you Lis..."

"Oh I'm fine, don't worry," she grinned back, as Neville placed a kiss on her cheek. "You're being awfully cuddly today, aren't you?" she winked back at her husband.

"I think because watching my little sister and my soon to be little brother being cuddly has given me inspiration to be cuddly... that and you're possibly due in three weeks when the doctor said that you had four..."

Smiling, Tristan began to eat a chip as the others continued to talk. "Y'know, the food'll get cold if you don't stop talking," he teased.

"I  _ am _ eating, Mister," Alice mumbled between bites. 

"Not you the others..." quipped Tristan as he rolled his eyes, making Neville laugh.

"Yep, you are definitely one of the family now. At least you and Rhys can have some fun in discussing Alice's finer qualities," he smirked before taking a bite of the sandwich. "Wha-who made the chicken?!"

"Him," Alice pointed out as she took another bite. "And I wonder what qualities you'd be discussing... idiots."

"Uhh... is the chicken okay?" Tristan asked nervously.

"Okay?! The chicken's better than okay, Kiddo. I was going to ask if you mind if we put this on the menu, everything's perfect about it - and the spread's really nice too."

"Ahh, thanks and for the spread, my recipe but Alice did the grunt work for it..."

"Yes Nev I did and don't look at me like I was an alien or something, geez," she mumbled as she started eating her second sandwich.

"Looks like I can entrust the kitchen to Tristan... and Alice, under supervision I guess," grinned Neville as he studied both Gwyn and Lisa's reactions. "Awfully quiet you two."

"Mmmh?" both of the women hummed in unison.

"Is the food okay?" asked Tristan.

"Oh definitely! It's really good, and I'm sure you used some spices in the batter too," Lisa nodded as Gwyn continued eating.

"I did. And Gwyn? Any thoughts or comments?"

"I'm glad I got hungry again," she smiled back.

"Awesome," he replied with a sincere grin before eating the remainder of his second sandwich and his chips. "Also, how are the chips?"

"How on earth did you fry these?" Neville asked as he gobbled up two in a row.

"In the large cast iron skillet, lots of peanut oil, and fried them twice."

"Oh so that's the trick..." Neville muttered as he turned to look at Lisa. "You're not having the chips?"

"It's because of the oil... they smell wonderful though," she smiled back at them.

"Oh are you allergic to the peanut oil? I needed one with a really high cooking temperature in order to fry them properly." 

"Tristan, just have my portion please."

"And why not me?! I'm offended," joked Neville at his wife's comment.

"Because Tristan's younger than you are and he needs to eat to regain his energies."

"Well, next time I can try frying them in vegetable oil, since it has a pretty high cooking temperature too. But if it's because you think that the chips are greasy, I assure you they're not," chuckled Tristan. "Though if you insist on me eating them, thank you."

"It'll do you good... Amber's already eating a lot," Lisa laughed as she wiped her mouth off with a napkin.

"Ahh, gotcha. But I'm sorry that you can't eat the chips, hopefully you can eat dessert though."

"Oh that's for sure."

"Within limits though," Neville immediately snapped back. "Not too much as we wouldn't want the little one to get too big for her mommy..."

Laughing, everyone at the table continued with their meals until it was time for dessert. "So, dessert was Alice's idea."

"Really now, let me know when Rhys comes back, I think I'll need to have a good one to one chat with him," grinned Neville. "And tell him what a good cook you've become Ally."

"I might bring him here for lunch or dinner anyway," she answered, blushing slightly as she took the ice-cream sandwich in her hands.

"This I definitely won't say no to," Lisa winked back at them as she got a toffee cookie one.

"Gwyn? Which one do you want?"

"You made apple cinnamon ones right?" she smiled back at him as she took in their smell. "I'd love one of those."

"Yes and sure," he replied back as he placed the large sandwich on her plate before taking peanut butter and chocolate one.

"Thank you."

"Welcome. Also, want to stop by Cyn's place for the delivery? I have a key to her place."

"We could check out if all's Ok... think she won't be there yet," Gwyn replied as she finished off her ice-cream sandwich.

"Yeah," he smiled as he reached for another sandwich. "This was a fun meal to make, so thanks Alice."

"Oh you're welcome... and when Rhys is back, you're all invited for dinner at our place," Alice grinned back at them as she also reached out for round two.

"Should I bring my vomit bag just in case?" Neville snickered.

"Ah shut it!"

"Now now, she helped me prepare the chips and spread, not to mention she made the ice cream sandwiches."

"See?" she replied back, sticking out her tongue at him.

"It's a start, but I'll wait to taste something that you made from scratch before passing judgment."

"Man of little faith..." she mumbled as she finished her second sandwich. "Ah! I'm full!"

"And seems that Amber's full too," chuckled Lisa as she placed her hand gently on her stomach and closed one eye. 

"Same here... Jeez that was hearty. One of these days though Tris, you have to show me those knife skills," smile Neville as Gwyn simply chuckled.

"Does that hurt?" Alice asked as she watched Lisa rub her hand over her tummy.

"She definitely isn't tickling me," chuckled Lisa as Neville moved by her side. "Ou-ch..."

"Well, time for you to get some rest dear - which means I'll brew you some tea. Think that'll help? Or is it because the baby's happy that Uncle Tristan's here?"

"She's happy about the chocolate," Lisa replied in a growl. "And yes, tea would be perfect..."

"Good and the baby knows that when Uncle Tristan's here, chocolate will be had," laughed Neville.

"You make it sound like I'm a chocoholic or something..."

"Well..." laughed Gwyn as she rested her head on his shoulder. 

"I meant a ravenous one..."

"Let's say you like it a lot then..."

"I'll agree to that then."

Wincing lightly as she watch Lisa calm down after a short while, Alice laid back on her chair, sliding down slightly. "I really think it hurts like hell, can't imagine myself having children," she grumbled to herself.

"Really?"

"Eh? You heard that?"

"Yeah, why?" Tristan asked as he began to gather up the dirty plates.

"I can't see myself as a mother... not like that for sure," she muttered back, as Gwyn took some of the dishes and walked silently into the kitchen.

"Well that's a shame, I think you'd be good at it," smiled Tristan as he followed Gwyn into the kitchen.

"Oh I don't know..." she muttered as she remained on her seat, watching Neville and Lisa interact.

"Everything okay dear?" came the concerned query from Tristan.

"Yes I'm fine..." she replied quietly, as she took the dishes from his arms and started washing them up.

Hugging her from behind, he rested his head on her shoulder. "When we're ready for it, maybe someday we can talk about it. For now, I just want to focus on us, okay?"

"Mmm-hmm... guess we should leave once we clear the dishes, what do you think?"

"Probably. Cyn and the gang are probably close to getting ready to leave, but I know she's going to stop at home to change into her gym clothes, so we can surprise her there. As for us, let's call this a late lunch...and we still have to pack the rest of our things as well as get settled with the furniture."

"Right... let's get this finished then."

"Okay and Gwyn, I'd be honored if you did bear our children... for us and no one else," he whispered before letting go and making his way back to the others.

"I... I know..." she said to herself as she continued with the washing up. 

"Just in case you're wondering where Neville and Lisa are," Alice told him as he got in the dining room. "He took her upstairs to sleep... tea did its job."

"Ah good. I made them the tea blend, actually it's Olivia's recipe that she made for Catherine when she was pregnant with her kids."

"Oh that's cool..." she answered back, raising an eyebrow. "Gwyn's bothered about the baby talk, right?"

"A bit... But for now, I'll wait till we're married proper before we even discuss the possibility of having a child or two..."

"Question is... IF she'd want to have children... she never really liked the idea either."

"That's the main crux of the matter... I'd love to have them, but again, maybe when the time's right we could talk about it. Though, to be honest, the first thing I want to do is actually marry her... That way I know we'll be together forever."

"You're a downright romantic boy after all," chuckled Alice as she placed a hand on his shoulder. "You'll have to talk your way with her about the kids though... she never really acknowledged the idea of raising kids, or having her own children... but, with the events that happened both to her and to you, all the people you have against you, and wish you harm... and the situation with the three assholes, especially with Fred, haven't really improved the whole thing. Probably it just worsened it off."

"Yeah, I know... But it may be a romantic dream, but I hope to make it come true though..." he whispered quietly to himself as Gwyn re-entered the room.

"Kitchen's all cleared up now... is Lisa alright?" she immediately asked as soon as she noticed her absence.

"Hey there, ready to go? And yeah, Neville took her upstairs to rest, according to Alice."

"Mmm-hmm, whenever you like."

"Well, guess we'll be seeing you around then, Alice?"

"Oh definitely, and don't forget that you've got two invites..." Alice winked back at them.

"Three to be precise," another voice joined them once again. "Lisa's asleep in the bedroom," he smiled.

"I'm sure we'll be taking those up. Thanks again for everything and we'd love to stay longer, but we still got errands to run," Tristan grinned.

"Glad you visited... and need anything, let us know immediately, got it?" Neville told them, in a serious tone of voice.

"You heard that Gwyn, haven't you?" Alice echoed back.

"I did, and I will... thank you, both of you," she smiled back. "And that counts for you too..."

"Yes, yes," smiled the pair as Tristan grinned.

"If you ever want to see my true knife skills... make sure to have plenty of hard liquor available... For clarification, as Cyn, James, or Cole."

"Huh?" Neville and Alice blinked back at him as Gwyn let out a chuckle.

"I tend to do my best knife work drunk, but I'm still equally good sober," he laughed aloud.

"Told you the kid's crazy," Neville nodded as Alice merely laughed out.

"I'm pretty much the exception to everything..."

"We know that," both of them nodded with a smirk as Gwyn watched in amusement.

"C'mon and join the fun in teasing your boy, Gwynnie. But then again, you can probably save that for when you're in bed together," snickered the pair.

"Hey," she pouted, smacking Neville's arm slightly. "Don't get started on that now," she blushed, stepping back to lock her arm with Tristan's.

"Might work... we have a new bed to break-in after all," Tristan smirked back, leaving the other two speechless as both he and Gwyn walked off and out of the restaurant.

"Tris..."

"I'm kidding," he smiled at Gwyn as they walked towards the car. "We can just cuddle. I don't mind."

"Love you," she whispered as she placed a kiss on his cheek.

"Love you too... besides, we have a date with our tub tonight, since the bedroom got quite the workout last night," he chuckled as he climbed into the passenger's seat.

"That means candles and bubble bath, mmh?" she smiled back as she got inside the car and started the engine.

"Yep, though I think we're still on for chocolate fondue, right? And I'm surprised they didn't comment about your  _ ring _ ..."

"We could take it in the bathroom..." she laughed as she followed Tristan's indications for Cynthia's place. "As for the ring... well... Neville might have noticed it, but didn't comment as such, but those two might have said something between themselves I'm sure, considering that they're pretty sharp at these things."

"I'm probably guessing that they're talking about us right now..."

"Wouldn't be surprised..."

As the pair continued to drive, both Neville and Alice were sharing a cup of coffee together. "So, see the 'ring' on Gwyn's finger?"

"The extremely  _ cute  _ candy ring Gwyn had on her ring finger? 'Course I did..." she smiled. "Tristan's pretty set on marrying her."

"I don't blame him. Ever since the first time she brought him here - she claimed it was a business lunch - he's had his eyes on her. And from him... I was acting like a jackass towards him, but it was because he  _ felt _ like us, but he wasn't one of us... Once they left, I started to look into my library and came across an entry for the Destined Ones, and one description that I read was that they were always meant to be one of us, but never were Turned..."

"So you mean he's a vampire... but not officially one so to speak... that would explain how Gwyn changed so much..." she muttered, sipping her coffee. "And you acting as the jerk older brother... I can totally imagine that."

"No I don't think it's because of  _ that _ that he changed her - no, he simply managed to make her fall in love with him as he was falling for her... He opened up her heart to him... And no - he's completely human, but I think in his past lives, he was always meant to be one - though something happened that prevented him from being such. As well as one simple fact, he  _ exists _ for  _ Gwyn _ and her only. They were waiting their entire lives to meet one another, after all, he painted her as a child..."

"True... now it's the Freddy and the gang thing that's bothering me though..."

"Mmm... that's going to be a problem... But, we can go over this with your Grandfather, seems there's another meeting next week amongst the Clan elders..."

"Oh what jolly fun..." she replied, rolling her eyes in faux-amusement. "Fred's going to give a session on sex education, 'coz you know, he's such an expert at fucking people..."

"Probably will have Lara sucking his dick as he gives it... If anyone can make a sex ed class amusing, I think Tristan would be the one... If a human can tire out a vampire - especially a pureblood like Gwyn - well, let's just say that should he ever become one of us, I don't think they'll be sleeping much," he laughed.

"I don't think she'd turn him, Nev..."

"Hopefully nothing happens out of it, but for all our sakes... I just hope that she manages to stick to her word."

"Nev... she'd kill herself when he dies, I'm sure of it. Just like you've decided to do," she mumbled, staring at the content of her mug. "You know I've always been against your reasoning... but it's your own choice and I'm not going to question that."

"...There is that, but somehow, I get the feeling that those two will live together forever... And as for me...well, I told myself that I won't live without her and I would hate to make her live forever if she didn't want it. Either way, we'll have our child and though our child won't live forever, they'll be able to live a pretty long while...something I'm not too sure will be for better or worse..."

"Which means the boy will become a vampire..." she sighed.

"I think he will be, but by his own choice - not because of anyone else's orders. He'll do it because he loves her enough, as after  _ everything _ that's happened to him, his bond with Gwyn's gotten so much stronger everytime I see them."

"That's true. But the mess is still to come though..."

"You know when Tris was saying stuff about what's to come? I don't doubt that he's right about all of this - he has the Sight after all, which even for us, is  _ extremely _ rare, even for us..."

"I know... but you know what? All of this talk is making me feel like smoking a cigarette... I'm kinda getting nervous," she scowled as she finished off her coffee.

"I have some cigarettes from Sweden, we can go smoke outside for a while. I kept the window closed so that if we do smoke, Lisa won't smell it - she hates when I smoke, but I think I need one too right now."

"Haven't done it for ages now but... just go fetch the damn packet," she grinned, as she got back on her feet. "I need to calm down, both of us actually..."

"Right," he replied before disappearing momentarily and returning with a lighter and two packs of cigarettes. "Shall we?"

"Yes please," she told him as they walked outside and sat on the porch, making sure that both the door and the window were closed. "Let's just hope for the best, shall we?"

Taking a cigarette and lighting it up before handing it over to her, he nodded. "Agreed..."

-

"...Wow! We just made it," smiled Tristan as he saw the furniture movers' truck outside on the street as they pulled up to the curb.

"Can we say amazing timing?" she chuckled as she had a good look around for a parking space which she spotted not too far from Cynthia's place.

"We can and we are amazing together."

"For sure," Gwyn smiled back as she parked the car and the pair walked towards Cynthia's place together. "Anne must have helped them out pretty fast..."

"It's Anne... She just knows how to get things done at home... though I hope she didn't notice anything - wait, she now knows about the mirror..." chuckled Tristan as a dull blush began to form on his cheeks.

"She won't say anything though, trust me," she whispered back. "And... you're terribly cute when you blush."

"Hope so... and thanks...?"

"Welcome," she replied, letting out a light giggle.

Laughing, he kissed her cheek as they continued to walk together. Once they meet with the movers, they exchanged plesantries before Tristan let them in with his key. "Now, let's see how the bed from the spare room looks in her place..."

"I think it should be alright, I remember how her bedroom is approximately so..." Gwyn mumbled as she opened the door for the movers to check out the place.

"Mm-hmm," he murmured as he easily lead them through the apartment. "Ahh, still the same old Cyn... she's always messy," laughed Tristan as he saw Cynthia's room.

"I heard you're not that organised either," chuckled Gwyn as she realised that the movers were waiting for the two of them at the door. "Oh sorry about that..."

"I'm a  _ bit _ better... But you haven't seen Cole and James' place...  _ that _ takes the cake..." he snickered as he stepped away from the door. "Just give us a few minutes to straighten things out a bit, please?"

"Yeah, sure. We can help out if you like," replied one of the movers.

"Oh that'd be great - we just need to set them off to the side, like on her dresser."

"Not a problem," replied the other as both of them nodded and followed the instructions that both Tristan and Gwyn gave them. After a few minutes, the room was relatively clear and ready for the furniture change. 

"Think it's better if you take out this first? Tris? Should we keep the mattress for her?" she asked, looking back at Tristan.

"Hmm... I know that this is a pretty old mattress, sleeping on it was really uncomfortable when I crashed here a few times for a nap... and it's smaller than the new bed so probably best to get rid of it."

"Alright. So... you can take everything to the truck boys," smiled Gwyn as the two men nodded and immediately got to taking the bed out of the apartment.

"Yes ma'am!"

Resting her hands on her hips, Gwyn turned to Tristan and grinned back as the bedroom was now relatively empty without the bed. "That was fast, don't you think?"

"Very. The thing with all four of us, we actually don't have much in the way of furniture so it's pretty easy to move things. Like my place for instance, I honestly don't have a lot of big items..."

"That's why I told you that Anne's amazing... considering the amount of furniture pieces I have in there," she chuckled.

"Yep. Everyone in their life needs an Anne." 

"Mmm-hmm," smiled Gwyn, as she placed a hand on Tristan's cheek and kissed him. "And... Cyn will have her bed set in no time," she whispered back as she saw the movers come in the bedroom once more, but with her bed this time.

"Yep - looking good so far," he smiled back before kissing her cheek - then his spot as he continued to hold her while the movers began to set up the bed.

"What do you think of that m'am?"

"Looks fine to me... and keep up the good work, you did an amazing job in no time," Gwyn complimented them as she looked at the room. "My thanks go both to you and Craig."

"You're most welcome! And glad that looks alright, so... if you don't need anything else, we're off."

"Yes sure... and no, that's more than enough, thank you."

"Agreed. Thanks again very much!"

"No problem you two and we'll make sure to pass on the praise to Craig. Bye!"

Watching them leave while standing at the door, Gwyn felt Tristan wrap his arms around her waist and resting his head on her shoulder. "Think she'll be here soon?"

"Yep, she should be. C'mon, want something to drink?"

"Mmm? I don't think we should..." she mumbled as Tristan closed the door and held her hand to lead her to the kitchen. "You do make yourself at home, don't you..."

"Just some tea Dear," he chuckled as he began to add water to the kettle while Gwyn sat down on one of the kitchen stools. "And I guess I do, since I spent so much time here before I found my apartment in the beginning."

"If you think that would be fine for Cynthia, then alright for me," she smiled, giving a quick glance at the timepiece hanging above one of the counters.

"She doesn't mind really, since she loves it when I cook," he grinned.

"Mmm... think we should fix something for her? I know I know, you'll take the lead," chuckled Gwyn as she moved down from the stool.

"Sure, something light as she'll be going to the gym," he chuckled.

"After she comes home?"

"After she eats," he grinned as he prepared the cinnamon tea for the two of them while digging into Cynthia's fridge. "Ahh, perfect. I can make something for her..."

"If you need help tell me..." she replied as she took the first sip from her tea.

"Sure, you can help me boil some eggs. We'll make her some egg salad."

"Alright!" she replied with a smile, as she opened the fridge and fetched some eggs. "So now we need a pan... and some water."

"Bottom cabinet next to the oven. Should be some pots and pans in there," he grinned as he began to prep the other vegetables.

After rummaging for a short while inside the cabinets, Gwyn managed to find the pan and a lovely coloured bowl for the salad itself. "You need salad leaves from the fridge?"

"Yes ma'am. We'll use the salad greens for some sandwiches for her."

Following Tristan's instructions, and without really having to cook anything herself, the pair managed to fix a small lunch for Cynthia that included the salad and a dessert in the form of a creme caramel which Tristan knew she'd be delighted to have.

"So that's that. A small meal for her that's not too bad, especially the creme caramel - it's a modified version of the original, so it's in line with her wanting it a bit more form-friendly."

"Come to think of it... I was even worse than her at that..."

"Yes you were, and now you're not. What's even funnier, is I think you're more tone and a bit skinnier than when I first met you, despite you eating more 'rich' foods..." he chuckled.

"You think so?" she blinked back at him. "I haven't really noticed the difference..."

"Look at the waistband of your jeans... You used to not wear a belt with them, and now you do."

"Mmm... that's true..." she hummed back, grinning when she heard the front door open. "And seems someone's here..."

"Hi Cyn! Surprise!" grinned Tristan.

"What the... what are you two doing here?" Cynthia chuckled when she saw the two of them seated at the kitchen table. "Are you alright today?"

"Yep, had a nice chat with Neville, Lisa, and Alice today. Anyways, we hab present for you!"

"Huh? What present?" she blinked back at the two of them as Tristan hopped off the kitchen stool and moved by her side to grab one of her hands and drag her out of the kitchen to the bedroom.

" _ That  _ present Cyn," Tristan replied as he placed a kiss on her cheek watching her gasp as soon as she realised what the two of them had actually brought it.

"Oh my God you... it's the new one!" she squealed in delight as she rushed off to sit at its edge and feel the mattress. "So much better than mine was!"

"The whole point behind it was that, gorgeous," he replied, winking back at Gwyn who had arrived at the door. "You should actually thank Gwyn, not me in this case."

Grinning widely, Cynthia jumped off the bed and rushed towards Gwyn, enveloping her in a huge hug. "Thank you so much."

"D-don't mention it, really," Gwyn smiled back, rubbing her back. "We've got our new bed at home, so... let's say it got saved from its eternal doom," she chuckled. "I'm actually relieved you like it, after all, it's slightly bigger than the one you had before so I was afraid that you wouldn't have liked it. But, seems I was wrong."

"Terribly wrong! I love it!" she replied. "And now you won't complain that the bed's uncomfortable Tris if you happen to stop by," she laughed. 

"Oh God yes... Remember how you had to help me get my back into place after I'd nap on the thing? I still have nightmares about the bed..."

"That was quite the epic crack," laughed Cynthia in response. "And from the sound of it, it must have hurt..."

"You have no idea..." he shuddered as he hugged both her and Gwyn. "But now, we've upgraded everything - the bed frame, mattress, and your pillows. So try it out and see if it's perfectly at home."

Smiling back at the two of them, Cynthia walked up towards the bed and lied down, taking a pillow in her arms and hugging it close to her. "Mmm-hmm... feels perfect to me..."

"Great! Also made you a nice light dinner before you head off to your favorite place to work off stress..."

"You really want to spoil me you two, don't you?" she chuckled, as Tristan moved by her side and gave her another kiss on her cheek.

"Quite... it's a little thank-you token for all your help Cyn, really," Gwyn nodded.

"That and because I was making myself at home."

"I had no doubt about that," she smiled as she got back on her feet and moved by their side once again. "Have you eaten something? You might want to join before I go to the gym..."

"Ah don't worry, we need to get back home... check out the new furniture and finish packing Cyn. Even though we have tomorrow morning for that..." Gwyn replied as Tristan circled an arm around her waist.

"Yeah that's right... means I won't be seeing you again for two weeks... mmh?"

"Pretty much. We'll bring you back a gift or two if you want."

"Yes! I mean... mmm-hmm, that would really be appreciated," she smiled back at them. "Make sure to enjoy yourselves and forget all the crap that's around here."

"You know you can be excited and stuff around us dear," snickered Tristan as he snuggled against Gwyn.

"That's our main aim Cyn, don't worry... we will," she chuckled in return, as she had a quick look at the clock Cynthia had on her bedside table. "What do you think Tris?"

"I think that Cyn should have some alone-time with her new bed... before she has dinner and heads off to the gym. So take care Cyn, and we'll see you soon - hopefully more relaxed than ever," he smiled brightly.

"You'd better," she laughed as she winked back at them. "Take good care of yourselves, and phone us up if you manage to."

"Definitely gorgeous."

"And have a nice evening too," she told them as she walked them towards her door. "Say hi to Anne for me."

"For sure," he replied with a warm hug. "Take care and please mind what we said over the phone, please?"

"I will, don't worry..." she nodded back at the two exited the door and waved back at her. "And just to let you know, James and Cole will be coming with me to the gym, we decided to stick together as much as possible for the time being."

Laughing out loud, Tristan clung close to Gwyn. "Oh God, those two? Last time I dragged off with me, they kept staring at the women the entire time...which lead to James eating it really badly on the treadmill and Cole banging his head against the weight bar just before he was going to do his bench presses..."

"Really?" Gwyn laughed back in return as she noticed Cynthia closing her door while the two of them walked back to their car. "They'd probably wouldn't do that this time since they've got Cynthia with them... you know, I don't want to think how they'd react if they had to see Alice at the gym."

"We should probably call hospital just in case... And yes, I'm not kidding. But... I think Cole's got his eye on someone else now..."

"To that extent even James," she smiled.

"The problem with James and his approach to Cyn, is that he still keeps acting like a jackass around her... He just need to dial it back a lot, since Cyn already likes him..." 

"Are you totally sure about that?" she asked, as they both got inside the car.

"Yep... totally sure."

"Well, you know her more than I do so..." she nodded as they rode off. "So this evening, am I correct in assuming that we have the following milestones in our agenda: dinner, tub and bed in mind, with packing for tomorrow morning?"

"Yes. And what time's your meeting with Jamie and Cole?"

"What meeting?" she blinked as she stopped at an intersection. "I just had a meeting with...  _ his majesty _ tomorrow," she snickered. "And I'm calling that off."

"Ahh awesome. I thought you had a phone meeting with Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum for what they're doing while we're gone?"

"Right, that slipped out of my mind actually. I'll do that sometime in the early afternoon, while we're finishing the packing."

"Okay, sounds good. And I'm all caught up with my stuff... so I'm good."

Grinning, Gwyn speeded off and let out a laugh in the process. "Well, _ Fred _ will have to deal with my administrative stuff when I'm away. But frankly, I don't care."

"Good!"

"A little payback doesn't hurt after all"

"Nope! Not at all..." he snickered.

"You sure you don't need anything from your place, mmh?"

"Mmm... probably just some extra bags. You mind?"

"Sure, I'll just wait for you in the car," she smiled, as she turned towards a side street and pulled over a couple of metres away from his front door.

"Come inside," he grinned as he waited for her.

"Well," she smiled as she got out of the car and locked it. "Shouldn't take too long anyway."

"Nope, it shouldn't." Holding her hand, he led her inside his home away from home, which he now considered to be Gwyn and Anne's apartment.

"Does it bother you that you stay away so much from your house Tris?" Gwyn asked as she moved in the living room while Tristan went to rummage for stuff in his bedroom.

"Somewhat, but since this place is all paid for... as well as the adage 'Home is where the heart is', let's say it's my home away from home - which is undoubtedly your place."

"I'm glad... that you think of it that way, really."

"Besides, if you just want some quiet time alone, we can always have this place," he grinned as returned with two large, black leather bags.

"That's true, and what's in those?" she asked, raising an eyebrow as she saw him walk back inside the living room.

"Nothing." Laughing, Tristan opened the bags and revealed that there was nothing inside the bags.

"Right... the luggage bags," she chuckled, as Tristan gave her a slight nudge at her arm. "I know, I'm used to trunks and luggage cases."

"Heh, and to think, when I traveled, all I had was a very large backpack. I've upgraded since then," he grinned back as he closed up the bags. "Good thing that I don't keep food here anymore - though I suspect that Anne sneaks off to here every so often to clean... since there is a definite lack of dust around the place..."

"You leave the keys at home so... mmm-hmm, knowing her, she probably does."

"Yep...and Jasper comes along too," he chuckled as he found one of the pup's toys next to his coffee table.

"It's quite like his second home too. So sweetheart, need to check anything else?"

"...Oh! Right!  _ That _ ..." he smiled as he disappeared into his room again before producing his passport. "Can't leave without this."

"Tickets, receipts, bookings, what have you are on my desk right?"

"Yep, but we can always call Anne from here to make sure they're there."

"If you want... she'd probably be preparing dinner right now," she nodded.

"How about you call while I triple-check everything here."

"Whatever you say," she winked as she sat down on the couch and took hold of the telephone set to dial her home number.

After spending several minutes checking over his documents, making sure that nothing else was needed, Tristan returned just as Gwyn got off the phone with Anne. "Well?" 

"We went through the papers together and all's there, plus she told me that Jasper's already cuddled on the new bed," she laughed. "He sure knows that there's something new in the house... plus, Anne told me that she simply adores the new bed."

"Best get home then... can't have Jasper laying claim to our new bed... He might never leave it and we might not have any alone time on it..."

"And can't have you and puppy in competition."

"Nope... can't have that... Since someday soon, we might have to give him some playmates..."

"You mean children?"

"No, I meant toys for Christmas, as we can use our bed to wrap presents," he grinned. "Kids... maybe once we're married."

"Ah you meant presents... right," she blushed slightly.

"Again, we'll just take this day by day. For now, our holiday is at the forefront in my mind."

"Same here..." she answered as she got up once again. "We heading out?"

"Yep, time to go home..." Handing Gwyn his passport, which she tucked into her purse, Tristan grabbed the two bags and the pair made their way out of the apartment. After climbing into the car, Gwyn drove them home as she and Tristan simply chatted about what they were planning to pack into their luggage. Once Gwyn got them safely home, they shared a smile before kissing each other gently. As their kiss ended, Tristan stroked Gwyn's cheek before climbing out of the car and gathering their bags while Gwyn gathered the smaller ones. Locking the car, the pair made their way into the lift and headed into the apartment where they were immediately greeted by a happily barking Jasper and a smiling Anne.

"Anne... the smell is amazing... what have you cooked?" Gwyn gasped when she removed her jacket to place it on the clothes' hanger.

"Hey catdog, c'mon, daddy's going to put these bags away and play with you in a bit, okay?" chuckled Tristan as Jasper snuggled up against his and Gwyn's legs before barking at them. "And Anne, seriously... dinner smells amazing..."

"Roasted chicken, and potato wedges and stir-fried vegetables and... apple pie," Anne proudly replied as the two of them gasped back at her. 

"Wow... sounds amazing..." gaped Tristan as Jasper looked up at Tristan with a proud expression on his face. "And seems that Jas knew all about dinner I suppose."

"He was such a good boy today, really... right Jas?" she told them as the puppy looked up at the three of them and barked.

"Well good. But, despite that Jas, no sleeping on Mommy and Daddy's new bed while we're away, got it?" Tristan called as he headed towards the bedroom.

"He won't... right boy? And... we might get him a new cot actually, he's starting to get bigger, right baby?" Gwyn chuckled as she crouched down to pat him.

"I think we should, and he'd enjoy the extra space. I know! How about Anne and I go get one tomorrow while you have the phone meeting?" he replied as he proceeded to re-enter the room and grab the bags from Gwyn.

"Could be an option," she replied as she got back on her feet. "And if you finish up before, I might complete all of the packing."

"Maybe," he smiled as Jasper followed him into the bedroom. "And yeah, the bedset's perfect in here - they even hung the mirror for us."

"And... yes, it's amazing," she smiled as she rested against the doorframe. "Just right..."

"Mm-hmm," he murmured as he removed his coat, scarf, cap, and sweater before placing them on top of the bed. "Height's nice too..."

"I'm actually pleasantly surprised that it fits so well in the room... really," she muttered as she walked inside the room and rested her hand on one of the posts. "Wood's colour is just what I wished for."

"Yeah. The storage piece is a nice addition as well, don't you think?" asked Tristan as he wrapped his arms around Gwyn while Jasper continued to explore the new bedroom furniture.

"I'd love to fill in that house you wanted this way... remember you telling me about it?" she whispered softly.

"Yep and to be honest, I haven't forgotten... When we build our dream house together, we can plan the furniture accordingly - but I'll easily say that this set will fit in just nicely. And all of the furniture in the extra bedrooms - those can come along for the ride as well. Anne and her stuff, obviously coming too as she's essentially family now."

"Mmm-hmm, definitely," she nodded in agreement.

"So... as much as I'm tempted to skip out on dinner and break this bed in, how about we get cleaned up a bit and enjoy the wonderful meal that Anne's prepared?"

"Quick shower and dinner then? I'd really love a slice of that apple pie with some ice-cream..."

"Is said shower together or separate?" came the mischievous snicker.

"Together, we take less time," she winked back at him as she took his hand in hers and walked him to the bathroom.

Grinning, Tristan shut and locked the bathroom door behind them as Jasper let out a knowing whine before heading back out of the bedroom.

-

"Ahh, this looks fantastic!" smiled a newly cleaned and comfortably dressed Tristan as Anne had begun to dish up dinner.

"True! Anne you've outdone yourself this evening," Gwyn agreed as she sat down by Tristan's side after drying off her hair.

"Thank you," she grinned back at the two of them. "And now just relax and enjoy it... I've prepared a fresh fruit smoothie for you, let me go get it."

"Anne! You don- Nevermind, she'll just keep doing what she does," he laughed. "Seriously, trying to keep her down sounds like it's an impossible task."

"She's that dedicated... and she's happy with what she does so... I wouldn't worry," she replied, leaning in to nuzzle against his neck.

"Nope, I'm not worried either," he replied as Anne returned with the smoothies. "Wow... looks good. What's in it?"

"One's with peaches with peach flavoured yogurt and full cream, and the other's with strawberries, ice-cream and vanilla," she winked back at them as she placed the two large glasses in front of them, together with a bottle of sparkling water.

"I'll take the strawberry one," grinned Tristan.

"As if we didn't know that," the two women said in unison as they stifled a laugh while Tristan made a face at them.

"And while you drink that... I'll go prepare the chicken for you," she nodded, heading back into the kitchen.

"I love strawberries, what can I say..." he smirked before taking a sip. "Yep, perfect smoothie."

"There's ice-cream, so it's pretty much obvious that you approve," Gwyn chuckled as she placed her straw in his glass and took a sip.

"Well yeah... I can always make one of my favorite smoothies for breakfast tomorrow...and I do use yogurt instead of ice cream..." 

"Want to taste mine?"

"Sure." Leaning over, Tristan took a sip of Gwyn's as she took a sip of his. "Tastes pretty good. I'll make you one of mine tomorrow as it has strawberries, peanut butter, and bananas."

"Peanut butter?" she blinked back at him. "In the... drink?"

"Yes dear, peanut butter. Trust me, you'll like it."

"Tomorrow for breakfast?" she smiled as she drained off half of her smoothie.

"Mm-hmm... Assuming I can wake up early..." he replied with a smirk.

Smiling, Gwyn placed a kiss on his cheek and straightened up as Anne came back into the dining room with their two large plates. 

"There you go."

"Mmm... delicious," drooled Tristan.

"And if you need anything else tell me," she told them as she sat down and rested Jasper's food bowl by her side.

"Sure!"

Chatting and joking as they ate their dinner, time literally flew by and Anne had already brought in the warm apple pie portions, topped by custard cream and cinnamon ice-cream which made Tristan's eyes sparkle in delight.

"Oh wow that looks amazing..."

"And it's not even a special occasion..." Gwyn muttered as she took the dessert fork in her hand.

"It somehow is... I won't be seeing you for two whole weeks so... had to do something special after all," she smiled back at them. "Tomorrow evening you're going to be at your mother's place, right Tristan, so... you got my point."

"We will bring you lots of awesome things from our trip..." he grinned. "And really though, thank you for the awesome meal."

"Oh there's no need really... just make sure to relax and enjoy it," she told them as she lifted Jasper in her arms and placed him on her lap.

Looking at the table, Jasper tried to snag a piece of carrot from Anne's plate.

"Ah ah, no Jasper," Tristan said as he eyed Jasper trying to get the food off of Anne's plate.

"Hey you," Anne chided him as she sat him back properly. "No Jas, that's not yours."

Whining, the pup tried to give Anne his best sad expression, which she wasn't buying.

"Y'know, a new cot would be a good thing for him... he keeps this up, he'll be a very fat and roly-poly puppy..."

"And we don't want that," Gwyn continued, as she shot a look at him.

"Nope, instead of walking Jasper, we'd have to roll him down the street..." joked Tristan.

"See what mommy and daddy are telling you? That's not good at all for puppy so..." she muttered as she placed a kiss on his muzzle. 

"Mmm-hmm... and this apple pie was simply sublime," Gwyn muttered as she wiped off her lips with her napkin and turned back to look at Tristan. "What do you say?"

Looking up from where he was shoving the remainders of his second slice into his mouth, he gave Gwyn and Anne a slightly embarrassed grin.

"I'd say he loved it, right Anne?" she chuckled as she kissed his temple. 

"Definitely," Anne replied as she stood up and gathered the dirty plates.

Finishing up his food, he wiped his mouth and drained the rest of his water. "I'd say that the clean plate clearly demonstrates my love for tonight's phenomenal meal."

"It certainly does..."

"At least we're in agreement to that."

"Mmm-hmm... and Anne, you'd totally say no if we ask you to help you out right?"

"You've already replied yourself," she laughed out from the kitchen.

"Again... It's impossible to keep her down," laughed Tristan. Turning to Gwyn, he placed his hand over hers. "So... what's the plan for this lovely evening?"

"Whatever my prince feels like," she winked, bringing his hands up to her lips to kiss them gently.

"Mmm... cuddle?" he grinned as he leaned forward to kiss her neck and throat gently. "We can always take it from there later..."

"Mmm-hmm... I do agree with that," she whispered, running a hand through his hair.

"Then let's go?"

"Yes please," she smiled as she stood up, never letting go of his hand while they walked back inside their bedroom, chuckled as Tristan closed the door by giving a light backward kick.

"At least you don't complain on my method of closing doors..." he teased as they walked over to their bed.

"What is there to complain about," she laughed as they sat on the edge of the bed, both of them donning a pleased grin on their lips. "Mattress sure is soft..."

"Very... And as for my method, Cyn used to complain about me doing that - said I was going to put a hole through doors if I kept doing that... obviously I see none, so guess I'm doing alright."

"Door's alright so, no harm with doing that," she replied, resting her back down.

"Mm-hmm," he muttered as they both snuggled under the blankets. "And the linens are nice... So you stay warm and comfy why I go brush my teeth..." Smiling, Tristan hopped out of bed and headed for the bathroom while Gwyn took off her clothes and tossed them on one of the nearby chairs. As she made herself comfortable in bed, she realised that the size of the posts had really turned out to be terribly fitting to the room, just like she she had imagined them to be.

Upon returning from cleaning up, he noticed that Gwyn was comfortably snuggled under the blankets. Removing his clothes as well, he tossed them onto the same chair before climbing onto the bed and crawling under the covers. Pulling her close, he kissed her shoulder and rested his head against it. "I love you and good night babe."

"Good night Sweetheart... love you too..." she mumbled as she let out a small yawn and nuzzled closer to him, letting the warmth of both Tristan and their bed lull her to sleep.

-

_ "Hey sweetie... seems you fell asleep at last, mmh?" a young woman smiled while she placed a loving hand on her swollen stomach while she was reading an old book next to a cracking fireplace, enjoying the warmth that the flames emitted. "Mommy's just going to stay here a bit more then go to bed... still not tired enough..." _

_ Opening the door, a rather sloppily-dressed young man tried to slip quietly through the door, only for the sound of a high-pitched giggle to emanate from behind. "No, you can't come inside my wife's home..." _

_ "Aw, come on Tristan... it's not like you wouldn't want that..." _

_ "You mean that me fucking you in the hallway wasn't enough? Seriously Lara, you are quite the exhibitionist..." he laughed as he pulled her into kiss without shutting the front door. _

_ "Well... that was only the start, Sweetheart... I know you'd need more later," she whispered as she moved closer to him and licked his neck. "Plus... since when are you worrying about your wife now?" she chuckled maliciously as she locked her legs with his. "Vice Head of Clan's taking full example from his boss, isn't he?" _

_ "Doing my part for the Clan in providing a few Heirs... but since she's pregnant now, haven't been able to fuck her since... You on the other hand... you win. I love making you scream my name," he smirked as he dragged Lara inside the house, shutting the front door as she was desperately pulling at his trousers. "So, what exactly are you doing up, dear Gwendaylnn? Can't sleep because of the baby? Just as well, since I've been ordered by our illustrious leader to simply produce Heirs for him - which I don't mind doing, as that means I get to fuck as many women as I can... Oh and that feels good..." he continued to smirk cruelly as Lara proceeded in taking him in her mouth while disregarding Gwyn's presence completely. _

_ "If that is so," she whispered coldly as she stood up and headed for the front door. "Just enjoy the night then," she mumbled as she bit her lower lip and grabbed her overall, while she opened the door and rushed outside. _

_ "Tsk tsk tsk... she honestly believed all those words I told her when I said that she was my only one... How stupid could she be... just like Lady Adel... Now my pet, do you want to keep that in your mouth, or should I place it in a more appropriate spot hmm?" _

_ "I'll take the second one," she grinned back at him triumphantly. "Especially since I have you all for myself now..." _

_ "That you do, my dear," he smirked back as he proceeded to fuck her hard on the floor, grinning as she kept screaming for more. _

_ While tears started running down her cheeks uncontrollably, as the urge of throwing up whatever was in her stomach was rising, Gwyn climbed into her car and drove off away from the house, thinking of only one place where she could really feel safe... _

_ "Gwyn, what on earth are you doing here at this time of night? You should be resting!" came the shocked remark from Lisa, who immediately led her inside and locked the door behind them. "Hey... hey, what's wrong... Neville! Come down here!" _

_ "What's the matter-Gwyn! Oh Jesus, come here Sweetheart," Neville replied worriedly as he fetched a blanket from the nearby couch and wrapped Gwyn up in it. "What happened?" _

_ "Don't tell me it happened again..." Lisa sighed, glaring back at Neville whose eyes promptly narrowed into slits. _

_ "Him again?" _

_ "I shouldn't have... dragged him into all of that... I shouldn't..." she managed to mutter, resting her head against Neville's chest as she cried. _

_ "Hush, it wasn't your fault... You tried to keep him safe, but... it just proved that Fred's far more diabolical than we ever thought he was. Of course now, he's basically turned into a mini-Fred - complete with him probably fucking that Howell slut right now. Nerve of that bitch Turning him..." growled Neville as Alice came into view. "I thought you were with the baby?" _

_ "She just fell asleep Nev... and... Gwyn?! It's three in the morning what the hell are you doing here?" she exclaimed as Lisa shot a dark look at her. "Oh God not again..." _

_ "Apparently again... Ally take-" Neville began as he was immediately cut off by the front door being ripped off its hinges as an extremely angry Tristan stormed through, with Lara by his side. _

_ "So obviously this is where you went, you traitorous bitch! Thought you could get away from me? Oh Fred would certainly not like that," he grinned evilly as a purple glint ran through his eyes. "Ah, so nice to see you all again... the human whore, the blood traitor, and... mmm, the  _ other _ blood traitor... but I believe I can find my use for you..." _

_ "Boy, I'm ordering you to get the hell out of my house this instant..." Neville growled, his eyes turned into a flaming red as he held Gwyn tighter to him. "You Bastard! After all the time-" _

_ Grabbing Neville's neck with one hand, Tristan began to squeeze with all of his strength. "Yes, after all the times you took me in, how quaint that it comes down to this," he replied nonchalantly as he produced a silver knife and stabbed Neville straight through his heart. "Lara, take care of the human, I shall take care of Ms. Richards here... Fred will be just so pleased..." Turning the knife in Neville's chest, he easily ripped it out of the older man's chest, leaving him to bleed to death. _

_ "TRISTAN STOP! JUST TAKE ME AWAY AND LET THEM BE... I... THAT'S ENOUGH... Please... stop.. it... That's enough..." _

_ "No, you brought this onto yourself. Now you shall live with the consequences of such," came the haughty reply as Tristan vanished in Gwyn's grasp and re-appeared behind Alice, keeping one hand wrapped around her waist while the other was at her neck as he grazed his fangs against it. "Mmm... I can smell the fear radiating from you, and yet... you're completely aroused by my presence, aren't you?" he whispered while working the buttons of Alice's skirt and slipping his fingers into her. "Ah, you like that, don't you. You want me... even after I've just killed our dear friend Neville... You still want me..." _

_ "No I don't you filthy liar, and let go!" Alice shouted out as she slipped away and turned to punch him but found nothing other than air. "And where the fuck did that bastard go now?!" she growled out. _

_ "Ah ah, such a naughty girl... But I'll let you live, as you'll provide me with some fun..." he whispered as he reappeared behind her while resuming his hold on her. Sliding down her skirt and underwear, Tristan bent her over the back of the couch. "Just watch Gwendalynn - watch me ruin those you hold so near and dear to your heart," cackled Tristan as he removed his pants and roughly entered Alice before biting her neck. "So you do like that hmm... I'll give you more if you behave like a good girl..." _

_ "Fuck you..." she spat making him tighten his hold on her, as she whimpered in pain. _

_ "My my, that was one ugly little human woman and child back there," Lara grinned as she caught sight of Tristan and smiled evilly, while she clapped her blood-smudged hands ironically. "Tsk, giving complete service, aren't we Tristan? Nothing left untouched, as always." _

_ "I saw the way Ms. Richards used to look at me when I was half-naked at the gym... She's wanted me from the start... Figured I might as well take advantage of that... and if you wanted me to stop, why do you keep holding tighter to me, hmm? Because I can give you what Rhys could never give you? Lara now, be a dear and secure my dear  _ wife _ for transport to Fred. Ms. Richards will be joining us shortly as well..." he laughed loudly as he continued to rape and bite Alice. _

_ "Don't let me wait too long though, I might get bored in the car," she replied, rolling her eyes as she caught Gwyn from her hands and carried her out, with the latter not uttering a single word as she did, save for the trickling down of the occasional tear.  _

_ Removing his fangs from her neck, Tristan smiled triumphantly as Alice screamed his name after her climax. "Mmm, so I was right in you enjoying that. Well, I promise to be more gentle next time... Come, we have to report back to the others," he whispered sweetly as he proceeded to kiss and lick her neck before kissing her. Once they were dressed, he led her outside. _

_ Grinning as she heard a door slam, Lara knew that in a few quick paces, both he and Alice would have been inside the car on the way to Fred's mansion, just like he had planned. "Thought you were never going to get out of there." _

_ "Sorry it took so long, had to make sure that Ms. Richards was dressed before presenting her to Fred as well as dear Gwendalynn here," snickered Tristan as he drove through the streets quickly. Once they arrived, Tristan kept a hand on both Gwyn and Alice's arms as he escorted them through the halls before presenting them to Fred. "My Lord, as you requested." _

_ "Ahhh, fantastic work my boy. And it seems that you've brought me a little present as well?" _

_ "Ohh, no no no, Ms. Richards is strictly mine... but for my dear  _ Gwendalynn _ , I may make an exception - after all, you've always said that she looks just like her mother did..." _

_ "Mmm, I suppose you can keep Ms. Richards for a job well done... But you're offering me your wife? Now  _ that's _ the good deed that every son should do for his father, yes..." Getting up from his throne, Fred made his way over to Gwyn and placed a hand on her cheek. "Mmm... now you're mine once again, my dear Gwendalynn..." _

_ "I hate you... both of you..." _

_ - _

"Gwyn! Gwyn! Wake up! Please... Gwyn!" yelled Tristan as he hugged her close. "Come on baby, snap out of it!"

Screaming out loud as tears were running down fiercely across her cheeks, Gwyn opened her eyes and still visibly asleep, tried to squirm away from Tristan's hold, moving away from him totally shocked from what she had just seen.

Seeing that Gwyn was afraid of him, Tristan let go and let her be, though he felt a small part of his heart break a little. "I-I... I'll just go get you something to drink..."

Shivering violently as she raised her blank eyes at him, Gwyn reached up for her legs and hugged them close to her as she tried to slow down her reckless breathing while Tristan moved out of the bedroom. Realising that it had all been a horrific nightmare, she covered her eyes up and let herself go in a cry of relief, waiting for  _ her  _ Tristan to be back.

Returning with a glass of water and a damp face towel, he wordlessly handed her the glass as he began to wipe her face with the towel. "It was all a bad dream... I'm sorry you had one..." he whispered as he continued to wipe both her face and tears away with the towel, while struggling to keep himself from crying. "I... felt... it... It was horrible and frightening - I didn't pry into your thoughts because just  _ feeling _ you was bad enough..."

"I... I'm sorry I scared you..."

Setting down the towel onto his side table, Tristan climbed back into bed and hugged her close. "And I'm sorry you went through all of that. If it's too painful, don't tell me about it, okay? I just want to make you forget all about it now... Please give me that chance?"

"I... it was  _ you _ ... but you were thinking in Fred's brain, acting like him... and Black... with Lara..." she answered in a choked-up voice. "Turned against me, against Neville... Alice... Lis... went back to Fred and..." she shivered once more as she let out another cry while he held her close.

Letting the tears finally fall, he continued to hold her tightly. "Shh, it was all a nightmare. I'm actually hurt by the fact that you thought that I would be like Freddy... but since it was all a bad dream, I guess I can let it slide," he joked slightly as he kissed her gently.

"I never thought  _ that _ , not in the slightest, ever," she mumbled as their kiss ended. "Everything was so... vividly disturbing... I can still feel..." she stopped, a sob reaching up her throat again. "Oh my God..."

Tightening his hold on her, Tristan continued to let her cry as he stroked her hair and rubbed her back. "I'm so so sorry babe... But I promise you this - no matter what, I belong to you and you only. Should anything ever happen to me, I swear I'll come back to you. Promise me Gwyn, promise that you'll keep me whole. And I swear that I'll do the same for you."

"I will... and I swear and promise that I'll do anything for you in order to protect you... but... this all feels like as if the world's conspiring against me, against you, against us! I can't even sleep at this point without being plagued by these stupid thoughts every so often. Did I need to see you that way? No! I know too well who you are, but now, my goddamn subconscious has to play these stupid tricks against me as if it had a soul and mind of its own... what the hell's wrong with me?!"

"I honestly don't know, but perhaps your mind's just voicing its deepest, darkest fears about me. And I can tell you this, what you see before you, which is me completely naked and honest, is what I've always been. I don't have any deep, dark secrets or anything. I've laid all that there is about me to you, and you still have me. Whatever it is, I'll still stand by your side, trust me on that. And if you want to be alone tonight, I'll understand..." he choked on his words as he tried to wipe his eyes.

"No... no baby, don't leave me alone... please..." she muttered as she leaned against him and placed a kiss on his chest, where his heart was. "Only you can keep me sane..."

"And only you can keep me whole... Please, tell me what you want...and I promise I'll give you my all."

"Just... make me forget all the stupid things I heard you say and do..." she whispered, letting out a bitter chuckle. "My loveable mind even meddled with what you always tell me... whenever you whisper that you belong to me only..."

Rolling Gwyn onto her back gently, Tristan leaned down and kissed her so passionately and lovingly that it made her hold onto him tighter. "Do you want to stay here or do you want to calm down in the tub for a bit?"

"I need you  _ now _ , just... get this awful image from my mind Tris, please," she pleaded him, gazing straight into his dark blue eyes.

Nodding, he kissed her again as he eased himself into her, holding her tightly as he proceeded into making love to her. "No matter what, I live only for  _ you _ ," he whispered quietly as he continued to move.

"And I'm sorry I hurt you..." she repeated, as she kissed him back.

"I can't guarantee that we'll never hurt each other, but I promise I'll do my best to prevent that nightmare from ever happening. You have my word... I love you too much to ever let you go..."

"Prevent? It'll  _ never _ happen... I swear that to you... even if I'd have to  _ die _ in the process," she told him, in a very serious tone of voice.

Looking her in the eyes, he replied back in an equally serious tone. "Same for me. Should I die in protecting you, it'll be worth it. You are the first and only woman to  _ ever _ make me feel this way. And I will  _ never _ stop loving you,  _ ever. _ "

"Me neither, you're my whole existance. I'll love you and honor you till my very last breath."

"Same goes for me, I promise you Gwyn," he whispered before kissing her again. "Now, just focus on us... I want to make sure that the only thing you end up yelling tonight is how much you love me."

"Mmm-hmm," she smiled holding him closer to her. "And... if you heard me mutter something against you when I was asleep, I'm sorry for that too baby..."

"Actually, it was you hitting me in the face that woke me up... I didn't hear you say anything, but I felt your emotions...and that was more than enough," he murmured as he continued to move faster and deeper.

"Well, that should have been pretty bad... considering that I had actually," she halted for a short while, gulping. "Woke up right when Fred was going to...  _ rape _ me in front of you..." she muttered, pulling him even closer to her letting out a loud moan in the process.

"How about less talk about Fred - I don't want to discuss him while we're doing this... Again, just focus on us - on  _ me _ and I'll make you feel better..."

Closing her eyes to exhale a deep slow breath, Gwyn let Tristan shower her chest, right up to her neck, ear and cheek with soft, velvety kisses as he continued to make love to her, whispering phrases that ultimately managed to calm her down and make her smile, shunning those horrid thoughts off her mind as he did.

Seeing that Gwyn was beginning to forget about her nightmare, Tristan sat up on the bed - keeping Gwyn on his lap - and held her tightly as they continued to move together. "I'll always be yours, now and forever more, I promise."

"I know..." she whispered back as they continued to make love to one another throughout the night, making sure that the other was truly real. As they continued to look the other in the eye as they did, the mysterious bright blue glow returned to Tristan's eyes, giving him an ethereal appearance. Realizing that his eyes only shone like that when their hearts and souls were truly connected - usually when they made love - and that they shone brightly only for her, Gwyn continued to feel at peace, making that awful nightmare disappear.


	18. XVIII

As the sunlight shone through the windows, two lovers continued to huddle close to one another, completely oblivious to the whirlwind chaos of their bedroom. 

"Thank you..." 

"Mmm? What for?" whispered Tristan as he gently kissed Gwyn's shoulder, his eyes still shining brightly. 

"For being you..." she replied as she gently stroked his cheek with her index finger, smiling as she wandered into his eyes. 

"I could say the same for you too babe... You're the only woman for me, now and forever."

Placing a hand on his chest, right where his heart was, Gwyn rested her head against him and whispered. "And that's coming from here isn't it?" 

"Mostly there, because you know... up here and down there love you too," he smiled brightly, making her laugh. "But yes, all my love for you is from my heart and soul. I swear to you." 

"I know that..." 

"I know I don't have to ask... but...?" 

"Mmh? What is it?" 

"How do you feel about me?" he asked quietly, but was immediately answered with a passionate, lingering kiss.

"Are that, the last couple of hours and the fact that I'd give my life for you enough for a reply?" she whispered back with a sincere smile. "What's on your mind?"   
  
"I think so... but maybe a little more convincing in the tub might prove to be fun as well..." 

Letting out a soft laugh, Gwyn rested her forehead against his chest and then looked up at him, smiling all the while as she did. "We might as well consider that, baby. I love you so much..."  
  
"I love you too... So...what the hell happened to our bedroom _again_...?" Tristan laughed out loud. 

"I don't have a clue... and I'm not really bothered with that," she chuckled as she flipped Tristan to rest on his back, letting out a giggle as she did. "Got you." 

Placing his hands on Gwyn's hips, Tristan wriggled his hips upwards, making her gasp. "I think I caught you actually," he smirked before pulling her down for a kiss.

"That was _very_ sneaky of you... Sweetheart," she chuckled as she slid a hand up his hair and kissed him passionately.   
  
"We still have most of the morning," he smirked as Gwyn continued to move. "And this is a _great way_ to wake up in the morning," Tristan replied with a groan. 

"Honey... we need to pack though..." she mumbled back. "But I do agree with that..."  
  
"Finish this in the tub?" 

"Yes please," she whispered, placing a kiss on his neck. 

Making sure that Gwyn's legs were wrapped around his waist, Tristan slid out of their bed and carried her towards the bathroom - carefully avoiding the mess they created. Sitting on the edge of the tub, he turned on the taps and kept his hold on her, kissing and licking his spot. "Yep, I'm _very_ addicted to you..." 

"Tris?" 

"Mmh?" 

"Don't ever leave me... please..." she looked up, as she held him tighter. 

"I promise I'll never leave you. So long as there's life in me, I'll never leave you," he whispered firmly before shutting off the taps and carried her into the water, settling her on top of him as he laid against the side of the tub. 

"I know... I know that," she replied, kissing him once again, while she gently rubbed his sides comfortingly. 

Reaching for the shampoo, he proceeded to wash Gwyn's hair as she grabbed the shampoo bottle after him and proceeded to wash his hair as well. "This is a bit new for us... I like it though..." 

"It's pretty relaxing," she chuckled, as she leaned down to place a small kiss on the back of his neck.

"Very..." he smiled as he grabbed the bar of soap and began to clean her up, planting kisses along her skin occasionally. 

"And I think I shall officially declare this is as my favourite way to get cleaned up," she laughed softly.  
  
"You must admit, we're actually getting _clean_ this time around..." 

"Because we're _really_ having a bath," she smirked, placing a kiss on his cheek.

"Yeah, that _would_ be the main difference, wouldn't it?" 

"Mmm-hmm, technically... yes." 

Turning her around in the tub, he proceeded to wash her back. "Thought so..." 

"And that feels good..." 

"Good. Because I'm all about making you feel good..." 

"Mmm-hmm," she replied as she started humming a soft tune. 

After washing her back, he carefully proceeded to wash her front, kissing her neck and throat as he continued to wash her. "Better?" 

"Very much... so, after bath... we have breakfast and start the packing? What do you say?" 

"Sounds good and your turn," he chuckled as he handed her the bar of soap. 

"And I haven't forgotten the smoothie," she winked back at him as he turned to face her while she started to rub his chest. 

"I haven't either. And believe me, the peanut butter will be great in it." 

"And I'll try to prepare something for you too..."  
  
"Okay, and this time, it'll be a success," he groaned slightly. "Gotta love the fact that I'm practically hairless..." 

"True," she laughed, as she circled her arms around him. "I think we're done honey..." 

"So one final rinse..." he grinned as he playfully dunked her head under the water. 

"Now, that was... _unexpected_."

"Well how else was I-" began Tristan as Gwyn proceeded to dunk him under the bath water as well.  
  
"You asked for it," she giggled as he got out of the water. 

"Yes I did," he snickered back as he kissed her soundly.  
  
"So... shall we get moving? And not in _that_ sense," she laughed, giving him a loveable smack on his chest.   
  
"Yes yes... I can always have my way with you at my mom's house..." Tristan replied with a wink as he grabbed some towels for them. "And after breakfast and packing, you can have your meeting while Anne and I get Jasper his new cot. Deal?"   
  
"Mmm-hmm," she replied, in a rather jovial mood. "I still need this before we go out though..." she whispered, leaning against him to give him one last kiss. 

Once their kiss ended, he proceeded to dry her off with her towel as she rubbed his hair with his towel. "We should do this more often... Almost feels like we're actually married for real..."  
  
"We could do that everyday if you like," she smiled as he rubbed her back gently with the towel, pulling her closer to him.   
  
"Showers in the morning and select nights and weekends - we go for the tub. Should we ever find ourselves at Neville's place - the tub will be in full use."   
  
"You've already planned everything, haven't you?" she laughed as she slipped on her underwear and was helped by Tristan as she put on her bra. "So, it's more than obvious that baths will be very frequent on holiday... mmh?"   
  
"Baths and...the current whirlwind known as our bedroom... Yes maybe," he laughed jovially as he pulled on his white boxers.   
  
"Right... I hope those places are soundproof... at least a bit," she told him as she walked out of the bathroom, stopping in her steps when she saw the current state of the bedroom. "Oh my God..." 

"It's a tropical place, I'm sure that's what most people end up doing... And told you those posts came in handy..."   
  
"We haven't used the posts! Er... wait a second..." she replied, looking up at him and blushing. 

"You were kinda holding onto them when...stuff happened...last night..."   
  
"Alright, alright..."   
  
Pulling her into a warm hug, he kissed the top of her head. "Yes baby..."   
  
"Tris?"   
  
"Yes Gwyn?"   
  
"Can we clear up the room, at least a little bit, mmh?" she chuckled as he still held her close.   
  
"Should probably do that... So that we don't embarrass Anne with all of our _stuff_ ..."   
  
"I don't think she gets embarrassed any longer," she smiled, placing a kiss on his shoulder. 

"Probably, as half the time, we're not exactly _discreet_ when we're planning on a... _fun time_ in our room."   
  
"Not really... to think... how embarrassed I was with you at first," she smiled as she let him go and started picking up loose pieces of clothing that lay all around the room.   
  
"Things change... and they've been changing for the better. I mean, you're still the same when we're at work, but I love seeing this more relaxed, loving version of you when we're alone. You have a very big heart, always giving and caring, and most of all, loving. When I keep thinking I couldn't fall in love with you anymore than I do already... you still manage to make me do so," Tristan replied sincerely as he began to make the bed.   
  
"You're so sweet..." she whispered. "Really..." she muttered in a pensieve tone.   
  
"I mean it, y'know..."   
  
"Mmm-hmm..."   
  
Tossing the pillows back onto the bed, he grinned. "Yep! Now we just dump the dirty laundry into the basket and we can get to packing... Or do you want to eat first?"   
  
Smiling, Gwyn quickly rushed by his side and enveloped him in a warm embrace as she placed a few kisses right in the middle of his back. "Eat first..."   
  
"Fair enough," he chuckled as Gwyn continued to snuggle against him.   
  
Placing one last kiss at the back of his neck, Gwyn let go and rummaged around the room to gather her dark nightrobe and slipped it on, while still with a grin on her lips. "Well, it does look slightly better now..."   
  
"It does actually," he smiled as he dug out a white t-shirt from the drawer and pulled it on. "Come along baby, time for breakfast."   
  
"Smoothie time," she grinned, as she caught his hand in hers and walked out of the bedroom, finding Jasper in the middle of the living room, stretching out.   
  
"Hey there catdog, mommy and daddy are going to make breakfast. Want something?" 

Barking, the puppy trotted over to them, snuggled against their legs and ran for the kitchen. 

"I should take that as a yes, shouldn't I?"  
  
"No doubt about it I guess."   
  
"Yeah, guess so..." Walking into the kitchen, Tristan proceeded into preparing all of the necessary ingredients for the smoothies. "Do you want lots of banana flavor or lots of strawberry flavor? The peanut butter taste will shine through no matter what..."   
  
"Strawberries, and ice-cream, and yogurt and cream and- what?" she smiled as Tristan blinked back and gave her an amused grin.   
  
"So a more strawberry flavor it is..." Hearing a door open, he immediately greeted Anne as she stepped out of the bathroom. "Morning Anne! Care to assist Gwyn in preparing breakfast? Smoothies shall be the beverage of choice this morning. Also, do you want more banana or more strawberry in your smoothie?"   
  
Rubbing her eyes once again, Anne let out a small yawn then smiled at the two of them. "'Morning... and banana please..."   
  
"Okay and - holy shit it's only six-fucking-thirty in the morning?! I never wake up this early willingly..." murmured Tristan.   
  
"I always wake up round this time..." Anne nodded. "And the Miss wakes up approximately half an hour after me... when you're not here," she winked back at him. "Which is rare nowadays." 

"Eh heh heh heh... Guess we didn't really sleep after your nightmare then, did we?"  
  
"Nightmare?"   
  
"It's a long story Anne, let's say I had a really frightening nightmare..." muttered Gwyn, as she shot a look at Tristan.   
  
"A _very_ frightening one that I would rather not have a repeat of in the near future..."   
  
"You went through too many things lately... so I'm actually not too surprised that it happened," Anne sighed as she moved next to Tristan and started helping him out. "And you saw something from that dream too Tris?"   
  
"Not really - I think Gwyn was protecting me from seeing anything actually - thanks and can you hand me the peanut butter - and I didn't really want to pry into her thoughts. What I _felt_ was bad enough though...I felt kinda sick to my stomach, but it went away when I was trying to wake Gwyn up."   
  
"I'd never want him to see what I did see myself... the most horrific thing I've ever experienced..."   
  
Setting down the knife he was using, he wiped his hands on a kitchen towel before enveloping Gwyn in his arms, cradling her head gently against his chest. "Shh baby, it'll never come true... We promised each other, okay?"   
  
"Mmm-hmm," she hummed in return, feeling the warmth and comforting feeling that Tristan conveyed to her in that very moment. "I'm alright..." 

"Good. No more thinking about it, okay? It's not going to happen, I promise." Kissing her hair one last time, he let go and took the proffered peanut butter from Anne. "Thanks. Now we put some spoonfuls of this in here, and the yogurt - no ice cream since it's breakfast Gwyn..."   
  
"Aww really? And I thought you'd let me have some," she pouted playfully. "And I know it won't happen..." she finished with a smile.   
  
"Nope! No ice cream, but I will add some chocolate to the smoothie - trust me on this, please," he smirked as he added chocolate milk for the milk, as well as a touch of cream to make it blend better. Scooping some ice into it, he proceeded to blend everything until it was very smooth. Pouring a bit of it into a cup, he let them try it for themselves. "See if this is to your liking..."   
  
First Gwyn, followed by Anne, the two had a small sip, and Tristan immediately realised that his creation had been immediately appreciated from Anne's grin and Gwyn's smile.   
  
"So... now you believe me about the peanut butter?"   
  
"That was great!" both of them exclaimed in unison.   
  
"Good. Here Jas, have some banana," Tristan called the pup in question, who easily caught the slice of banana that was tossed to him. "If you're good today when you go out with Auntie and me, I'll let you have some peanut butter too." 

Panting happily, Jasper sat down on the floor quite attentively.  
  
"Honey, you're going to spoil him."   
  
"But I won't see him for two weeks..." whined Tristan. "But you'll love my other pets, I swear they're the most people-friendly animals ever. Part of me would love to bring Jasper so that he can visit his 'brothers'..."   
  
"We'll make them meet up some other day... that's for sure... now, since both me and Anne are eyeing that drink like it was a magic concoction... can we have some, please?" she told him, sticking her tongue out at him.   
  
"Thought you were making breakfast?" he taunted as he lifted the pitcher from the blender base and held it over his head - completely out of both Gwyn and Anne's reach. "Ah ah, this _goes_ with breakfast, so...no breakfast, no magic elixir..."   
  
"Awww..."   
  
Laughing, Tristan kept his hold on the pitcher as both Anne and Gwyn proceeded to find things for breakfast.   
  
"Now... what had we mentioned for breakfast?"   
  
"I'm leaving that up to you two..."   
  
"Feel like having waffles you two?" Anne suggested as Gwyn grinned back at Tristan while still in that playful mode. 

"I'm up for anything... Gwyn?"  
  
"Totally agreed to," she smiled, holding her arms up. "You have complete possession of the kitchen."   
  
"And I'll keep this safe while you two prepare the waffles... Oh come on honey, you can at least - how about blueberry waffles?"   
  
"Gwyn doesn't like blueberries Tris," Anne chuckled as she brought out some of the necessaries from the fridge, and gathered the rest from the nearby cupboards. 

"Well that's a shame..."   
  
"The only berries I can really stand are strawberries," she admitted, as Anne nodded in agreement. "And raspberries I guess."   
  
"You can include raisins at that," Anne added as Tristan winced. "And Tris don't make that face, I know you don't like them."   
  
"I do, and they're pretty healthy too."   
  
"Yuck."   
  
"Tris..."   
  
"I just don't like them, end of story," he pouted as Anne and Gwyn tried their best to stifle a laugh. "They taste _gross..._ and the texture's all wrinkly and reminds me of shoe leather... YUCK!" 

"You're such a big baby when it comes to things you don't like eating," chuckled Gwyn, as Anne placed a hand in front of her mouth to laugh softly.

"Bu-bu-bu... they taste _GROSS_..." 

" _Baby,_ " Gwyn called him back in a teasing tone as Anne started to finish up the batter for the waffles and starting to cook one by one. 

Sticking his tongue out at her, he tossed Jasper another piece of banana before placing the smoothie pitcher atop the fridge, ensuring that Gwyn couldn't reach it. 

"You evil, evil person," she chuckled as she moved by his side and wrapped her arms around his waist. "You know I can't reach it from there..." she whined slightly, making Anne chuckled and Tristan grin back at her mischievously. 

"And this is my problem, _how_?" he teased playfully. 

"How what?"

"How is it my problem that you're too short to reach the smoothie." 

"Huh?" she blinked back at him. "Of course I can't reach it, it's too high for me, without heels and all." 

Shaking his head, he simply picked Gwyn up and set her on the far kitchen countertop. "And you're being awfully cute this morning," he grinned as he leaned against her. 

"Doesn't do any harm every so often, mmh?" she chuckled as she rested her forehead against his. "And this means that the smoothie will have to wait, right?" 

"Yes dear, it goes with breakfast, and no, no harm in you enjoying yourself. In fact, I want you to completely be your cute, adorable self from the moment we leave for my mother's place till we go back to sleep in our bed here after we arrive from our holiday. Deal?" 

"With pleasure," she smiled back.  
  
"Holding you to that," he whispered before kissing her. 

"I promise... no worrying about anything," Gwyn replied, kissing him back as Anne looked on with a smile. 

"Good." 

"And these are almost done if you like... Tris, do you mind getting the milk chocolate from the fridge please? And the... bowl of chopped fruit... if you can of course," asked Anne as she plated the finished waffles. 

"Can I do something Anne?" 

"Nope, just stay where you are and let Tristan lift you down when he deems fit," she winked back at her. 

"Hey, you two have something against me this morning or what?" 

"No, just keeping you out of harm's way. Wouldn't due for you to get hurt or anything... And sure Anne." 

"Thank you." 

"Oh alright," replied Gwyn, with a slight pout.  
  
Kissing her cheek one more time, Tristan gathered the chocolate milk and fruit bowl before placing them on the kitchen table. After making sure that the items were in place, he went back and gathered Gwyn in his arms, spinning her slightly around the kitchen before setting her down. "Good morning." 

"'Morning baby," she smiled, resting her palms on his cheeks and kissing him soundly. 

After their kiss, he sat her down gently at the table before proceeding to re-blend the smoothie. "And this is ready for consumption by all," he snickered as he poured three servings into separate glasses before placing them at the table. 

"Do I have your permission to try it out then?" she smiled, winking back at him. 

"You both do." 

"Great!" grinned Gwyn as she took the glass in her hand and took as sip, quickly followed by Anne. "Oh you were so right about this..." 

"Right about...?" 

"It's really good and the peanut butter's makes it somehow..." 

"Original," Anne nodded as she joined Gwyn in drinking. 

"You're welcome." 

"And put whatever you want on the waffles: either the fruit, or the chocolate, or the vanilla cream... anything you like," Anne smiled at the two of them. 

"Well first we can put a dollop of cream here... here... here... and all along here. Next, we'll put two grapes here and here. Then, we place a piece of strawberry here. Finally, we'll take the chocolate sauce and do this!" smiled Tristan as he finished his creation on Gwyn's waffle. 

"A smiley face?" she laughed as she took some of the chocolate and smudged it on his nose. 

"Yep! His main aim was to make you smile," he laughed as he smudged some of the vanilla cream on Gwyn's cheek. 

"And now?" 

"You're turning breakfast into a totally fun experience you two." 

"What?" both of them turned to look at her, with chocolate and vanilla smudges on their faces respectively - a sight which made her laugh heartily for a good couple of minutes. 

Laughing alongside Anne for several minutes, the couple proceeded to clean themselves up before eating breakfast peacefully. 

"I'm really going to miss you these two weeks," muttered Anne as she finished off her smoothie. "Make sure to call me whenever you have time... please." 

"Yes ma'am," replied the pair. 

"Probably you'll be safer there than here anyway, but... it'll be good to know that you're doing fine." 

"We'll make sure to call when we can," smiled Tristan as he drank the rest of his smoothie. 

"And be sure to call Cynthia too, or else she'd end up panicking," she chuckled. 

"Oh for certain..." 

"She'd probably kill you Tris if you don't," joked Anne in return. 

"Knowing her, she'll hunt me down personally..." 

"I'm _totally_ sure about that." 

"Seconded," Gwyn nodded as Tristan nuzzled against her, placing kisses along her neck and jawline. 

"Gee thanks..." he snickered as he nuzzled against Gwyn's neck.  
  
"So honey, packing first or you go do your shopping? It's still early after all so..."   
  
"Too early for the shops to be open, so we might as well get our packing done, since there isn't that much left I don't think. I mean, a steamer trunk between the two of us, as well as the extra bags I brought from my place should be okay, right?"   
  
"Mmm-hmm... sounds good enough... I might get another hand luggage for me too..." she muttered pensievely.   
  
"Okay. I think we just have to toss in our toiletries and the new stuff we got yesterday, right? Because I think we packed most of our clothes already..."   
  
"Definitely... and we'll just have to go through everything to see whether we missed something."   
  
"Knowing you, I don't think so," chuckled Anne, as Gwyn blushed slightly.   
  
"Fair enough. After that, Anne, Jasper, and I will get his new cot and you can hold your meeting. First up - dishes."   
  
"Just sit there you two and leave everything to me," Anne told them in what sounded like almost an order.   
  
"Yes ma'am..."   
  
"I'll be ready soon anyway," she nodded back at them, heading back into the kitchen leaving the two of them on their own.   
  
Reaching over, Tristan pulled Gwyn onto his lap and held her tightly. "Drive to my mom's house should take about two hours or so. From there, we'll spend the evening and all day tomorrow with them... and then we'll be leaving Sunday morning. Mind if we leave the car at my mom's house? I think Val's dropping us off at the train station."   
  
"We can leave it parked there Tris, I don't mind."   
  
"Okay good. I think it's a small family dinner tonight with my mom, Val, and Livvy. Cath, her husband, and the kids should be there tomorrow morning."   
  
"Perfect..." she replied, resting her head on his shoulder. "You need to say anything to Cyn or the others?"   
  
"Tell Cyn that I'll take pictures of all the really hot guys there and that those pictures can be shared with James and Cole as well..."   
  
"Tristan..."   
  
"Better than taking pictures of all the girls there..."   
  
"You'll have me in a swimsuit... as if," she joked, winking back at him.   
  
"See? I can't take pictures because you're better looking than them... and it'll make James jealous. At least with taking pics of the guys there... it'll _really_ make James jealous... Just tell them that - they'll know I'm joking... for the _most_ part."   
  
"Like I said, you're my mischievous little baby," she whispered, leaning in to kiss him deeply.   
  
"And there was never any doubt about that," he whispered back before returning her kiss.   
  
"Bedroom to finish up the packing?" she smiled, gazing into his eyes once again. 

"Yep. And Jasper can come help too... Right puppy?" 

Barking, the pup trotted over to them and sat by Tristan's chair.  
  
"Want to come with us puppy?" 

Letting out another bark, Jasper started heading towards the direction of the bedroom. 

"That would be a yes..."   
  
"Come on then," Gwyn whispered back, taking his hand in hers.   
  
Setting Gwyn back onto the floor, the pair of them followed Jasper into the bedroom and proceeded to finish packing. With the bags and the trunk laid open in front of them both, Gwyn and Tristan sat on the edge of the bed, pondering of what else was needed to be included inside their luggages.   
  
"We did place the swimsuits... and the rest of the swim gear we got yesterday... the underwear too... mmm..."   
  
"And the presents are in my trunk as well... Clothes are there too, as are another pair of shoes. Anything else?"   
  
"The passports and the tickets are in my bag... oh, did I put in that black spaghetti-strapped evening dress?"   
  
"I think so... but I'll go check the closet. C'mon Jas..."   
  
"And you got enough shirts with you?"   
  
"Proper shirts and t-shirts for you I believe - yeah, your dress should be in your trunk as are the matching heels. You have your jewelry?"   
  
"Mmm-hmm, in my luggage... now all we need is the toiletries and... anything else?" 

"Um...Something to wear for tonight...and tomorrow?"   
  
"Just pick and choose," she mumbled, resting down on bed. "Tris?"   
  
"Yes dear?"   
  
"Think we'd be able to have a walk along the water at night?" 

"That I'm pretty sure of. Do you want to bring your sandals or just go barefoot?"   
  
"Technically, if we'd be in your secluded beach... we could do that in our swimwear..."   
  
"There's other stuff we can do at my secluded beach too..." he waggled his eyebrows suggestively - only to have a pillow tossed into his face, causing them both to laugh.   
  
"We'll see," she replied, sticking her tongue out at him.   
  
"Oooh, is that a promise?"   
  
"I'm giving you the possibility, because honestly... I don't want to worry about anything while we're there," she thought out aloud, making Tristan grin at her change in attitude towards the vacation and their time alone. 

"Yes!"  
  
"You just wanted to hear that, didn't you?"   
  
"Very much so..."   
  
"You have my word then," she chuckled. "I won't back out from this... promise."   
  
"Good. Now... I think we have it all ready for tonight. So... it's now... '8:45'... what time's the meeting? And what time do you want to leave for my mom's place?"   
  
"Anytime you want's fine for me - I want to get away from everything," she replied bluntly.   
  
"How about this... Neville's place is along the route towards my mom's place, which means that the beach is close by. We get done here, and finally have that picnic on the beach before heading over to my mom's. Mom's retired, so she'll be the only one home around four or so."   
  
"Told you, I'm in for anything... you mean we get take-away from Nev?"   
  
"We can do that, or from the steakhouse you like by my place... Whichever works for you."   
  
"Oh right... we haven't had anything from that place lately... with all due respect to Nev of course," she smiled. "I feel like having a vegetable pie or something..."   
  
"So veggie something... I think there's a place close to the our favorite ice cream place - they usually have really great veggie dishes."   
  
"That's great, so food's set, day's set... and since it's almost nine o'clock... meeting should have been at ten. Plus I have to warn Cynthia about Fred. As a reminder."   
  
"Sounds good... So if we arrive early... and no one's home... want some private time in my old room?"   
  
"I wouldn't like your mother or your sisters to come inside though... just cuddles during the day."   
  
"You do know that alone time can mean anything from cuddles to _that_ with me, right?"   
  
"Yes, and I was referring to cuddles without the _that_ ," she teased back.   
  
"But if we don't at my mom's house...how about on the _train_? Because guess what?" 

"What?" she continued. "And honey the train's more public!" 

"We have a _private car_..." 

"Now that's... interesting," she grinned back as he sat by her side. 

"Plus... it's a rather _long ways_ by train to the harbour dock where our boat is..." 

"Baby... can I tell you something?" 

"Sure. What?" 

"I really can't wait to leave..." 

"We'll be on our way soon, no worries. So now, we've gone over our list five times now - and looks like we have everything on there - but probably if we just step back for a bit, we might remember other things. And that means, you go talkie with the guys at the office while I get Jasper his new cot. Knowing us, we'll probably remember to bring something that we'll need..." 

"Right... go get changed now then," she smiled, leaning in to kiss him. 

"Have fun with the meeting... in your lovely underwear and robe," he grinned back before kissing her. 

"Comfy isn't it?" she chuckled, as he lied down by her side.  
  
"At least we had a good time on it...since we won't see this bed for two weeks..." 

"I don't think you'll be missing it too much..." 

"I will somewhat... though now we have the chance to have a romp: in the train cabin, the boat cabin, our beachside cabana, possibly the beach... and everywhere in between," he grinned mischievously. 

"Talk about forward planning," she laughed back. "Love you." 

"Love you too!" 

"Off to shopping for a certain puppy now... while I go have that meeting with those two," she winked back at him. "You know, I'm actually feeling wickedly good about not being at work. I know there might be consequences, especially with Fred, but... he should know of the vacation so..." 

"I think you told me that he cleared it a long time ago - so he can't back down now. And as I 'told' you in bed last night, I'll always make you feel _good_ ," he smirked as he caressed her butt before heading off to grab a change of clothes. 

"Why am I suspecting that you won't let me go for a second?" she laughed as she sat back up and stared at the luggages again. 

"Because come hell or high water - and all that lies in between - I'm _never_ going to let _you_ go," Tristan replied sincerely as he pulled on his jeans. 

"I know..." 

Nodding, he gave her a grin while Jasper tugged on the bottom of her robe. "Baby wants some attention, mommy." 

"Come here you," she smiled as she took the puppy in her arms and placed him on her lap.  
  
Letting out a low growl - one that reminded the pair of a purr - Jasper gave Gwyn a happy 'grin'. 

"He's being our catdog again," she chuckled, as she looked up at Tristan who was pulling up his jacket.

"Yep. Fuery will love you Jas... You're roughly his size too - though a bit bigger - but he's not exactly a small cat..." 

"Really? Well, a cat isn't that big generally..." 

"He's mostly fur. He's a Himalayan..." 

"As if I'd know what that means," she chuckled as she got up from bed and stretched out. 

"It's a unique breed of cat. You'll probably love him, he's got all the qualities of a dog - though he's a cat. He's a reverse Jasper in color - looks like a raccoon actually." 

"Right... I need to see them now, you got me curious." 

"Ah ah, business first. You'll meet them soon enough," he grinned as he rubbed Jasper's head. "Time to go Puppy!" 

"I'll go phone them up then..."  
  
"See you soon," Tristan smiled before giving her a kiss and taking Jasper in his arms. "Say bye to mommy, Jas."   
  
Giving Gwyn's cheek a lick, Tristan set him back onto the floor as the two walked out of the bedroom. 

"Bye!"  
  
With the two going separate ways with distinct goals for the next couple of hours, Gwyn was the first to head straight to her office, sat at her desk and immediately dialed Cynthia's number, hoping that she'd reply to the call soon enough.   
  
"Hi, AD Coulston's office, how may I help you?"   
  
Blinking back at the receiver, Gwyn raised an eyebrow at the male voice that replied to her call. "Jake, what on earth are you doing in Cynthia's office?"   
  
"Oh! She just went to the bathroom - we just got in... had to take the long way to avoid you-know-who... He left a note in your inbox by the way."   
  
"Can you read it out for me?" she asked, rolling her eyes as she did. "Just for curiosity's sake, Jake."   
  
"'To my Dear Gwendalynn, I'm sorry for you having learned the truth in such a manner, but I felt it was necessary to no longer shelter you from the truth. Though I do love Adel very much, there are times when our kind simply feel the urges to try something new. In regards to the boy, you know _exactly_ what needs to be done so hopefully you will use your _holiday_ to accomplish it. If not, then I expect you to complete your task soon, as winter is in over a month's time. Should that not happen, then I will find _someone_ who is willing to do the job. On that end, please enjoy your holiday. Signed Fred.' And I don't know about you but that was definite bullshit about Lady Adel..."   
  
"Like fucking hell you would. Jake, I want you to burn that thing immediately and come back to talk to me when you're done. I can wait."   
  
"Uhh... okay... Do you happen to know who has a lighter or some matches? I don't really know my way around yours or Cynthia's desk..."   
  
"There should be a box of matches in the third drawer of Cynthia's desk. She uses them to light small tealight scented candles from time to time."   
  
Rummaging through the drawers, Jacob found the matches and grabbed an empty trash bin before tossing both the letter and a lit match into the bin. Once the letter burnt to a crisp, he poured his cup of coffee over the flames. "It's done."   
  
"Thank you. And as for what Fred said, he might actually win the bullshit award for that."   
  
"Definitely. So... I'll call you back once we're in James and Cole's office - Cynthia's back from the bathroom."   
  
"No problem. I'll be right here."   
  
Hanging up the phone, Jacob grinned as he saw Cynthia approach him as he pushed the bin under her desk. "Ready to go?"   
  
"Sure... and what's with that grin?"   
  
"Just got a call from Gwyn. C'mon, we should go back to the others now - James and Cole are supposed to have a meeting with her by phone..."   
  
"Ah right! James told me something this morning about it... and, what's this... smell of burnt stuff?"   
  
"Oh, just a note from Fred that he left in Gwyn's inbox. I was told to burn it... sorry for the smell."   
  
"He had the guts to send her a note... tsk," she shook her head in response as she locked the office door while the two of them headed outside.   
  
"Apparently so..." muttered Jacob as he shuddered at a mental image of Lara biting Tristan.   
  
"Jake?"   
  
"Yeah?"   
  
"Do you really think that Fred might harm Gwyn or Tristan? I want an honest reply please," she asked him, looking ahead.   
  
Placing a hand on her shoulder, he squeezed it gently as he tried to forget what Fred had done to his enemies over the years. "Yes, yes, a thousand times yes, I really do think that Fred would harm them..."   
  
"Why?"   
  
"My grandfather's known Fred for years... and he always said that despite his mostly laid-back demeanor, Fred is one power-hungry and ruthless son of a bitch. Should you get in his way, or not do what he wants, he'll go after you - according to what my grandfather says."   
  
"But thing is, he's never been like that! Gwyn absolutely adored him, till say... a few months ago?" 

"You have to admit though... this was before Tristan came on board with their project, right?"  
  
"Probably something happened afterwards and hence her change towards him... and the fact that she got closer to Tris might have influenced that balance... I might be wrong though..."   
  
"Well, my grandfather told me that Fred, as well as some of the board members, have taken an interest in Tristan... so that was probably another thing that rubbed Gwyn the wrong way," supplied Jacob as he neatly omitted the Council's interest in Tristan - most of whom were board members of New Dawn.   
  
"True, but I'm sure she wouldn't mind him getting a promotion."   
  
"Who getting a promotion?"   
  
"Tristan. To AD. You did say they were eyeing him, no?"   
  
"You do know the whole story about Tristan and this company, right?" Jacob asked in a confused tone.   
  
"Of course I know... am I missing something?"   
  
"That's the thing - they've been eying him since the beginning - but he declined. Now that he's made his mark again, they've taken a renewed interest in him - especially since he's working with Gwyn, whom they know is his adoptive daughter as well as one of the most powerful people in this company."   
  
"Right. Now explain what this _interest_ consists of..."   
  
"Who's interest? The board or Fred's?"   
  
"Both."   
  
"The board's interest is simple - they're looking for new blood within the upper echelon of management...Tris and Gwyn will no doubt receive promotions once Advertising can run independently which should be soon - so they'll have that. Tris' attitude and work ethic has been very much appreciated by them, which is why he's been promoted so fast due to everyone's consensus that he's fantastic for the job. And Fred's...it's simple really, what 'father' wouldn't want his 'daughter' to marry the best and brightest?"   
  
"That I might accept... what I can't is the hurting the two of them-part..." 

"I kinda get the sense that Fred wants Tris as his personal trophy - his _heir_ to the company of sorts... So in controlling one, you control the other..." came the partial lie from Jacob.   
  
"What about Gwyn? No more 'precious daughter' stuff? Where did that go?"   
  
"That's where the control comes in - it's pretty clear to everyone _not in the know_ about them - they're close. No one, and in all the years I've known Gwyn I can say this with finality, _no one_ has ever gotten close to her the way Tristan has. On Fred's part - he's jealous... jealous knowing that his daughter's going to leave him and so since he's eying Tristan... Well, you get the idea..."   
  
"That's sick."   
  
"Again, my grandfather said that Fred was a ruthless son of a bitch... it's just now that it's beginning to show..."   
  
"Geez, and he's our boss... ah what fun," she muttered as they finally arrived at the others' office. "Hey boys..."   
  
"Technically, _Gwyn's_ our boss... as is Tristan, since he's her second in command of this department..." chuckled Jacob. 

"Hey Cyn, Jakey. Anyone heard from Gwyn?" asked Cole as he was compiling a 'to-do' list of sorts. 

"Just spoke to her a little bit ago. I can dial her right now if you're ready?"  
  
"Sure, go ahead."   
  
Dialing Gwyn's personal line, Jacob held the receiver to his ear as he waited for Gwyn to respond.   
  
"Yes?"   
  
"Hi Gwyn. We're all here now, so I'll let you talk to Cole now..."   
  
"Pass him over, and thanks Jake."   
  
"No problem," he replied easily as he handed the receiver to Cole. "All yours." 

"Thanks. Morning boss, how are you today?"  
  
"Quite fine thank you, especially after hearing of a note that got burnt instantly... anyways, do you have a list of items for discussion prepared Cole?"   
  
"Yes I do..." Trailing off, Cole began to go down his list - with James and Izzy interjecting their ideas as well every so often. Soon, the meeting was in full swing and everyone easily slipped into their work, trying to forget the past few days.   
  


\- 

"Hey Anne? What do you think about this one?" Tristan asked as he held up a green cot for Jasper.  
  
"Do you really like that green Tristan... mmm..." she replied, looking around to check the other colours.   
  
"I think it's a bit too puke green for my tastes, but I was trying to show you the size of it. Think he'll like it?"   
  
"The size is just right... as for the color... we should look for a blue."   
  
"Any preference on blue?" he replied as he helped her look for a blue cot.   
  
"A brilliant sky blue maybe... or navy blue..." 

"Heh... you've just described what Gwyn calls my eyes... She says they're normally like a navy blue - almost black, but she also said that they glow - and when they glow, she said it reminds her of the sky on a sunny, clear day..."  
  
"Glow?" she asked curiously. "I've always seen them dark blue..."   
  
"Apparently they were glowing last night... and the night before that too while we were talking in bed... Though the first time she told me they did that, was after we all spent the day at the museum..."   
  
"Might be related to the fact that you'd be happy when it's just the two of you..."   
  
"Maybe... Ah-ha! Found them... Should we let Jasper decide?"   
  
"If you lay them down in front of him, might as well..." she chuckled as she brought the puppy in front of the cots. "So... which one you like most, mmh?"

Once Tristan set down the cots, Jasper began to inspect them closely - trying each one. After nearly twenty minutes, Jasper made his choice. 

"Oh that one huh? Puppy know what he likes apparently. Agree Anne?"  
  
"Of course I do." 

"So sky blue for puppy... And you need a new collar, it's getting a bit small on you... Should probably go with the red, as it suits him."  
  
"Anything else you want to get him while we're here?"   
  
"Mmm... probably should get him a brush for his coat. He's lucky that he has a short coat, but once he starts shedding..." sighed Tristan.   
  
"Probably a good idea..." nodded Anne.   
  
"Yeah."   
  
"See if you need anything else other than the brush too..."   
  
"Do we still have shampoo for him at home? I can't remember if we do or not..."   
  
"Getting another one for him wouldn't do any harm... especially since I can't remember if we have actually."   
  
"So shampoo and a brush... He has food - does he have treats?"   
  
"Not really, apart from the stuff you and the Miss give him." 

"I don't really want to give him too much people food... so we should probably get him some real treats. He's already chewed up his plush toys... though he seems to be fond of his puppy plushie - like he's nurturing it..."  
  
"Must be his favorite then..." she replied, as she started looking around.   
  
"Wanna get him another one?" asked Tristan while letting Jasper sniff around as he gathered cleaning supplies for the pup.   
  
"You could get him a cat, to match the nickname you've given him." 

"That could work. Though if he starts scratching things up... a scratching post should be good for him too," joked Tristan as he placed some clippers into the basket as well. "Okay Jas, let's go pick out a kitty for you..."  
  
"What's fascinating is that he actually understands what you're telling him," Anne nodded as she watched Jasper stretch out on Tristan's right leg.   
  
"Animals love me apparently. When I was little, my pets always seemed to know when I needed something - granted they also aided me in the theft of tons of sugar cookies when I couldn't reach them - but when I was sick, they'd cuddle with me and bring me things. If I was sad, they'd try to cheer me up. When I was happy, they'd always want to play. Jasper's the same way as them actually... It's kinda nice," he grinned as he bent down to scratch Jasper's head.   
  
"Which makes you partners in crime," she chuckled.   
  
"Well, he hasn't stolen any cookies for me yet... but we're working on that."   
  
"He did try to steal chicken nuggets from me though," she laughed out as the plushie rack caught her attention.   
  
"Well that just makes him hungry, since I don't think I was around at the time he tried. See something you like?"   
  
"There's that cat, see it? With the funny face there?" she told him, grabbing the plush cat herself. "See? It actually makes you smile when you look at it."   
  
Looking at the cat plush, Tristan began to chuckle. "Fuery makes that face when he wants people food... as does Jasper actually. So that one and...wait, I have an idea..." Grinning, he found a plush mouse and placed it in front of Jasper, who began to paw at it.   
  
"And I think we'll have to get the two of them," she laughed as she had a look at their shopping basket. 

"He seems to like them and yes, they are a must."  
  
"That's it then? Anything else you had in mind?"   
  
"So we have cot, leash, collar, brush, clippers, shampoo, peanut butter flavored treats, and two plushie toys. I think we're set..."   
  
"Oh, those were peanut butter flavoured? I hadn't realised," she replied, peeking into the basket again. "Guess we could go to cash desk then..."   
  
"He likes the peanut butter - he tried to lick it off the spoon I was using to eat it with once... so I just gave him some in his bowl instead. And yeah, time to go Jasper."   
  
"Yeah Jas, mommy's waiting for you back home," she grinned as Tristan started walking towards the cashier. 

After paying for all of the stuff and placing them in bags, Tristan smiled as he approached the pair. "Ready to go now?"  
  
"I was actually thinking of whether we should buy something for Gwyn... who did she have to call at work? I hope not him." 

"Cole, James, and Izzy - Advertising meeting, with a side of Jacob and Cyn for good measure. And for Gwyn... I've had my eye on a necklace and earring set we saw yesterday. Wonder if it's still there."  
  
"Really?! Oh that would be nice!" she exclaimed, giving him a slight push. "Come on, let's go get it!" 

"Wha- Hey- Wait!" laughed Tristan as both Anne and Jasper were pushing Tristan towards the car.  
  
"No buts, let's go get that present since you eyed it already," Anne grinned back. "Right Jas?" 

Barking happily, Jasper continued to nudge and tug Tristan's pant leg. 

"Fine fine. I know when I'm beat..." Climbing into the car, he drove them back to the mall that he and Gwyn went to yesterday. "I figured that this stuff would be a bit nicer than the candy ring I 'proposed' with yesterday with - And no, it wasn't a real proposal... but more like a pre-proposal."   
  
"It means that you promised her that you'd do that soon... sounds pretty important anyway," she smiled as Jasper nuzzled against her.   
  
"Yeah... I saw it in a dream of mine... It wasn't a really lavish wedding, more private than anything, but it was about in the springtime of next year. I told her yesterday that we'd be married before her next birthday..."   
  
"Really?!" Anne gasped, beaming back at him. "That's wonderful!"   
  
"Yeah. It was in the gardens of Vicky and Al's museum... You were there, Vicky and Al were there, Alice was there - as was Jacob. Cyn and the gang were there... Neville, Lisa and Amber... Some older guy with a funny mustache, but he was with Alice and Jacob... Finally my family was there too... Really vivid too. Anyways, I'm looking forward to when I can officially propose to her, but for now, I just want to get away with her right now - away from the crap at work, Fred, and his two flunkies..."   
  
"And you have every right in doing so, you both need it and deserve it... and just like you said, the proposal will come pretty soon and in its proper timing... so now, let's go that present you've seen."   
  
"Sure. And sorry Jas, you have to stay in the car, okay?" 

Whining slightly, but nodding, the puppy curled up in his new cot (which Tristan had set up for him in the back seat) and snuggled with his new plushies, making both Tristan and Anne laugh. 

"So catdog is safe... Let's go and tell me what you think of them..."  
  
"Sure," she replied, as both got out of the car and walked hurriedly towards the entrance of the mall. 

Leading Anne past the various shops, he led her to the shop in question that was currently displaying the necklace and earring set. "So? What do you think?"  
  
"You know her all too well..."   
  
"Great! I wasn't too sure, but glad you approve."   
  
"Think they have a matching ring... and no no, I don't mean an engagement ring Tris, don't look at me like that."   
  
"No no, I know what you meant... and I hope so. At least she can wear the ring on her right hand, though I honestly would prefer it on her left..."   
  
"You might never know what she does though," she grinned as Tristan asked the store attendant to see the set himself. 

"Good morning. There's a necklace and earring set that I saw in the window that I would like to purchase. Also, I was wondering if there was a matching ring to go alongside it?" Tristan asked in a slightly nervous tone.  
  
"Certainly Sir. You might want to show me which one of them please?" she replied back, turning her look towards Anne. "It's for your girlfriend I presume..."   
  
"Oh she's not my girlfriend - she's actually my girlfriend's younger sister, but yes, this is indeed for my girlfriend," he smiled as he led her over to the window. "It's that one over there."   
  
"That's quite the exquisite choice there," the attendant nodded as she removed the items from the display and showed them to Tristan and Anne. "Don't worry, we have just another brand new set there, and if I recall well it's the last one, and if you give me a couple of minutes, I'll go check if there is the matching ring. But I think there should be."   
  
"Oh thank you for all of your help," replied Tristan as both he and Anne continued to stare at the set. "I was planning on giving this to her once we're on the train..."   
  
"Sounds like a nice idea to me... perfect start to your holiday for sure." 

"Knew I could count on you."  
  
"And here's the matching ring Sir," the attendant nodded as she handed him the ring to see. 

"Oh wow that is gorgeous... Anne, what do you think?"   
  
"Get it."   
  
"...And looks like I'm getting it as well," laughed Tristan as the attendant smiled warmly at them.   
  
"Yay!" exclaimed both the shop assistant and Anne who clapped in return to his statement.   
  
"Wow. Is there anything else I should get along side this set?"   
  
"There is a matching bracelet too... and... if you get all four pieces I can arrange for a discount on the total." 

"That's... fantastic and thank you so very very much," he smiled as he examined the ring. "I think I know what kind of ring to get her when I do propose..."  
  
"Propose, mmh?" the attendant told him. "You'd definitely need to look at diamonds for that..." 

"Yeah I know, but it's still a bit of a ways off. And I'll probably consult Vicky for a few things..."   
  
"If you have any questions, when you eventually decide, I don't mind. We'll be glad to help," the attendant replied as she disappeared at the back of the store for a short while. 

"Definitely coming back here for the engagement ring. And I wanted Vicky's input for a stone setting that was used back in the Victorian age - just so I can put a personal spin on the ring. And the bracelet looks lovely too, doesn't it?"  
  
"I'll have a sneak at Gwyn's books if you like too," Anne grinned back at him. "I'll have plenty of time these two weeks." Looking down at the bracelet, Anne winked back at him and smiled. "Very lovely indeed." 

"Perfect and thanks for the help," he grinned. "Yep. The bracelet's gorgeous too. I think I'm ready to get them... just need to gift wrap them and hide it in my bag until Sunday..."  
  
"I'll gift wrap them for you if you like - gold or silver paper?"   
  
"Um... little help, Anne?"   
  
"Silver I'd say... you can use the gold one for the engagement ring eventually," she smiled back at him, as the attendant nodded in agreement. 

"What she said."  
  
"So you're getting all four pieces Sir?" 

"Yep! My girlfriend loves to spoil me rotten, so this will be one of the few times I can actually spoil her for a change."   
  
"That's nice to hear," she chuckled softly as she proceeded into wrapping every small box seperately, placing them in a lovely silver bag. 

"That's perfectly lovely. She'll love it," grinned Tristan as he waited for the final bill to be calculated.   
  
"And there's your package, and the bill Sir," she smiled as she handed over the two items to Tristan.   
  
Looking at the bill, Tristan gaped in surprise. "Wow... that was definitely more of a discount than I was expecting," he grinned widely as Anne took a look at the bill as well.   
  
"I had told you Sir about that," the salesgirl smiled back. "And I do hope your girlfriend likes them too."   
  
"You did and she'll absolutely love it," he chuckled as he handed her the cheque.   
  
"Thank you," she replied. “Your signature here and we're done."   
  
"Thank you so very much and have an absolutely pleasant day," Tristan smiled back warmly as he signed the signature slip and gathered the bag.   
  
"You're most welcome and hope to see you again soon," she replied. "Have a nice day."   
  
"Definitely for sure." Waving, Tristan and Anne headed out of the store, grinning madly. "That was an _amazing_ discount... I mean, I would've paid twice as much as this easily but... wow."   
  
"Probably, they rarely have people taking an entire set, so... that's why. Plus I'm sure some cuteness factor of yours added up to the discount," she winked back at him as they walked back towards the car.   
  
"My 'cuteness factor'?" he asked with an arch of his eyebrow.   
  
"Tris, you were so sweet when you were talking about Gwyn to the shop assistant, you were even blushing at times too. It must have struck her hence, the impressive discount."   
  
"Oh yes, I'm just a bundle of cuteness aren't I?" chuckled Tristan as he unlocked the car and opened the door for Anne.   
  
"Thank you, and yes you are."   
  
"Thanks." Climbing in after her, Tristan handed Anne the bag and started the car. "Meeting should be just about over, so timing's perfect. You'll have to help me smuggle that inside without her noticing it..."   
  
"No problem at that, especially if she'd still be in the office." 

"Yeah, hopefully. And how's Jasper back there?"   
  
"Sleeping," she smiled as she turned her head to check out on him. "And in deep sleep it seems." 

"Yep... he has some new friends to keep him company... definitely part cat or something.."   
  
"He's really sweet, just like a baby." 

"Yeah. Definitely made the right choice in saving him... And he's such a special little guy."   
  
"And it was good for the Miss too, she actually acts very much motherly with him." 

"Which is why I think she's better with kids than she thinks she is. I know it's hard for her to think about it, but if she was so willing to take care of Jasper - to which she's done a phenomenal job with - then she'll be even better with our kids... At least I think so."  
  
"That's what I think too - considering how many things her opinion has changed on every since she got to know you, well... I wouldn't be surprised at all if that changes too."   
  
"She'll be spending a day with my nieces and nephew... so hopefully she'll warm up to them - as I already know the kids'll love her."   
  
"She might be slightly overwhelmed at first, then she'd get over it, you'll see."   
  
"That's what I'm betting on." 

Once they arrived back home, Anne placed Tristan's present in her bag before helping Tristan carry Jasper (alongside his cot and toys) to the lift and inside the apartment. Seeing that Gwyn's office door was still closed, they placed the pup on the floor before heading back down to gather the rest of the items. Once the were back inside, Anne handed Tristan the bag, which he promptly added to the bag he was bringing and secured the flap. Smiling, he began to move all of the luggage into the living room for ease of transport before putting out two pairs of jackets for him and Gwyn and setting them on top of their luggage. Letting out a sigh, Tristan slipped into the office and closed the door, only to see Gwyn seated on the couch and being her usual no-nonsense self. Sitting on the ground at her feet, he took her bare foot in his hands and began to give her a foot massage as she remained on the phone while nursing a glass of whiskey that was sitting on the side of the desk.  
  
"Yes, that's right. So we're agreed on that..." she replied at the phone with half a smile. "I'll be seeing you in two weeks' time then... mmm-hmm... yes I will, thanks. Take good care of yourselves... yes. Sure sure. And we will. See you," she finished off, placing the receiver back in its place.   
  
Turning her attention at Tristan, she smiled and leaned down to kiss his forehead. "Back from shopping?"   
  
"Freddy do something to drive you to have lunchtime glass?"   
  
"I... well, yes. He left me a _loving_ note in my inbox this morning..."   
  
"Asshole..." murmured Tristan as he continued to massage her foot.   
  
"Said he thought there was no more need of him to shelter me from the truth... and that he loved Adel with all his heart... amongst another string of lies of course. What does he think I am? Stupid?"   
  
"Of course he's that much of a dick to say those things... And as for being stupid... I think he was hoping for naive..."   
  
"Maybe I was, ages ago, when I thought that he was a _father_ to me - in facts, not in bloody words."   
  
"Well, it takes more to be a father than just words... And how's the foot?"   
  
"Feels good," she smiled back at him, in a slightly more relaxed look. "Sorry about that..."   
  
"No worries," he smiled back as he began to massage her other foot. "You'll love the cot we picked out for Jasper...as well as his new bedmates."   
  
"So it wasn't just the cot," she chuckled as she rested her head against the back of the couch. "And I promise I won't think about that."   
  
"You'll see what we got him soon enough. And good."   
  
"What a jerk..." she scowled as she sat back up and looked at him.   
  
"Huh?"   
  
"Not you... him. Was just thinking aloud."   
  
"Ohh... gotcha. So, you gonna stay in your robe all day when we leave or...?"   
  
"Right right, I'll go get dressed..." she replied, rather absent-mindedly.   
  
"Honey, relax a bit... And it's not like I wanted you to leave right at this moment..."   
  
"Don't worry," she smiled as she got back on her feet and placed a kiss on his hair, taking the almost empty glass before leaving to the other room. "I'll be ready soon enough..."   
  
Following Gwyn out of the room, Tristan headed over to their bedroom and closed the door before flopping onto the bed and watched Gwyn get dressed.   
  
"Told you not to worry," she chuckled calmly as she fastened up her pair of dark jeans. "I just got a tad bit irritated, that's all."   
  
"Wasn't worried... just wanted to watch you get dressed actually. Because you naked, half-dressed, or fully-dressed is so fucking hot..."   
  
"Oh alright," she laughed, throwing the robe at him. "Thank you though..." she replied, slipping on a black vest, high-necked black shirt, followed by a deep purple wrap-on jumper. "Any comments?"   
  
"Can't we have just one more go on this bed before we have to leave?"   
  
"I'm all dressed up now Sweetheart," smiled Gwyn as she tied up the matching belt at her back, to then sit down at the edge of the bed to put on her boots.   
  
"Guess I'll just have to wait until later tonight then..."   
  
"Mmm-hmm... and... hey, didn't we say that we shouldn't at your mother's place?"   
  
"Well... I meant my bedroom... didn't say anything about the bathroom," he teased. "But alas, just kidding. Might as well be perfectly behaved while there, especially since it's only for two nights and one day."   
  
"Whatever you say's fine for me," she smiled while gathering her hair up in a ponytail.   
  
"... So... does that mean we can make out in front of my family?"   
  
"Except that," she laughed, throwing another piece of clothing at him. "And when are we leaving then?"   
  
"You wanted lunch... and as you've noticed, there is no luggage in here."   
  
"Soon then," she winked back. "And I'm ready if you want."   
  
Reaching out, he wrapped his arms around Gwyn's waist and pulled her on top of him. "Mmm... I can see that," he whispered before kissing her passionately.   
  
"Maybe we can wait a tad little longer before leaving," she whispered as she made Tristan rest his back against the mattress as they kissed.   
  
Nodding, he continued to kiss her while unbuttoning her jeans and slipping his hands past her underwear to tease her with his fingers.   
  
"You should have told me not to dress then," she laughed as his kisses deepened.   
  
"Well... I thought that this would've been more fun," he grinned as he continued to move his fingers against her, making her moan.   
  
"Tease..."   
  
"Mm-hmm," raggedly uttered Tristan as Gwyn unbuckled his belt and slipped her hands down his pants to stroke him. "God your hands feel good..."   
  
"Just a couple of minutes..." Gwyn whispered back. "There's Anne in the other room, and Jasper waiting for his parents... and..." she stopped, gasping at his touch once again. "Will you stop teasing me baby and get done with it?" she chuckled as he kissed her passionately once again.   
  
"Yes ma'am." Slipping off each other's jeans, Tristan pulled her underwear aside and thrust himself into Gwyn, causing her to moan his name loudly, as they made love frantically.   
  
Chuckling a few minutes later as Gwyn was resting her head against his chest, the two continued to share another few minutes of intimate warmth before leaving their bedroom for two whole weeks.   
  
"I think I'm really going to miss this bed a bit."   
  
"Me too... It's perfect for everything. Cuddling, massages, make-out sessions, hours-long lovemaking marathons, and a few quickies here and there."   
  
"Oh that's quite the list," she mumbled as she kissed his shoulder. "We go now?"   
  
"I guess so... I think this is the first time we made love while half-dressed..."   
  
"Not the most comfortable thing to do but still," she smiled, kissing his nose to then sit up. "Any idea where I tossed your jeans?" she chuckled, having a good look around.   
  
"Nope... and I don't know where I tossed yours either..."   
  
"There," she muttered as she got up from bed and grabbed both her pair and his, tossing it back to him while he was still lying down on bed. "And your boxers too."   
  
"Thank you babe." Grinning widely, he sat up to slip them on but stopped as Gwyn placed her hands on the waistband. "Going to help me?"   
  
"If I must," she chuckled as Tristan kissed her back while she pulled them slowly up for him.   
  
"Why thank you kindly."   
  
"You're most welcome," she smiled as she sat back on bed and pulled up her jeans.   
  
Pulling up his jeans and buckling his belt, Tristan slid onto the floor and easily fastened Gwyn's jeans and belt. "If we can't be completely naughty at my mom's house... how about we just do what we did before we made love?"   
  
"Because, I'd rather wait a bit and share the true thing," she winked back at him.   
  
"Fine..." he whined slightly. "Still though, you taste good..."   
  
"Tristan."   
  
"It's the truth, but I won't say anymore..."   
  
Smiling at his words, Gwyn proceeded to pull up her boots, re-gather her hair up and check her reflection in the large bedroom mirror.   
  
"Yep, love-making is way better for your skin and appearance than make-up."   
  
"Huh?" she blinked back at him, seeing that he was now standing right beside her.   
  
"Your glow... though I think it agrees with me as well, since my eyes are glowing too..."   
  
Looking closely at his reflection, Gwyn couldn't help not notice that Tristan's eye colour still had that sky-blue colour she loved so much. "Your eyes..."   
  
"See? I'm pretty now..." he chuckled. "And what about them?"   
  
"You're always handsome... forget the pretty," she chuckled, still gazing at his bright eyes.   
  
"Aww... but I can be pretty too..."   
  
"And beautifully gorgeous if you want too," she laughed, taking his hand in hers to squeeze it slightly.   
  
"I think I can approximate sexy too at times," teased Tristan. "But anything you said about me can be applied to you too."   
  
"Sexy's a giveaway, you always are to me."   
  
"Same here. C'mon, we should get going... otherwise we're never going to leave this room..."   
  
"Right," she chuckled as she stepped forward and placed a kiss on his temple. "Coats are in the living room?"   
  
"Yep. I put them with our trunks and luggage," he smiled as he kissed her forehead. "Now let's go see our catdog..."   
  
Checking out the room for one last time, Gwyn nodded back at Tristan and lead him out into the living room, to find Anne playing with the puppy on the rug.   
  
"That tickles, doesn't it? Sure it tickles," Anne chuckled, as she rubbed Jasper's tummy playfully. 

Barking, Jasper continued to wriggle around on the rug as Gwyn caught sight of the two new plushies in Jasper's new cot. 

"Puppy is very ticklish," grinned Tristan.  
  
"Mmm-hmm, pretty much... and... seems you got quite a bundle of stuff," she chuckled as she noticed the cat. "Which one of you chose the feline?"   
  
"We both agreed that Jasper should have one - Anne picked the color though. I picked the mouse. The thing was though...Jasper started to cuddle with it instead of trying to chew it..."   
  
"Because he's a sweetheart... Jas? Want to come to mommy a bit?"   
  
Getting to his feet, Jasper trotted over to Gwyn after he grabbed his new kitten plushie and placed it on his back.   
  
"Come here you," she smiled as she lifted the puppy in her arms and gave him the kitten plushie to play with. "You're like a human baby when you're like that," she chuckled back.   
  
Whining slightly, the puppy licked Gwyn's face then licked and nuzzled against the kitten, making everyone in the room smile. 

"Definitely didn't teach him any of this, that's for sure. Anyways, I'll go load up the car while you spend some time with the baby," chuckled Tristan.  
  
"Need any help?" Anne asked as she started helping Tristan with the bags, as Gwyn continued to rock the puppy in her arms. 

"If you could help me with the lighter bags, that would be great Annie."  
  
"Sure sure," Anne nodded, as she grabbed one of the black bags and followed Tristan outside.   
  
"Thank you!" he replied once they climbed into the lift. "So it's in my bag all nice and tucked away."   
  
"What?" Anne replied, blinking back at him.   
  
"The gift. Not the bag you're carrying, but in this one," he grinned widely.   
  
"Still in mind of giving it to her on the train?" she asked him as they arrived at the ground floor.   
  
"Yeah. She's relaxing... but I think that giving it to her on the train would be more appropriate to be honest."   
  
"That's for you to decide," she smiled as she handed him over the bag she was holding to place it in the car's luggage booth. 

"Thanks and I might do it sooner, but since this weekend is for my niece and nephew, I wouldn't be a good uncle if I took _all_ of the spotlight from them turning ten."   
  
"Oh that's true too..." she chuckled as she watched him close the car's trunk and head back inside. "Are there any other bags you need to put in?"   
  
"Nope, that should be it," he replied as he placed his bag and Gwyn's purse in the back seat.   
  
"Well, you don't have that much stuff with you, considering that you'll be away for two weeks..." she remarked back.   
  
"I pack efficiently... though most of the toiletries are in my main bag actually."   
  
"The Miss does the same, except that she's just used to packing smaller luggages for her business trips, that's all."   
  
"Hence why we don't have a lot of stuff..."   
  
"I think she got quite a few clothes with her... she could be planning to buy stuff from there," Anne told him as Tristan replied with a smile.   
  
"Knowing her, she'll probably buy me a few things as well."   
  
"And you had any doubt?" she chuckled as they got back inside.   
  
"Not really. But at least this will be something that she didn't have to get for herself," he grinned as he pat his bag once again.   
  
"Nope... she'll be ecstatic about it, trust me."   
  
"I hope so. So, time to go check on mommy and baby. And Jas really loves that kitten - just as much as his puppy and mouse too."   
  
"Back you two?" Gwyn whispered when she heard the two of them coming back inside. "Someone fell asleep..."   
  
"Aww... puppy's tired for sure."   
  
"Mmm-hmm... after he got all of his new friends and cot, he must be tired," she smiled back at Tristan. 

"Yep. Like the cot? He picked it out himself."  
  
"I really love the color," she whispered as she walked up to him.   
  
"Anne and I decided on a blue... the two choices were a navy blue or this one. Ironically, both are my eye colors... Anyways, we set them on the floor and let Jasper choose. After twenty minutes, he picked that one."

"And he took his time too," she replied, crouching down to place Jasper in his new cot.   
  
"Yeah..."   
  
Watching him as he nuzzled next to his plush toys, Gwyn looked up to smile at both Tristan and Anne and silently got back to her feet again. "Make sure to keep an eye on him for us Anne..."   
  
"I'm sure she will, as she Jasper's Auntie," grinned Tristan.   
  
"Definitely, you don't have to worry at all," chuckled Anne.   
  
"So, just wait for Cynthia to get you and then head to Neville's place. You called them, right honey?"   
  
"Mmm-hmm, Cynthia and James should come pick me up, and Cole too..." 

"Great. And Gwyn, I guess both Jakey and Alice should watch out for them too?"   
  
"Talked to Jake already and warned him about everything, don't worry."   
  
"Then I guess we're all set then? And don't worry, we'll call when we can, Annie."   
  
"Yes please," she smiled as Gwyn moved by her side to hug her. "Don't make me worry too much you two or else Neville won't let me stay at his place again."   
  
"Somehow, I seriously doubt that," laughed Tristan.   
  
"Take good care of yourselves and enjoy it... relax as much as possible... and... well yes..." she smiled at the two of them, blushing slightly. "Make the most of it." 

Giving Anne a hug and kiss on the cheek, he grinned widely. "Oh I think we intend to. See you in a few weeks."  
  
"I'll be seeing you," she waved back, as she watched the two of them walk out of the apartment and close the door. "It's just you and me now Jas..."   
  
"So...shall we get some lunch? I think I worked up a bit of an appetite back there in our room," replied Tristan as he hugged Gwyn warmly.   
  
"Me too... so, take-away from those places as agreed?"   
  
"Yep. Weather's just right for a lovely sea-side picnic."   
  
"Let's get going then," she replied, locking her arm in his.   
  


\- 

"How's your lunch?" asked Tristan as he took a sip of his tomato soup before adding some hot sauce to it.  
  
"Nice and warm, and told you I needed a slice of veggie pie," she chuckled in response.   
  
"Great. It's a nice change of pace from all the meat meat meat we've been eating," he grinned back.   
  
"Can I ask you a question?"   
  
"Yes?"   
  
"You still see those dark circles under my eyes... give me an honest reply though..."   
  
"Honey, there's nothing there. Honest."   
  
"Alright..."   
  
Setting down his soup, Tristan reached into Gwyn's purse and pulled out a compact. "See for yourself. There's nothing there."   
  
"Yes, I know, I believe you... really."   
  
"Good. Now if you're still worried about them being there, we'll have two weeks to get rid of them completely."   
  
"Have you noticed them lately though?"   
  
"Can't say that I have. I mean, even after what happened to me and then Fred basically telling you to fuck yourself that day, when I swore you'd probably be crying your eyes out - they never appeared."   
  
"Okay," she smiled, reaching up to kiss his cheek as a reply, while thinking about the actual lack of hunger for blood she was feeling of late. It was strange, in real terms, as she never technically thought about it, but amongst all of the various messes that had happened in the last few weeks, that had been the last of her preoccupations. And most probably, her system had adapted to that strange situation...   
  
"Yep. Want some soup?"   
  
"Just a bit."   
  
"Creamy tomato bisque - I added a dash of hot sauce to it though," he smiled as he handed her the cup while wrapping his arm around her shoulder as they watched the crashing waves.   
  
"You really like hot stuff in your food... and Tris that wasn't a pun," she chuckled as she tasted it. "When Anne prepares this, she sometimes adds cream to it - took the idea from Neville actually."   
  
"Yeah Neville does that with my soup, though he adds some roasted red pepper to it as well for a sweet kick. The cream is absolutely delicious in it as well." Taking the cup back, he finished the rest of the soup before eating his falafel.   
  
"What's that?"   
  
"Ground chickpeas made into a paste and then fried. Shove into some pita with tzatziki sauce, and some few veggies. Great on the go food from when I visited Egypt."   
  
"Right, haven't understood half of what you told me but... sounds interesting..." she laughed.   
  
"Have a taste," he chuckled as he handed her the falafel.   
  
"Let's see... you do have a weird liking to certain things..." she mumbled as she took a bite off Tristan's food.   
  
"It's not weird... You just need to get out and travel more..." he grinned back.   
  
"I'll leave that to you now."   
  
"Our honeymoon. Aside from the usual sights, we'll go on an epicurean adventure and try out all different foods of the region."   
  
"Totally agreed to," she smiled back.   
  
"Great!" Smiling once more, he began to eat the rest of his falafel sandwich.   
  
"Mmm-hmm," she hummed as she continued eating her portion of pie.   
  
"So...what'd you pick for dessert for the two of us?"   
  
"Should have gotten, a large slice of apple pie with custard cream, and... the banana and toffee pie."   
  
"Lovely. At least today's not so breezy or cloudy, but still it's a little grey out here..."   
  
"Yep, and I think it'll rain tonight..." she nodded in agreement. "Oh, and I got two hot chocolates for both, I almost forgot all about them."   
  
"Well, we'll be safe and warm at my mom's house so no worries there. And great," he smiled while draining his water.   
  
"Yes definitely," she muttered, finishing off her lunch. 

Tossing one last bit of falafel into his mouth, Tristan swallowed his lunch and took both his and Gwyn's garbage while she opened the bag of dessert.  
  
"This, we certainly have to share," she smiled, inhaling the sweet scent coming out of the bag. 

"Oh don't worry. I think us sharing both desserts would definitely be the thing to do."  
  
"Yes please," she laughed as she took a spoonful of apple pie to eat. "You'll love it, it's just delicious," she whispered back as she took a second helping and placed it in front of Tristan's lips. "Here."   
  
Opening his mouth, he took a bite of the pie and smiled. "Delicious."   
  
"Made a good pick then," she winked back, kissing him. 

"Yep!" he grinned before kissing her back.   
  
"Try your favorite now..." she told him. 

"Sure." Spearing a piece with his fork, Tristan made sure to get everything on his fork before feeding it to Gwyn. "Let's see how it compares to Anne's..."  
  
"Not as awesome as the one Anne prepares but... it's equally good," she smiled. "Try it."   
  
"Okay." Taking a bite for himself, he nodded in agreement. "You're right, it's still pretty good."   
  
"I do like the biscuit base... I know that it's the most important part but... I really like it. Don't get me wrong, the whipped cream, bananas and the toffee mix taste good but the biscuit at the bottom's delicious."   
  
"Agreed again." Grinning, he continued to take another bite of the pie, but stopped as he felt a drop of water land on his cheek. "Uh-oh..."   
  
"Rain isn't it? I felt a drop on my forehead a while ago but thought I was just overimagining things... but it seems I had felt right..."   
  
"Finish in the car?"   
  
"Guess we should," she replied as the two of them quickly gathered their things before the rain picked up.   
  
"Right," he laughed as they both ran back to the car, the rain slowly coming down over them.   
  
"That was... close," she chuckled as she and Tristan were back in the car, their hair slightly damp from the rain. "You alright?" she smiled, as she removed the stray bangs of hair from his forehead. 

"I'm perfectly fine. You?" he asked as he stroked her cheek.  
  
"Quite alright, just amused at the rain's timing," Gwyn replied, letting out a giggle. "We need to finish off dessert... we got interrupted right in the middle of the fun." 

"That we do," he smiled before kissing her again.  
  
"And we still had the hot chocolate which I hope is still warm," she chuckled as she reached out for the food again.   
  
"Well even if it's not, it'll still taste good." Taking the food and cup of hot chocolate, he smiled as they made a little picnic space in the front seat of the car. "This is pretty cute too, you have to admit."   
  
"Because we've never really done this either - it would be a good idea every once in a while to grab the car and drive off to somewhere, when it rains." 

"Does that include making out if we drive off to destinations unknown too?"  
  
"The farther away the better... and that would be acceptable in that case." 

"Excellent. Let's finish up then."  
  
Resting against one another as they watched the rain fall steadily on the shore, the pair finished up both their dessert and their hot chocolate, which despite Gwyn's fears, was still relatively warm and enjoyable. 

"See? It was still good and warm," smiled Tristan as he gathered up their garbage.   
  
"Mmm-hmm," she nodded as she rummaged inside her bag for the car keys. "Want me to drive this time round?"   
  
"Sure. I'll direct you towards her house. That way, should you ever want to go up there again, you'll know how."   
  
"Lead the way dear," she smiled as she switched on the engine to leave.   
  
Nodding, Tristan easily directed Gwyn towards his mother's house, which was closer to the mountains as well as a nearby river. Grinning at seeing all of the greenery from the large trees, he began to point out several places of interest that he often played in as a child with Cynthia, James, and Cole.   
  
"You were quite the adventurers," she chuckled as she slowed down as he pointed to a nearby turning. "It's close?" 

"Yeah. See those houses on the right? That's where Cyn and the gang lived. My house is on the left - with the big yard."  
  
"The childhood house I grew up in has probably been destroyed... well, both of them actually."   
  
"Well, you can make yourself at home here, I promise."   
  
"Alright," she smiled, as she parked the car in a small clearing at a close distance to the house and got outside.   
  
"Welcome to the real Faraday house," grinned Tristan as he escorted Gwyn towards his house.   
  
"Your mother should be here right?" she smiled as she noticed the cured flower beds in front of the porch. "Seems she has quite the green thumb too."   
  
"She does indeed and I think so, but I have a key for the house anyways..." he smiled as he fished a key out of his pocket.   
  
"Call for her, I don't want to frighten your mother or something..." 

"Sure." Unlocking the front door, Tristan knocked. "Mom? You home?"  
  
"Could she be in the... kitchen? There's a really good smell of homemade cookies in here," Gwyn commented as she started looking around.   
  
"Let's go check," he replied as he easily led her through the house. "Mom?"   
  
"Tris? Is that you?" another voice could be heard calling back. "I'm in the kitchen honey!"   
  
Smiling, Tristan happily dragged Gwyn with him as he came across his mother baking cookies. "Konnichiwa okaasan! Where's Val and Livvy? Oh and this is Gwyn, my girlfriend... and boss..."   
  
"Good afternoon to both," she beamed back, giving Gwyn a warm smile as she removed her baking gloves and proceeded to give the two of them an enveloping hug. "I really missed you little one." 

"Missed you too, mom. Hikari Faraday, please meet Gwendalynn Coulston... and vice versa."  
  
"Hi Mrs. Faraday, very pleased to meet you," Gwyn smiled back at her, strangely embarrassed at the introduction, fearing that she might do something that would make Tristan's mother look down upon her. Seemingly into her early fifties, the woman merely smiled sweetly at her and winked back in response, putting Gwyn immediately much more at ease than she initially were. "Tristan told me so many nice things about you... and his sisters. Wonderful really."   
  
"Oh did he?" she replied, her eyes sparkling proudly as she grinned back at her son. 

"Well... yeah, I did." Grinning, Tristan hugged his mother tightly. "And where're the dogs?"  
  
"In the backyard running after one another. I think they actually sensed you coming to see them... and... cat's in your old room, sleeping on the bed," she chuckled as she clipped back her shoulder-length black hair back on with a hair-clip and put on her oven gloves.   
  
"Figures. C'mon Gwyn. Let me introduce you to the 'boys'. We can get the bags later." Letting go of his mother, Tristan took hold of Gwyn's hand and led here through the house, showing her the various rooms before finally stopping at his room, where an off-white puffball was sleeping in the middle of his bed.   
  
"Laters you two," Kari chuckled as she watched the two leave the kitchen. "Tris? Dark or milk chocolate with your butter cookies?" she called back. 

"Dark!" he called back as Gwyn approached the sleeping cat. "Don't worry, he's fine."  
  
"Right!"   
  
"You sure I can pat him?" 

"Yep, he may just lick your cheek like a dog though," laughed Tristan as he sat on his bed and reached for the cat, who immediately leaped onto his lap, licking his cheek. "Hey hey Fuery, calm down boy."  
  
"That's cute actually," she chuckled as she watched the cat fuss over Tristan. "He's happy to see you again." 

"Very much so. Fuery, this is Gwyn." Setting the cat back onto the bed, Tristan watched as Fuery made his way over to Gwyn and sniffed her like a dog, reminding her of Jasper.  
  
"He's acting just like Puppy," she chuckled as she observed his moves.   
  
Realizing that she was safe, Fuery crawled onto Gwyn's lap and began to nuzzle against her and lick her cheek. 

"Told you he's like a dog..."  
  
"Pretty much... hey hey, you bundle of fur you, I'm happy to meet you too," she giggled as she started getting ticklish from his feasts.   
  
"He's what's known as a blue point Himalayan."   
  
"It could have been whatever as I don't have the faintest idea about which is which when it comes to cat or dog breeds, really."   
  
"Himalayans are from when a Persian and a Siamese are bred together, so they get their fluffiness from the Persian and the coloring from the Siamese. Anyways, want to meet his 'brothers'? Hawkeye will totally remind you of Jasper - only bigger."   
  
"Oh sure sure... if you manage to take Fuery off me," she laughed as the cat curled on her lap to sleep.   
  
"Fuery? Down boy." 

Perking up his ears, Fuery gave Gwyn one last lick on the cheek before hopping off her lap and left the room in search of his 'brothers'. 

"Wow... you weren't kidding Tris..." 

"Nope. And come on, the other natives are restless, since they know that I'm home," laughed Tristan again as he could hear the excited barking coming from the backyard.  
  
"Quite amazing," Gwyn chuckled as Tristan took her hand and led her to the backyard.   
  
"What's amazing?"   
  
"That they actually realised that you're here."   
  
"It's because I'm so unique I guess... And sorry for not letting you take in the scenery of the house, but then again, we have tonight and tomorrow." Smiling, Tristan opened the door to the spacious backyard - only to be greeted by a large chocolate Labrador and a red Akita Inu, which in fact looked like a very large Jasper.   
  
"Oh... oh, hi you two," Gwyn chuckled a bit nervously as she watch Tristan crouch down by the dogs' side.   
  
"Havoc is the brown one and Hawkeye is the one that looks like Jasper," laughed Tristan as both dogs began to play and lick him.   
  
"Nice names," she replied, crouching down by his side. 

"Yeah. Like I told you a while back ago, they're named after my father and his friends' call names when they were in the military. Hawkeye, whom is now nuzzling against you, is named after my father while both Havoc and Fuery were his friends. Isn't that right Hav? Though strangely, naming my Havoc _Havoc_ was the right thing to do as he's been nothing but crazy since we got him a long time ago."   
  
"Hey Hawkeye," she smiled as the dog nuzzled quietly against her side. 

Grinning over at Gwyn and Hawkeye, Tristan played with Havoc as Fuery wandered into the yard.  
  
"Seems you're a little less crazy than your counterpart mmh?" she smiled as she continued patting his head slowly. "Tris, are they both boys?" 

"Ironically, they're all boys - though all fixed. The weird thing is that there's no alpha male hierarchy between them... though I think they all defer to me anyways," he continued to laugh as he kept receiving doggy/kitty kisses.  
  
"Mmm... that's because they're companions rather than being a pack, there's not competition whatsoever," Gwyn commented as Hawkeye sat right by her side. "You really are a good boy, mmh?"   
  
Letting out a bark, Hawkeye leaned over and licked Gwyn's cheek while Havoc decided to sit by her feet as Fuery rested on Havoc's back. 

"Pretty much and they're all good boys actually," smiled Tristan. "If you don't mind staying with them out here - there's a swing on the porch over there - I'm going to help my mom out. But you're also more than welcome to help out too, just let them in, they know their place."  
  
"I'll stay out here for a while then," she nodded as she got back on her feet while the three pets watched closely. "You need to have some quiet time with your mother after all."   
  
"Alright then. See you in a bit. Guys, stay with Gwyn." Waving back at them, Tristan headed back inside the house. "Need any help mom?"   
  
"Just check whether the cookies in the oven are done for me, please Sweetheart," Kari replied while she was checking out the minestrone soup that was slowly cooking on the hob. "Where did you leave Gwyn, dear?"   
  
"She's out back with the guys," smiled Tristan as he wandered over to the fridge and pulled out a milk bottle. "So, how have things been here?"   
  
"Quite alright, I must admit... Cath's as busy as ever with the twins, while Livvy's always out and about with work, just like you in a way, doesn't have a break... and how about you dear? You've been pretty rare of late and I started to get slightly worried to tell you the truth..." 

"Sorry for not calling more often, but as you can see... I've been a bit _preoccupied_ as of... late," came the sheepish, almost shy reply as he poured some milk into a glass.   
  
"She's the one isn't she?"   
  
"Yeah, I'm pretty convinced of it now. Not that I don't care for Cyn or for Elizabeth for that matter... but Gwyn, she simply makes me feel more than they ever did. I love watching her while she works, when she makes a face at something I said, when she eats something that she loves, when she wakes up in the morning... I could go on and on, but I think you know what I'm getting at. I'll probably do anything to be by her side for forever..."   
  
"The look in your eyes is more than enough, trust me. I've never seen your eyes sparkle when you talk about someone."   
  
Choking on his drink, Tristan made a conscious effort to swallow. "So I sparkle now?"   
  
"It's a metaphor, honey," she smirked. "No you don't sparkle... in that sense." 

"Pffft... the day I start sparkling in the sunlight or something... I'm just going to hide indoors for the rest of my life..."  
  
"No need to, baby, you're not a glittering chandelier or anything or the sort," she laughed. "I'm pretty sure my son's genetics don't have 'sparkly' written on them." 

Giving her a wry smirk, Tristan grabbed some potholders and proceeded to remove the cookies from the oven. "I hope to God that I'm not... and _that_ I seriously doubt, since only Livvy sparkles, as does Cath."   
  
"No dear you're not, and... here, check the soup out," she replied, holding out a ladle at him. "And I'll be sure not to use that word with you any more, took it too seriously." 

Standing next to his mother, Tristan took the wooden spoon and took a sip. "Tastes good to me. And I wasn't taking it seriously... just more miffed than anything..."  
  
"Right... so... what we need is some grated parmesan and... mmm, what else?" she mumbled, as she tapped her feet against the tile flooring. "You get miffed out of nothing when I pass those kinds of comments, you're still the same," she chuckled. 

"Well that's not a nice thing to say..." he pouted before stealing a cookie from the sheet.  
  
"And that's the only cookie you'll have before dinner," she laughed as she moved by his side to place a kiss on his cheek. 

"Love you mommy."  
  
"Love you too honey..."   
  
Eating the rest of the cookie, he began to place the remainders on the cooling rack before chopping up some Italian parsley. "Maybe some oregano too?"   
  
"Whatever you like dear," she replied. "So, you still haven't told me where you and your half are off to."   
  
"Brazil. Cath set it up and we're meeting her friend down there too, the one that owns the restaurant and cooking school. I just told Cath about the secluded beach I found there - Jack and Therese made sure that there were villas available - and she took care of everything else. Mostly because she said that her baby brother needed a break from all the non-stop work...though when I mentioned Gwyn - Cath wanted our holiday to be as romantic as possible..."   
  
"That sounds good..." she nodded. "And speaking of Gwyn dear, she's awfully reserved, isn't she?" 

"A bit, but then again, she's only just met you for the first time. She'll warm up to you, so don't worry too much about it. But, how about you two go talk over tea or something? I think I can handle the kitchen. Plus, are you planning on making the beef braise? I can take care of all that, since it has to cook for a long time."  
  
"Are you sure?" 

"Hai hai okasan..." waved Tristan.  
  
"Let's make some tea and go talk to your girl then," she smiled back at him. 

"Green or something more traditional?"  
  
"I'd say green for the two of us and English Breakfast for your Gwyn," she winked back at him.   
  
"Alright. I'll get to work on the tea while you go grab Gwyn - she's on the swing."   
  
"With the kids," she laughed as she gave a slight pat on his shoulder and walked out into the backyard, leaving Tristan in the kitchen on his own. 

Once he was sure that his mother was gone, Tristan proceeded on preparing the tea and prepping the braising liquid for the beef shanks. "Must prepare for the twenty-questions from _each_ of them..." he muttered to himself.   
  
"You really must miss him you all, don't you," Gwyn whispered to the three as she swung slightly back and forth as she patted Fuery who was huddled up on her lap. "I'm pretty sure that Jasper will be like that these coming days."   
  
As if they understood her, all three animals let out their respective meow or bark in agreement.   
  
"Maybe if we get a bigger house one day, we could bring you all over, even though I suspect that Tristan's mommy would miss you..."   
  
'Nodding' back at Gwyn, Fuery, Havoc, and Hawkeye continued to relax as Kari came into view.   
  
Turning back while she slowly stopped the swing, Gwyn smiled as she saw Tristan's mother walking towards her which also made Hawkeye and Havoc perk their ears and rush towards her. "Seems they sensed you immediately."   
  
"Well, they're pretty much around me every day so... they're like children to me," she chuckled as the two of them reached up for a caress. "Right right you two go sit next to Gwyn," she told the two dogs, as they immediately followed Kari's order and sat down diligently by Gwyn's side. "I wish my children were that obedient when they were younger," she laughed. "Don't get me wrong, they were quite the lovable bundle, but sometimes they were just outrageously mischievous..."   
  
"Was it Tristan?"   
  
"Him, not too much... the eldest was the worst, even though she obviously doesn't admit it and thinks that Tristan was a walking hurricane."   
  
"It's just siblings' squabbles," smiled Gwyn. "I used to do that a lot with Neville."   
  
"Your brother?"   
  
"Not my blood-brother though... let's say we grew up together."   
  
"Oh I see... so you're an only child?"   
  
"Yes... my parents died when I was very young so... I just have a few memories of them and all. A friend of my father actually raised me."   
  
"I... I see," she stuttered. "I'm sorry, shouldn't have asked you in the first place..."   
  
"Oh don't worry at all," she smiled back. "You couldn't have known in any case... and happened too long ago anyway."   
  
"And I've brought tea with me," replied Tristan as he balanced a tray with three steaming mugs on top. "Two are green tea and one English Breakfast for you Gwyn."   
  
"Thank you honey, and my apologies again Gwyn, didn't want to remind you of that," Kari repeated again as her son gave her a puzzled look.   
  
"Believe me, you didn't do anything wrong, no need to say sorry again, really!"   
  
"Did I miss something?" he asked as he handed Gwyn her tea. "Done the way you like it..."   
  
"I just asked something that somehow recalled some sad memories," Kari admitted as Tristan looked back at Gwyn for a hint.   
  
"Parent thing?"   
  
"Mmm-hmm," his mother hummed in return.   
  
Settling himself next to Gwyn, he kissed her shoulder before resting his head on it. "You okay babe?"   
  
"Yes sure," she smiled back at him, as she warmed her hands with the mug. "I'm just concerned about your mother... you shouldn't worry Mrs. Faraday, really. It's part of the past now..."   
  
"If that's alright then..."   
  
"Believe me mom, we've had this discussion many times, it's good."   
  
"Alright, alright," she chuckled as she had a sip from her tea.   
  
Chuckling, Tristan sipped his tea from his mug. "Dinner will be braised beef shanks and minestrone soup. Mom? Is Livvy going to make her garlic bread rolls for dinner too?"   
  
"She said she'd bring those... and Cath mentioned something about dessert too."   
  
"Cath's coming tonight? But I thought that she was coming tomorrow with Steve and the kids..."   
  
"I meant tomorrow honey. But you might never know with your sister."   
  
"Right... Gwyn, once you meet Cath... Remember how I used to say that you being a workaholic was like a bad thing? You might meet your match with Cath..." shuddered Tristan as both Havoc and Hawkeye let out a whine of their own.   
  
"Are they agreeing with you or something?" chuckled Gwyn. "What's her work about? Apart from being a full-time mom..."   
  
"She's a doctor..."   
  
"That explains it then," Gwyn whispered, giving the two of them a very warm smile.   
  
"Which was why I never mentioned her when I was sick...the last thing I wanted was to have her 'doctoring' me..."   
  
"I see..."   
  
"So you two now, once you're done with the tea and with spoiling these puppies silly, want to help me out in finishing dinner?" she told the two with a grin.   
  
"I will. Gwyn? Think you can help out?"   
  
"Oh sure, definitely... at least with the table and all," she chuckled. "Wouldn't want to mess with the food or anything."   
  
Seeing his mother's expression, Tristan grinned. "Gwyn's culinary skills are quite lacking... like Cole-James-Valerie lacking..."   
  
"That bad?" chuckled Kari. 

"All in one, put together, that's me," admitted Gwyn as she let Fuery off her lap. "Yes, it's that bad."  
  
"Trust me, once we get back into the kitchen, I'm sure Gwyn would love to regale you with her cooking attempts."   
  
"Well, maybe not," she said, glaring back at Tristan. "I'd totally want to keep your mother's kitchen in the right working order you know."   
  
"Trust me, if it can survive Val, it can survive you. But if you insist," he teased gently.   
  
"Won't push you into it for sure," Kari chuckled as she walked back inside with her empty glass and tray.   
  
"What she said, and don't worry about it. If you can put up with me, you can certainly put up with the rest of my family," he whispered before kissing her cheek.   
  
"Alright," Gwyn replied with a smile as she pulled Tristan slightly down to give him a quick kiss on his lips while she was still seated on the swing.   
  
"Good. And do you want to stay out here for a little bit longer or do you want to head back in with me?"   
  
"I'll come with you... I'm alright now," she winked back at him. "Let's say I was a little... overwhelmed by everything, that's all."   
  
"Well, I can admit it's a bit intimidating, but trust me, you'll get along with the rest of them just fine. After all, you got along great with Val when she visited. So pretty much expect more of the same." Taking her hand in his right while holding both their cups in his left, Tristan helped Gwyn up to her feet. "Also, I love you."   
  
"I love you too..." she smiled as she gave a slight squeeze to his hand and walked together back inside, followed by the pets.   
  
As they walked, Tristan leaned into Gwyn, keeping her warm. "Oh and guys, wipe your paws before coming inside."   
  
Barking and meowing, the three pets wandered over to a mat and proceeded to wipe their paws, making Gwyn laugh out loud.   
  
"I just can't believe it..." she told him, looking up at him as they got inside.   
  
"They are quite talented," smiled Tristan as Fuery crawled atop Havoc's back and let the bigger dog carry him.   
  
"Dear, they're _extremely_ talented... I mean, just look at them," she noted as the three of them walked to the kitchen by Kari's side.   
  
"We've trained them well..." he chuckled as he checked on the braising liquid.   
  
"Very well, and now I understand why you're so good with Jas," Gwyn smiled, as she took one of the rags to start drying off the dishes. "And it's fine Mrs. Faraday..." she reassured her as soon as she noticed Tristan's mother trying to tell her that there wasn't any need for her to help, since it were just a couple of plates.   
  
"You're sure? I mean you're a guest here..." Kari replied, looking back at Tristan.   
  
"Of course," she replied, nodding while starting to clear up the clean plates.   
  
"Alright... oh and dear, just call me Kari, no need to be so formal, there's no need," she smiled back at her.   
  
"Jas and I are on the level. Oh yeah, I'll send you pictures mom... I found a new brother for the guys... His name's Jasper and he's a black and white Shiba Inu puppy."   
  
"Really? Where did you find him?" she asked her son, surprised.   
  
"Under a rain-soaked box. He was a couple of weeks old actually. I gave him to Gwyn for companionship for when I wasn't around... but safe to say I don't really live back at my apartment now..." he blushed.   
  
"Quite a few months ago... and too many things happened since then..." Gwyn muttered in response as Kari smiled sweetly at the two of them.   
  
"Getting married will just be the official seal dears, you pretty much belong to each other already..."   
  
"Well, so long as you aren't going to yell at me for 'living in sin' for doing so... But you can also realize that it's kinda a sticky situation, as Gwyn _is_ my boss..."   
  
"You actually know my opinion about it too well, and I don't want to bore you with it right about now... plus, I'm not aware of all that happened between you two and I'm not going to ask you. Should I have deemed what there is between the two of you as superficial, then yes, you would have certainly heard a whole lengthy sermon, trust me Tristan. But the look in your eyes says it all, and I'm not going to question _that._ "   
  
"Have I mentioned how much I love you mommy?"   
  
"You did, but I love hearing that again each time," she chuckled, as she winked back at Gwyn, making her smile in return. "Make sure that you're married when you have kids though... children are the gift of a truthfully blessed and happy marriage."   
  
Chuckling, Tristan began to work on the braise. "Well, we were hoping to enjoy our time as man and wife for a while before the kids... but you never know what'll happen. But marriage is at the foremost of my thoughts."   
  
"If you're just like your father... I'm sure of that," she grinned as she continued helping him out, after noticing the slight blush on Gwyn's face.   
  
"Oh... uh... heh..." blushed Tristan.   
  
"Just make sure to stay safe, that's what worries me most. And I don't just mean while you're on holiday."   
  
"Definitely mom, definitely..."   
  
"I'll take your word for that."   
  
"Yep. And... this is ready to just cook until Livvy and Val arrive. Any errand you need to run beforehand?"   
  
"Not really," she replied. "I'm pretty much up to date with everything, thank goodness."   
  
"Then go relax for a while. I'll show Gwyn around the house and then bring our stuff inside."   
  
"Sure?"   
  
"Gwyn? Do you think that my mom should relax?" he teased.   
  
"Since you're insisting, I think so," she winked back.   
  
"Right, it's two against one, you win," Kari laughed as she grinned back at them. "Call me when your crazy sisters arrive."   
  
"Sure thing mom."   
  
"Your mother's really sweet," Gwyn whispered once Kari had been out of the room for quite a while. "She must be a great supportive mother for you and your sisters. I mean, she almost looks like an older friend with you, more than an imposing figure. I used to be scared of Fred from time to time."   
  
"Trust me, you wouldn't want to see my mother when she's pissed off. She kinda turns into a sort of demon," he chuckled in response.   
  
"Most probably I'm worse than her when I'm angry."   
  
"You're good competition you two," grinned Tristan as Gwyn gave him a friendly peck on his cheek. "So wanna help me out?"   
  
"Sure, just tell me what's need to be done," she winked back at him as the pair got to finishing up things for dinner while they waited for the arrival of Tristan's sisters.   
  
After spending the next fifteen minutes or so prepping the table and chairs, Tristan went back into the kitchen to recheck on the food. Turning the burner to its lowest level, he recovered the pot on the braise before finding Gwyn wandering around the dining room - which was adjacent to the living room, where a baby grand piano was front and center. Surrounded by several comfortable chairs, a large couch, and four bookshelves, the living room looked to be an area that most had spent their time entertaining one another.   
  
"So this is the piano you used to practice on, mmh?" she smiled back at him, as she sat on the accompanying bench.   
  
"Yeah. Definitely my mother and sisters before me, but I probably put the most time on this when I was growing up. Pretty much ever since I was...two."   
  
"Neville used to tease me about spending too much time on it..." she mumbled as she softly pressed a couple of keys. "He'd tell me that my social interaction levels because of the piano were practically inexistant. I remember shoving books at him whenever he did that," she smiled back.   
  
"Cole, James, and Cyn made sure to drag me away from this as often as possible. But they did like to stay around and listen to me play."   
  
"Lady Adel used to spend a lot of time listening to me... used to bring me tea and sweets there."   
  
"My mom and sisters would as well. They often found my piano playing soothing."   
  
"Strange... I thought you didn't... anyway, this piano's pretty well tuned. Guess your mother knows how to take care of it," she nodded as she continuing trying it out.   
  
"Thought I didn't spend much time on the piano? Well, I actually did. I'd play a few bars while working on my homework."   
  
"Mmm-hmm... at least, it's better than playing for your pseudo-father to look like a perfect daughter," she whispered, rolling her eyes in distress.   
  
Taking her hand in his, he kissed the back of it gently. "Agreed and sorry about that baby. C'mon, I'll let you take a look at the one place I _did_ spend most of my time in fact - my room. You kinda glanced at it, but now you can really take a good look around." Grinning, he began to gently pull her arm and drag her away from the piano. "Also, my mom keeps it tuned just in case one of us drops by. Or when she's in the mood to play."   
  
"Your mother plays too?" she asked as Tristan started carrying her away from the living room towards his own.   
  
"Yep. So did my dad actually."   
  
"I've seen a picture once of my father playing the violin... not Fred, Tris. My real father. Don't actually remember it myself though."   
  
"My dad was mostly a guitar player - apparently he passed that onto me, as well as other stringed instruments. The trumpet and drums? That's all me." Stopping at his door once again, he gently pushed Gwyn inside. "Now, take a look at everything around."   
  
Smiling as soon as Tristan switched on the lights for her, Gwyn couldn't help but chuckle when she saw the first glimpse of his room. "Definitely yours," she mumbled when she saw a wall full of his sketches, paintings and photographs. Moving closer, Gwyn realised that the space above his desk was surrounded with a collage of pictures, dating back to when he was still a toddler, with his sisters and mother, followed by ones from junior school, to photographs with his friends both in school and while doing sports, with Cynthia and the gang featuring in most of the shots. Taking one of the pictures which seemed like his graduation party, with him in his toga surrounding by his family and his friends, Gwyn sat down on the desk-chair and smiled: "You know, sometimes you make me realise I missed out so much in all of my years..."   
  
"Really? I've rather thought my life was fairly ordinary really... save for the whole genius intellect and skipping grades like crazy..." he smiled.   
  
"Fred just acknowledged my graduation ceremonies as things to brag upon; friends were practically inexistent and... ah well..." she muttered, eyeing another photograph while smiling. "And that should be Elizabeth mmh? Looks familiar..."   
  
Looking at the photo, then at Gwyn, and back to the photo of Elizabeth, Tristan blushed brightly. "Oh yeah... Remember when I said I was looking for you my entire life... I really meant it. She does look like you - save for the eyes... Probably the only reason why she was my last, majorly significant relationship."   
  
"You looked quite sweet together though," she smiled back at him. "And maybe... part of the mistake was mine... I never really was open to anything... because of various reasons. And I lived with the consequences for too long."   
  
"Gwyn... really, don't look down upon your life like that. We're both different people with different experiences. Do I feel kinda sad that you lead such a sheltered life? Somewhat, as I'm envious of you seeing things with fresh eyes for the first time. There are experiences I wish I could see again for the first time, but I can't, as I've lived through it. But then again, everything I'm experiencing with you is quite new, fresh and exciting."   
  
"You always make things sound nicer..." she whispered, laughing softly. "At least now... I'm living these new experiences with you, the nice ones more than anything else."   
  
"Definitely." Making his way over to his bed, Tristan lied down. "Don't know about you, but I could use a nap."   
  
"Sleepy?"   
  
"I like to be cuddled right now?" he asked hopefully.   
  
"Is that an order?" she smirked as she laid down by his side and huddled close to him.   
  
"Not really... but I'm enjoying the cuddling."   
  
"Cuddling it is then," smiled Gwyn as she slowly caressed his side while resting her head on his chest.   
  
"Love you babe."   
  
"Love you too Tris..." she muttered as the beating of his heart slowly lulled her to sleep.   
  
  
-

  
  
"Do you think that Tris is here? I don't really recognize the car outside..."   
  
"Car? Maybe it's one of mom's friends that came unexpectedly... dunno. Huh?! Mom? Mooom?"   
  
"Hush Val darn it, she might be resting!"   
  
"Well, Liv, there's a heavenly smell of food coming from the kitchen and mom's nowhere to be seen... maybe she's in the backyard with the crazies?"   
  
"Maybe... but... Should we go find our darling little brother?"   
  
"Think he's in his room? It's too quiet actually... so I doubt that he's here. He'd be either playing the piano or teasing the babies," Valerie laughed as she talked about her younger brother.   
  
"Val! I don't think he's crazy enough to do _that_ right now..." muttered Olivia as she roamed through the house and immediately stopped at Tristan's door.   
  
"What? You gutter-mind I wasn't even thinking about _that_! And why did you stop like that now?!" she asked, bumping straight into her.   
  
"Look..." she whispered as she pointed inside the room.   
  
"Oh... my..." Valerie gasped, smiling sweetly as she peeked over her sister's shoulder. "Oh that's so sweet..."   
  
"Isn't it? That's the girl you were telling us about right?"   
  
"Mmm-hmm, his soulmate," she grinned back. "They look just about perfect... I mean, you know... mom's fairytales? They even look better..."   
  
"They're sooo cute... Should we wake them up?"   
  
"What if you come downstairs with me and you let those two rest," a familiar voice whispered behind the two sisters, as she placed a hand on each of their shoulders.   
  
"Mom!"   
  
"We were just..."   
  
"I know, they're really sweet... and you were absolutely right Val dear, they belong to each other. I've never seen Tristan with that look in his eyes. Ever," she quietly told the two. "Now, will you come with me downstairs and let these two rest a bit more? You need to tell me what you two got from your shopping spree..."   
  
"Yes mom," chuckled the pair.   
  
As the Faraday girl trio went back downstairs and discussed their shopping findings, the couple continued to rest for another hour, till Kari went back to the room with a grin on her face. "Tristan... you're going to be late for work if you don't wake up," she called, with a firm, serious tone of voice.   
  
"Work can go hang itself..." mumbled Tristan as he continued to snuggle closer to Gwyn.   
  
"And since that doesn't work... Honey! There's a double chocolate fondue waiting for you downstairs... we're going to have it all ourselves if you won't come..."   
  
Hugging Gwyn tighter, he let out a quiet snore.   
  
"I'll... take care of that... Kari," Gwyn sleepily replied, yawning back in response. "We'll be downstairs soon..."   
  
"Make sure to come soon dear, dinner's ready," she told her as she moved out of the room and headed back to the kitchen.   
  
From her end, Gwyn lifted a hand to Tristan's face to caress it gently. "Sweetheart... dinner's ready... and your mom's been here to wake you up..."   
  
"Nnnn..."   
  
"Honey..."   
  
"...fn..." mumbled Tristan.   
  
"I'm going downstairs for dinner..."   
  
"Me go... me go..." he yawned loudly as he managed to drag himself out of bed.   
  
"Right, now you're waking up and leaving me here... really," she laughed as she sat up on bed.   
  
"Huh?"   
  
"You're still half asleep," Gwyn chuckled as she pushed Tristan out of his room to then walk together towards the dining room.   
  
"Mmm..."   
  
"Good morning sleepy-head!" Valerie and Olivia greeted their brother as the two walked inside while Kari started laughing.   
  
"Mor... ing..." yawned Tristan as he ambled over to his seat.   
  
"Need any help M... Kari?" Gwyn asked as she made sure that her sleepy half was seated.   
  
"Not really honey, just sit down next to Tris, I'll be serving you dinner in a second," Kari immediately reassured her.   
  
"And, Tris, how rude of you," Valerie snickered, while Olivia grinned back. "You haven't even introduced your girlfriend to us... really..."   
  
"...But you met her... Gwyn, you remember Valerie? And the one to your left is my second-oldest sister, Olivia."   
  
"Yes, but she was sick and stuff and..."   
  
"Of course I remember," she smiled as she held out her arm to Olivia. "Pleased to meet you."   
  
"Likewise. Managed to make my little brother an honest man yet?"   
  
"Livvy..." whined Tristan.   
  
"He is already... didn't need to change him in any way," Gwyn smiled back at her.   
  
"Good to know. And yes, just teasing brat."   
  
"Meanie... Ooooh food..."   
  
"Now he actually woke up," Valerie teased him while Kari placed the dishes in front of them. "Thanks mom," she replied while sticking her tongue out at Tristan.   
  
Sticking his tongue out back at Valerie, he proceeded to get up and head back into the kitchen. "What'll you all be drinking tonight?"   
  
"Tris, wine!" Valerie called out, as Gwyn chuckled at their homely atmosphere.   
  
"Red or white, you drunkard?"   
  
"Uhm... Red since we're having beef... any other requests?" she asked, looking at Gwyn and Olivia.   
  
"Red's fine," Gwyn smiled as Olivia nodded in agreement.   
  
"I'm fine with whatever you have dears... Tris, is that alright for you?" Kari asked as she sat at the table between her daughters.   
  
"Sure sure. And I'll grab some waters as well."   
  
"Does he cook when he's at your place Gwyn?" Valerie asked when she started nibbling at the food before everyone.   
  
"When he's in the mood of spoiling me..." she chuckled as she watched Olivia smack her sister's hand.   
  
"Val... And does he actually get to spoil you often?"   
  
"Not really, but I try to sneak it in as often as I can..." replied Tristan as he expertly carried the various glasses and wine bottles in his hands.   
  
"Oh we're sure of that," Olivia winked back at him as he arrived. "He's quite the flatterer."   
  
"Gee... Make it sound like I'm some sort of playboy or something..."   
  
"One thing he definitely, isn't," Kari laughed.   
  
"Nope. If anything though, my overactiveness would probably drive them nuts. I mean, Gwyn was amused by how much of a sports fiend I am."   
  
"Adds more to your sexiness. Especially in the abs and butt."   
  
"Val!"   
  
"Weirdo..." grumbled Tristan as he proceeded to set down the water glasses before opening the fresh bottle of red wine.   
  
"Aww come on! Mom! Really now, little brother's got one sexy ass, there's no point in denying that!"   
  
"Mmm... in retrospect... I guess she's right though," Kari nodded as Olivia gaped back at the two of them.   
  
"And what kind of discussion is this now?!"   
  
"I swear I'm surrounded by such weirdos at times..." sighed Tristan as Gwyn laughed aloud.   
  
"They are just a little bit right about that," Gwyn whispered softly in his ear between laughs.   
  
"Gaahhh..." he grumbled just a bit more.   
  
"Love you," she smiled as she gave him a pat on his thigh.   
  
"Love you too."   
  
"Mind if we start eating now?" Olivia scowled back at her mother and sister who were still calming down from the laughs. "Seriously, will you act like adults darn it?!"   
  
Trying to ignore his mother and sisters, Tristan quietly began to dish out the soup, salad, and Olivia's garlic bread rolls.   
  
"That's more like it!" Valerie exclaimed as she started digging in her plate.   
  
Chuckling as she noticed Tristan and Olivia sharing looks, Gwyn took her glass of wine in her hand, smiled when she smelled the aroma and had a first sip. "Oh this is splendid..."   
  
"Like it? Taste's good right?" Tristan asked as he tasted it himself.   
  
"Mmm-hmm... It does."   
  
"But doesn't taste as good as me, right?" he whispered back in a snicker as low as possible for only her to hear.   
  
"Tris!"   
  
Grinning widely, he continued to eat as he poured more wine for her.   
  
"You shouldn't have said that," she mumbled, blushing slightly as he placed a kiss on her cheek.   
  
"Mmm, I love seeing you blush so... nope! Plus, I think I was totally right," he continued grinning as he shoved a large piece of bread in his mouth while Gwyn started eating, still slightly flustered at his comment.   
  
"So, when are you getting married you two?" Valerie asked in her usual blunt way.   
  
"Val!"   
  
"Not sure yet... probably when our ranks at work aren't so dramatic..."   
  
"Aww... fuck work..."   
  
"Valerie!"   
  
"It's a bit more complicated than that you dork. Plus, office politics are total crap..." grumbled Tristan as he was struggling to not be as profane at the dinner table.   
  
"That's because you're higher in rank than Tristan, right Gwyn?" Kari replied while she had a sip from her wine glass. "Mmm... well, it does look a bit... weird."   
  
"As well as the fact that the CEO of our company is her foster father, not to mention I was originally supposed to have her current title when I applied to the company," he sighed.   
  
"Oh boy... and that sounds more complicated now..." Olivia nodded as she took a bite off one of the garlic rolls. "What do you say mom?"   
  
"I've been thinking about the situation being complicated from the day Tristan told me that he was being offered the post of Assistant Director right after his interview..." she told them.   
  
"Well, I didn't take it because I wanted to earn the position... I felt like they were offering me that because they wanted to use me as a prop or something..." he glowered as he began to poke at his food.   
  
"He managed to work his way up in just a few months though and did perfectly..." Gwyn smiled, placing a hand on his lap.   
  
"Yeah. I know, but still..." he sighed as he stirred his soup.   
  
"It's just that both the CEO and the Board of Directors took a particular liking in him..." she continued telling them. "And I think I was lucky enough to have managed to get him within my section..."   
  
"Are there any more complications other than that?" Kari told them. "I've got the suspicion that you two aren't telling me everything..."   
  
"Very. Otherwise I might've been stuck with that Ryan Black asshole..." growled Tristan. "Not to mention the CEO's super-bitchy, yet extremely slutty personal assistant."   
  
"Let's say... we've got _many_ complications," Gwyn sighed, as she started slowly stirring at her bowl of soup too.   
  
"You've had problems with the CEO's PA Tris?" Olivia asked worriedly.   
  
Staring at his soup, he pushed it aside. "I don't really want to talk about it..." he whispered.   
  
"What did the bitch do to you?" Valerie growled as both Olivia and Kari placed a hand on her shoulder. "What?"   
  
"Don't Val... Just leave him be..." Olivia murmured as she began to tighten her grip on her younger sister's shoulder.   
  
"Leave him be what? I know that look... and that means something serious happened..." she snapped back, slamming her hands against the table, making both Kari and Olivia startle in their seats.   
  
Sniffling, Tristan poked at his food to hide the tears he was threatening to shed. "Please don't make me tell you... Maybe later... but not now, please?"   
  
"Hey baby, it's alright..." she whispered, placing a kiss on his cheek while nuzzling her face against his neck.   
  
Nodding, he buried his head against her shoulder while continuing to sniffle.   
  
"But what..." Valerie blinked back at the two of them, as Gwyn raised her head while rubbing Tristan's back gently.   
  
"He'll be fine..." she smiled back comfortingly at the three of them. "We'll talk about it later... if you don't mind, please."   
  
"Yeah Val. When he's ready, he'll talk about it. But judging from his reaction, it's both very recent and it hurt him really badly, right baby?" asked Olivia.   
  
"Mm-hmm..." he murmured against Gwyn's shoulder.   
  
Winking back at them, Gwyn continued to silently cuddle Tristan as she gestured to the others to continue with their dinner, till he calmed down a little bit.   
  
As he felt Gwyn continue to rub his back and comfort him, Tristan found himself silently falling asleep against her shoulder, realizing that reliving the attempted rape was quite draining.   
  
"You'll realise why our reaction's like this... when we tell you all about it," she whispered, kissing his hair.   
  
"Only when you're ready. He asleep?"   
  
"Mmm-hmm," Gwyn smiled back, earning an understanding look and smile from both of them, as Kari got up from her seat.   
  
"Where are you going, mom?"   
  
"Fetching a blanket for my littlest one... and for you too Gwyn," she replied. "Just finish off your dinner now you two."   
  
Nudging Valerie with her shoulder, Olivia nodded. "Sure mom."   
  
After a couple of minutes, Kari came back in the dining room with a fluffy sky-blue blanket and placed it on Gwyn and Tristan's shoulders, with an attempt of tucking it tightly against them. "Hope this keeps you warm..."   
  
"Do you think we should bring him back to bed, Gwyn?"   
  
"No need to. I'm fine but, he does seem pretty comfortable too," she chuckled softly in response to the sisters' query.   
  
"Seems like it," Olivia smiled as she watched Tristan sleep. "I miss watching him sleep sometimes, he always likes to bury under the blankets - leaving his hair exposed."   
  
"Remember when I used to get in his bed and wake him by tickling torture? Oh that was serious fun," Valerie laughed as her mother placed a hand on her hair.   
  
"He'd howl and whine, but he loved it. He was terribly cute in the morning, he was pretty much half asleep whenever we dragged him to eat breakfast. Also, he was always a bit on the small side too, so he'd often look like he was being swallowed up in his bed."   
  
"Well, I did find you huddled in bed to one another sometimes," Kari admitted. "And I used to leave you sleeping for a tad bit longer too..."   
  
"He was like my living teddy bear sometimes," chuckled Olivia. "When he wasn't running to your room in the middle of the night, he'd often crawl into my bed when he was a toddler."   
  
"Catherine used to find him in her bed too... I do remember her telling me about it... and how much he used to caress her cheek when he fumbled about stuff to fall asleep."   
  
"Remember his bear? The one Cath gave him as his first toy once both he and mom came home from hospital?"   
  
"It's still on a chair in his room," Kari nodded with a grin as she started gathering the empty glasses and dishes. "He simply adored that bear... his father had left it to me and him before he left for the last time..."   
  
"Was that the present that daddy left Catherine before he left? I remember her saying she had her orders to follow regarding the bear..."   
  
"What orders?" Valerie blinked back at them, while Gwyn continued to rock Tristan gently while following the conversation.   
  
"Cath was told by daddy to give the new baby the bear, which she did."   
  
"So daddy knew about baby before he left?" Valerie asked once more.   
  
"Oh right, you were too little then. Yeah, there's a picture of all of us - though Tris is in mom's stomach - with daddy. I know Tris has a copy of that in his photo album..."   
  
"Yes I do remember that photograph," Kari mused in. "I had specifically requested that to him... to have a family photograph taken before he left. I kind of... had this feeling that there was something wrong about him leaving that time... and I guess I was right about it."   
  
"Do you think he knew that we were getting a little brother before he left?"   
  
"He had chosen the name. And it was specifically a boy's name."   
  
"Which one? I thought Cath came up with 'Tristan'?"   
  
"That's because he and Cath had read a book together one evening... and that name caught their attention. Ben had told me about it that same evening when he came to bed... Cath had told you two about it the following morning... we had agreed on it before you three reached your consensus," she grinned back at them.   
  
Hearing an unfamiliar name, Gwyn looked up from her glass of wine.   
  
"Ah right, Ben's my late husband, Gwyn. Probably Tristan's talked to you quite a lot about him... in spite of the fact that he's never met him. Oh, and his full name's Benjamin," Kari told her, with a very sweet smile gracing her lips.   
  
"He does. He loves him dearly... trust me. I just, never did know what his name was, that's all."   
  
"How strange... Didn't Tristan tell you his name?"   
  
"Actually Val... I don't think Tris knew dad's name either. Since we always called him dad or daddy - even mom never really called him by name, usually Hawkeye or dad around him."   
  
"Oh right..."   
  
"He does love him dearly... you can count on that," Gwyn confirmed softly.   
  
Fussing slightly, Tristan began to sniffle a bit as he began to slowly wake up. "Nnnn..."   
  
"Hey Sweetheart... better now?" she whispered in his ear as he was still half asleep in her arms.   
  
"I go sweepy?"   
  
"Well you just woke up from sleepy, baby."   
  
Blinking rapidly, he blearily tried to focus on everyone before finally letting his eyes open fully. "Oh... I'm sorry."   
  
"Sorry for what?" both his sisters and his mother promptly replied, while Gwyn smiled on.   
  
"For... falling asleep?"   
  
"There's nothing wrong in that!" Valerie and Olivia snapped back in unison. "Plus, it's not the first time you do that anyway."   
  
Flinching, Tristan stared back down at his half-eaten food, pouting slightly.   
  
"And we'll warm that up in a second..." Kari told him, as she took both his and Gwyn's plates from the table and walked into the kitchen once again.   
  
Picking up his water glass, Tristan began to swirl the liquid inside slowly as he avoided the gazes from his older sisters.   
  
"It'll be fine," Gwyn whispered back, noticing his unease.   
  
"Mm-hmm..."   
  
"And will you give me a smile now please?"   
  
Giving Gwyn a shy smile, he held her hand tightly while still looking away from his sisters.   
  
"Why's he-"   
  
"Sorry baby. Didn't mean to snap at you," murmured Olivia as she clamped her hand over Valerie's mouth.   
  
"It's okay..."   
  
"And there's your dinner again," Kari popped back in the dining room with their newly warm dishes. "No discussion of sad stuff now please... just eat at your leisure."   
  
"Thank you mommy..."   
  
"You're welcome honey," she grinned placing a kiss on his hair while she walked back into the kitchen. "Girls, want anything for dessert?"   
  
"Anything chocolate!"   
  
"Chocolate mmm... maybe we really should get the fondue running... ah well... in a minute," Kari chuckled as she looked around the kitchen to find the fondue set. "Tris! What do you want with the fondue?"   
  
"Marshmallows?"   
  
"That, the cookies and mmm... mixed nuts maybe?"   
  
"No nuts..." he replied by making a face.   
  
"Baby," both of his sisters laughed.   
  
"Strawberries?" Gwyn suggested quietly, making both the sisters and Tristan grin back at her.   
  
"Yes!"   
  
"Strawberries it is... anything else?" Kari nodded as she mentally took notes of all the ingredients.   
  
"Gwyn? Anything you want?"   
  
"I'm happy with the strawberries," she grinned back. "You have the marshmellows and your sisters have the cookies... and Kari can take whatever she likes..." she chuckled.   
  
"Fine with us!"   
  
"You're sounding like a duet you two tonight," Kari laughed as she started prepping the chocolate on a small pan.   
  
"Yeah... as they're always off-key..."   
  
"We're not that bad, come on!" both of them immediately retorted.   
  
Sticking his tongue out at them, he continued to finish his food. "How's the food Gwyn?"   
  
"The soup's really good... well, it's all vegetables so I really don't mind at all... and the beef's perfect. And thanks for warming it up for us Kari," she answered while a flurry of pots and pans could be heard coming from the kitchen.   
  
"Oh don't mention it!"   
  
"And how about Livvy's famous garlic bread rolls?"   
  
"Everything's great."   
  
"Glad you like it all. More wine?"   
  
"No no, I'm fine with this... but maybe Valerie wants some more," she laughed as she noticed Tristan's youngest sister grinning like mad back at her.   
  
"Drunkard!"   
  
"Ah shut up!"   
  
"Will you two just stop it?" Olivia chided both of them, as she took the bottle in her hands and poured some more wine in Valerie's glass. "And that's the last one you're having tonight."   
  
"Ha!" exclaimed Tristan with a triumphant grin.   
  
"You too Tris."   
  
"Huh? I'm not even drinking wine Livvy..."   
  
"Whatever, it's just that I don't want you to drink, full-stop. And mom, do you need any help in there?"   
  
"I don't even drink all that often anyways. Everytime Gwyn and I go out to our friends' restaurant, they usually give me lemonade or... milk."   
  
"You're all against me, not fair," pouted Valerie as Gwyn watched and chuckled silently.   
  
"I'm fine and bringing dessert in a few minutes..."   
  
"You're still into chocolate milk?" Olivia asked with a smile.   
  
"You drink a lot though Val. And we don't want you too overdo it. And yes Livvy, I am."   
  
"Not true! I never get drunk or anything. Ever," she pouted once more. "It's just that you think I'm small and all and that I can't handle alcohol."   
  
"You're not really all that short Val... And you could give Gwyn a run for her money with the amount you drink..."   
  
"Oh you drink too?! Really?!"   
  
"Tris can tell you how much I drink... well, he already gave you a hint after all... but it doesn't phase me at all."   
  
"Yep...she can drink tons, but nothing really seems to affect her. Despite all the drinking I did while traveling, even _I'm_ not stupid enough to challenge her," chuckled Tristan.   
  
"But-"   
  
"Valerie Marie Faraday, the last thing I want to see is to see you completely plastered while your baby brother and Gwyn are here in this house. Now that's your last glass for the night, and I mean it," Kari warned Valerie sternly.   
  
"Yes mom."   
  
"Good. Now Liv, baby, can you help me set up the fondue? And Gwyn, mind Val for us if you please?"   
  
"Okay mom/mommy/Kari!" replied Olivia, Tristan, and Gwyn respectively.   
  
Laughing, Kari let her second-eldest and her youngest children help her set up the fondue set as Gwyn and Valerie continued to chat amiably. Once Olivia and Tristan were finished setting up the fondue - with Tristan lighting the flame - everyone gathered around the pot and began to skewer the various items for dipping while eating cookies and drinking warm milk.   
  
"Can I _steal_ a marshmallow from you Tris?" Gwyn chuckled as she skewered one with her fondue fork while Tristan grinned back at her.   
  
"I cannot but give you a yes as an answer baby, sure you can... I'll have a strawberry anyway," he replied as he promptly dipped the berry into the chocolate and shoved it straight into his mouth.   
  
"No doubt about that..."   
  
"Nope, none at all," he whispered before leaning over and kissing her sweetly, making the elder Faraday women collectively sigh at the very cute sight.   
  
"You know, you're actually just like your father..." Kari nodded happily as she ate one of the chocolate-dipped cookies. "He was just like you when he was your age... save he kept that for when it was just the two of us... hey don't get me wrong, I don't mind that at all."   
  
"Don't get me wrong, I normally don't do that publicly. But at the same time, it had a dual purpose - to get the chocolate off her lips."   
  
"Pfftt..." both of the sisters grinned mischievously, while Gwyn blushed slightly. "Yeah, right."   
  
"At least I have someone to make out with. How about you two? Any gentlemen calling on either of you?"   
  
"No!" snapped again both of them instantly.   
  
"You struck a sensitive note there, baby, just don't talk about that with them," Kari smiled as she watched the girls pout by her side in response to their brother's question.   
  
"Fair enough. Gwyn and I will just stick to cuddling and kissing then, as not to piss them off any further..." he replied with a wide smirk.   
  
"It's not that! You can do whatever you like, but just... don't ask that question..." Valerie mumbled in response as Olivia glared back at her.   
  
"And no Tris, there's nothing you don't know about, it's just that it's irritating... as if, everyone should have a boyfriend or whatnot," she growled in frustration.   
  
"Huh? I honestly don't think you need to find someone. Rather, I haven't talked to either of you in forever so I was wondering what you guys have been up to. But go ahead and get snappy at me if you want. I'll just go play something..." he sighed as he patted Gwyn's shoulder and headed for the living room.   
  
"It's not you Tris, it's everyone else," Valerie sighed, resting her head against the table while watching him leave.   
  
"Gwyn, you need to tell him that it's not him, it's all of the relatives and friends that go... _"Oh you still haven't got a boyfriend"_ on us, and stuff like that. We just hate it and get snappy because of _that_ not because of Tristan. They make it sound that there's something wrong with you and it's not nice," Olivia nodded as she placed a hand on Valerie's head.   
  
"Well... I kind of went through it too... before I met your brother," Gwyn admitted. "Especially since my adoptive father thinks that I need to find a husband and have children... yes, he's one-track minded like that. In many ways."   
  
"He what?" the three Faraday women replied.   
  
"It's strange, and sort of, old-fashioned, but that's basically his opinion about things... which was one of the reasons I never really was interested in having a relationship. Amongst other reasons of course. Well... this changed completely when Tristan came along... he practically disarmed all of my opinions, one after the other."   
  
"Honey, go talk to Tristan, it's alright... the girls will help me out in the kitchen while you talk," she winked back at her while she watched her get on her feet.   
  
"Thanks... I'll talk to you later," nodded Gwyn as she walked into the living room to find Tristan softly playing the piano. Smiling, she silently sat by his side on the piano bench and rested her head on his shoulder and whispered in his ear: "What's wrong?"   
  
"It's not that I want them to be atypical women with a significant other, kids, and whatnot. But I actually didn't know that the rest of our family was bugging them about it. I couldn't care less if they stayed single for the rest of their lives so long as they're happy..." sighed Tristan softly as he was hitting keys at random.   
  
"Probably they're just irritated at that fact, that's all. You know, people can get pretty damn irritating when they want answers from you, especially about _that_ . I once got bombarded by... Fred's closest friends about it with questions like: _"You don't want to have children of your own?"_ , _"Why, we know of some men that would be absolutely delighted to court you..." and "My my, you're at the age of getting married and having children, your time is ticking you know..."_ and that sort of crap. It's tedious and frustrating... like a third degree examination of sorts... And the worse off of them all is asking me whether I had ever... ah whatever, that's happened years ago."   
  
Listening to Gwyn finally rant about why she never had any previous relationships, he simply sat quietly and placed a friendly hand on her shoulder.   
  
"I should have realised earlier that Fred was practically using me as if I were some sort of trophy."   
  
"Not like he's gonna treat me any better..."   
  
"At least you're not his son... and that's an advantage on my situation."   
  
"How so?"   
  
"Because his legal binding on me has its implications, and he thinks that he can still _control_ me in some way. He thinks he managed to control me into meeting you, into being with you... into having you so to speak... it bugs me that he thinks that things went according to his plan."   
  
"What a weird guy... As for the other stuff, as I recall, I was the one making the first moves on you anyways..."   
  
"That's true," she smiled back, leaning in to kiss his neck.   
  
"And that I was the first one to kiss you..."   
  
"True too..."   
  
"And that I was the first one to defend your honor..."   
  
"Love you," she smiled back as she leaned close to kiss his temple.   
  
"Love you too. And I am your first love..."   
  
"And only one."   
  
"You're my only one too," he whispered quietly before kissing her again.   
  
"And your sisters didn't mean to snap at you, baby," she smiled back, placing a kiss on his nose. "Remember my reactions back then? That was the reason behind them... it wasn't specifically you, it was the damned situation that sucked."   
  
"Yeah...I know..." he smiled as he took her hand, while he felt Hawkeye and Havoc's cold noses pressed against his back. "We have company again."   
  
"Hey you two," she chuckled as she felt Hawkeye rest his head on her lap. "Shouldn't you go talk to your sisters? Mmh?"   
  
"Yesh," smiled Tristan as he got up from the bench and kissed her hair. "Come on Havoc, let's go talk to your sisters."   
  
"I'll be here playing a bit..."   
  
"Hawkeye, keep an eye on your future sister," he chuckled before heading out towards the kitchen with Havoc in tow.   
  
"Now little one, you'll be staying by my side while I play? Mmh?" Gwyn winked back at the dog huddled closer to her while she exhaled a deep sigh and slowly started playing.   
  
Hearing the soft notes of Gwyn's playing, Tristan easily found his sisters and wrapped his arms around the two of them. "I'm sorry."   
  
"It's alright, sorry for snapping back at you baby," Olivia smiled, as Valerie leaned in to place a kiss on her brother's cheek.   
  
"We didn't mean to do that."   
  
"I know, don't worry too much about it. You just take life as it is, screw anyone else's opinion in the matter."   
  
"Mmm-hmm," both of them nodded. "We will... as much as possible."   
  
Grinning, he kissed both of their cheeks. "Love you guys..."   
  
"Love you too baby," the sisters grinned back while Kari looked back at them smiling.   
  
"Gwyn's playing the piano, Sweetheart?"   
  
"Yep. She's much better than me, that's for sure," he smiled proudly as he kept his arms around his sisters. "Wanna listen to her play?"   
  
"Yeah!"   
  
"And you're a good piano player, so stop it," his mother beamed back at him proudly.   
  
"Well, I'll let you make the distinction in our playing styles then, mom."   
  
"Whatever you say," she smiled as she led her son and two daughters into the living room to listen to Gwyn play.   
  
Letting go of his sisters, Tristan sat down next to Gwyn and silently watched her play while the others got comfortable in the surrounding chairs.   
  
Turning to look at him, Gwyn smiled and continued playing while closing her eyes, letting the music transport her as Tristan rested his head against her shoulder and kissed her neck from time to time as she played.   
  
Closing his eyes, he smiled as he felt Gwyn's complete contentment and happiness as she played.   
  
"Are you sure you want to talk about that later, Sweetheart?" whispered Gwyn while she continued.   
  
"Talk about what?"   
  
"That something you had to talk about to your sisters."   
  
"We've already talked it out. Like you, they know exactly what I mean even when I say nothing at all. We're perfectly okay."   
  
"I wasn't meaning that."   
  
"Okay. And we weren't talking about that, I was just saying that you're a better piano player than me," he grinned as he began to play with her.   
  
"You're good at playing the piano too..."   
  
"We have different styles..."   
  
"Both of them are beautiful..." Kari mused back, hearing the two.   
  
"They are, aren't they?"   
  
"Mmm-hmm... but mom was referring to their playing style, Liv. But yes, I do agree that they're beautiful," Valerie nodded as her mother circled an arm around her shoulder.   
  
"That too... He was always more spontaneous in his piano playing. I remember when our instructor used to stand behind him as he played so that he'd keep looking at the book in front of him."   
  
"Mmm-hmm, I used to watch him and it was pretty entertaining, I must admit... but, he did play with a certain passion. Gwyn on the other hand, sounds very diligent and plays flawlessly, even though she loves her music dearly... they're pretty complimentary and it shows..."   
  
"Yeah... Hey Gwyn, mind if Tris plays something? He was always better without books."   
  
"Oh... sure sure," she promptly replied, taking her hands off the keyboard. "All his."   
  
"Gee thanks..." he chuckled before setting his hands over the keys. "So something fun and spontaneous then?"   
  
"Yes please," his mother and sisters replied in unison, as Gwyn chuckled by Tristan's side.   
  
"Right right..." Immediately, Tristan began to play while Gwyn rubbed his back gently and wrapped her right arm around his waist. Closing his eyes, he continued to let loose as he simply played.   
  
"Told you," Kari smiled as she closed her eyes and listened to her youngest son play.   
  
"It's been a while since he's played for us..."   
  
"Way too long."   
  
"Yeah... Sounds like he's been influenced by jazz again..."   
  
"He's been hearing a lot of jazz lately, apart from my classical music," mused Gwyn as she whispered in his ear. "Right baby?"   
  
"Yep!" grinning, he continued to play, with him easily transitioning into a more classical sound.   
  
"We should hire you for concerts," Valerie laughed. "Really Tris, I still can't understand why you didn't become a musician."   
  
"Because then I'd have to read from the books..."   
  
"And he doesn't like that," Gwyn chuckled as Hawkeye hopped on her lap to rest his head on Tristan's lap.   
  
"Nope!"   
  
"Listen Sweethearts, what do you say if you come up in my bedroom when you finish playing and stay all there on my bed?" Kari suggested as the sisters' eyes beamed in delight, which meant that they approved of the idea without saying a word.   
  
"Just one big slumber party mom?"   
  
"Yes honey, and of course Gwyn, you're in this too."   
  
Finishing up his song, he laughed. "C'mon Gwyn, you're gonna get pampered, Faraday style."   
  
"Pampered? Isn't it just..."   
  
"Just wait and see!" the sisters grinned as Tristan winked back at her.   
  
"Hawkeye? Grab your brothers and meet us in mommy's room," he whispered as he stroked the dog's ears.   
  
"Come along," Kari invited them as both dogs and the cat scurried past her, reaching the room well before she actually did.   
  
Laughing at his pets, he tenderly held Gwyn's hand. "Let's go babe..."   
  
"Tris you really should start coming here more often... you know, bring Gwyn with you obviously, it's fun after all!" Valerie exclaimed while climbing up the stairs after them, avoiding all the while Olivia's tickling attempts.   
  
"And I agree to that fully by the way," Olivia grinned back.   
  
"I think we can make that happen. What do you think babe?"   
  
"Shouldn't be a problem at all, we could even pop here after work. If that's alright with you all," Gwyn suggested, smiling back at Tristan as they arrived upstairs.   
  
"Sure, since it's not too far out. And, should I drag the others out here too?" he snickered as he ushered Gwyn inside the room. "And when mom said bed, didn't necessarily mean a bed bed," he chuckled as he led her over to the massaging table.   
  
"Who the crazy trio?" Kari called back, with a chuckle. "Sure you can, whenever you like."   
  
"And what the..." Gwyn blinked back at him with a questioning look.   
  
"Pampering babe. And it includes the whole works..."   
  
"Precisely!" the girls grinned as they gestured to Gwyn to sit up on the massaging table.   
  
Heading over to his mother's bathroom, Tristan located a robe for Gwyn before heading back. "And this is for you. Go and change in the bathroom. Just straight ahead."   
  
"Hey wait a minute, it's just me?" she asked them, realising that she had become the centre of all the Faradays' attentions.   
  
"No, you're the guest, so you go first," grinned Tristan.   
  
"And...?" she asked, as she felt the girls make her lie down.   
  
"I'll be after you, duh." Smiling, he removed his sweater, leaving him in his t-shirt and jeans before pouring some massage oil on her back. "Now relax. You'll feel even better than before."   
  
"You really are one extraordinarily unique family you all," she chuckled as she exhaled a deep sigh before letting Tristan massage her gently.   
  
"We do our best," he whispered as he continued to work on her back while his mother and sisters were preparing other items.   
  
"And what are you girls plotting over there?" she chuckled, as she felt Tristan place a few kisses on the back of her neck from time to time.   
  
"Mmm... nothing," they replied, as she heard the giggles from the girls' end.   
  
"Yeah right, terribly convincing...   
  
"Not really plotting, but more like preparing a mask for your face."   
  
"That too? Talk about complete service... and Tris, that felt nice..."   
  
"Good and yes, you're getting the full works..."   
  
"Whatever you say," she smiled as he continued.   
  
"Mm-hmm," he murmured as he continued to massage her back, shoulders, and legs.   
  
"I bet Tris actually does shoulder massages to you when you're at work, right Gwyn?" Valerie asked as she noticed Gwyn's smile as he did.   
  
"Mmm... yes... only when I'm angry at something or terribly stressed, to the point that I feel like killing someone."   
  
"I save the deep tissue ones for when we're home."   
  
"We're sure of that," the two girls grinned back mischievously.   
  
"Perverts..."   
  
"Hey you three, don't start now..." their mother chided them. "You want Gwyn to relax don't you? So stop it with the snide remarks."   
  
"They started it..."   
  
"Will you behave you two?"   
  
"But mom..."   
  
"You're worse than ten year olds at times..."   
  
"This is normal for us," he whispered as he kissed his spot. "How do you feel?"   
  
"Extremely relaxed... you're ready?"   
  
"Not quite...as I'm still dressed..." he whispered before heading into the bathroom.   
  
"What the..." she laughed, sitting up on the massaging table. "What was he referring to?"   
  
"Oh just wait and see..."   
  
"Was it you who gave him the lessons?"   
  
"Val is my wonderful teacher," smiled Tristan as he re-emerged in his boxers and a towel. "Now lie on your back and I'll finish up on the front while the others work on the mask."   
  
"Oh heck, that's something I want to see now," cackled Valerie, as both her mother and Olivia smacked her back slightly.   
  
Rolling his eyes, Tristan continued his massage of Gwyn's front. "Again, get used to this..."   
  
"You're saying that to me or to her?" Valerie asked as she started applying the mask on Gwyn's face. "And yes, this'll feel a bit weird, but Tris is going to appreciate it quite a lot," she chuckled as Olivia sighed.   
  
"I was talking to her and I already appreciate her as she is," he chuckled as he began to massage her stomach.   
  
"She's beautiful as she is, I know that, dork, but this I'll relax her facial skin even more... that's what I meant."   
  
Sticking his tongue out at Valerie, Tristan let his hands move down Gwyn's legs.   
  
"You know, I've actually missed this bickering of theirs," Olivia smiled as she started working on a manicure while she felt her shudder lightly. "Seems little brother's massage is more than effective," she muttered back softly.   
  
"I dunno about that..." he chuckled.   
  
"Mmm-hmm, sure is... Gwyn's dozing off now..."   
  
Blushing slightly, he moved back up and placed a kiss on his fingers before gently pressing them to her lips. "Relaxed now Gwyn?"   
  
"More than I... ever imagined..." she muttered sleepily, managing to talk even though impeded by the mask. "How much do I need to leave this on?"   
  
"Well... twenty to thirty minutes, not more."   
  
"Come on, you can go sit with my mom," he whispered before covering her up, securing the robe, and helping her sit up.   
  
"Alright..." she mumbled in a calm tone, an after-effect of Tristan's massage.   
  
Leading her over to the chair next to Kari, Tristan sat her down before hopping up onto the table. "No tickling, I mean it..."   
  
"Mmm... I wasn't thinking about it, but, you actually gave me an idea," Valerie grinned as Tristan glared back at her. "Oh alright alright, I'm joking... yeesh, can't tell you anything... seriously."   
  
"Knowing you, I always have to be on my toes..."   
  
"I won't tickle you, you have my word," she winked back at him, as she pointed at Gwyn who was really dozing off by their mother's side.   
  
"Still think I should've been a masseuse?"   
  
"Not really... I imagine you more in your job or as a musician... plus, I wouldn't think Gwyn would love seeing you massage other women, except us, or say, Cyn for example."   
  
"True," he smiled as he felt Valerie's hands on his back. "I can teach Gwyn how to massage, but it's probably best if you did the teaching..."   
  
"Now prepare yourself for a professional massage with compliments of your older sister," she grinned as she started taking care of his back. "As for the teaching, I could try... depends if she wants to."   
  
"Might be helpful in the future..."   
  
"Especially at work. Seems it's being awfully stressful lately, isn't it?"   
  
"Considering the nightmare trio of the CEO, his PA, and the head of Logistics? Yep... Not to mention having had to rebuild Advertising from the ground up..."   
  
"Argh! You mentioned the hellish PA again... oh God I so want to see this person... I'd just strangle her silly," Valerie growled back as Olivia helped in silence, while Kari took care of Gwyn who had fallen asleep.   
  
"Maybe you'll get your chance one day," he murmured. "Okay, guess I really needed this..."   
  
"Just close your eyes and relax Tris, you're stiff like crazy," Olivia commented as Valerie nodded in agreement. "You tensed up now... just... think about Gwyn and leave the rest to us... mmh?"   
  
"Right," he replied with a yawn. Closing his eyes, Tristan let his mind drift before dozing quietly.   
  
"Geez, that was effective..."   
  
"Well, he's always tended to listen to me..." chuckled Olivia.   
  
"That's because you look like mom..."   
  
"Actually, Tris looks more like mom than me."   
  
"True, but he has dad's eyes."   
  
"Yeah..." smiled Olivia as she ran her hands through the dark strands of her baby brother's hair. "Even after all these years, he's still terribly adorable."   
  
"It's what makes him special."   
  
"And I'm sure Gwyn here agrees," their mother mused in as she slowly caressed her long hair while she rested against her shoulder.   
  
"Yep, they're both terribly adorable," Valerie grinned while her older sister continued to cuddle their brother for another while.   
  
"Probably. Though we should probably wake her soon for the removal of the mask, while baby here should needs a bit more pampering too. He deserves it."   
  
"Agreed," their mother nodded as she nudged Gwyn gently. "Hey sweetie, time to wake up..."   
  
"Yes Adel... I'm waking up... just a second..."   
  
"Gwyn, I don't know who Adel is, but it's Kari, Tristan's mom... and... you still have a facial mask dear... that Valerie needs to take off from you."   
  
Blinking as soon as she recognised the voice, Gwyn immediately straightened up and nodded back at her fervently. "I'm sorry, didn't realise I had fallen asleep and that I was resting against you and such... and... I mentioned Lady Adel?" she mumbled back at her, feeling the mask stretch her facial skin a bit.   
  
"Mmm-hmm... yes you did."   
  
"Adel's my adoptive mother... who's got nothing to do with her husband to tell you the truth... but anyway... was probably feeling comfortable and it really felt as if it were her, especially since she used to caress my hair that very same way when I was a child."   
  
"That's why you mentioned her then... happy memories."   
  
"Well yes, if you can term them that way... they sure are..."   
  
\-   
  
_"I'm off for a Council meeting Adel, I'll catch you later."_   
  
_"When shall I be seeing you?"_   
  
_"Most probably tomorrow morning, I need to feed after the meeting, Love, and said meeting could take pretty long..."_   
  
_"Yes I know, and I'm aware of that fact," she sighed with half a smile. "Have a nice evening then," she whispered as the man leaned in to place a kiss on her hair, to then grab his cane and put on his dark tweed coat, completed by a top hat. "Make sure to pamper our eavesdropping princess for me too."_   
  
_"I will... see you," she whispered back as the man disappeared from one of the exits. Smiling as she turned to glance back at the door which was slightly ajar, Adel chuckled and rested her head back against the headrest of the rocking chair to see little Gwendalynn peeping from between the small gap from the open door. Getting back on her feet, the woman straightened down the skirts of her flowing dress and made a few steps towards the roaring fire that Frederick had made sure to light up before he left._   
  
_"Come on Gwendalynn... you can come in..." she smiled, as she heard the wooden door creak gently open._   
  
_"You mean I have your permission?"_   
  
_"Of course you do, Sweetheart, come here," Adel called back gently at her as the little blonde haired girl dressed in a dark crimson dress rushed to her adoptive mother's side for an embrace._   
  
_"Mother?"_   
  
_"Yes dear?" Adel replied as she placed a kiss on her child's hair as she held her close. "And it's alright baby, there's no need to crush me," she chuckled as she felt her corset press tightly against her chest._   
  
_"Since Father will be away... can I sleep with you tonight... please?"_   
  
_"Mmm..."_   
  
_"I'll wake up early and go to my bed, promise. Father doesn't need to know right?"_   
  
_"No he doesn't... and it actually could be a little secret between you and me, what do you say?"_   
  
_"Mmm-hmm!" the girl beamed brightly as Adel took hold of her hand and let her out of the room._   
  
_"So, the little Miss is going to sleep?" one of the servants asked the mistress of the house as she made her way up the staircase with the child._   
  
_"No, Mrs. Norrington, Gwendalynn is staying in my room tonight... and not a word with Sir Frederick, am I clear?" she told the woman with a stern yet gently manner._   
  
_"Yes of course my Lady, whatever you say," she nodded bowing slightly in return. "I'll send Miss Jane to help you out with undressing, she'll be upstairs in no time."_   
  
_"Thank you, Mrs. Norrington, and have a goodnight."_   
  
_"Goodnight!"_   
  
_"Goodnight M'am. If you need anything ring the bell, I'll be here immediately," she replied as she handed her the candle chandelier while Gwyn walked inside the room before them._   
  
_"Thanks again."_   
  
_"Can I help you till Miss Jane arrives?" Gwyn asked as she looked up at Adel with pleading eyes, as the light of the candles flickered in them making them seem honey golden._   
  
_"Mmm... not really, but, we can help you into your bedclothes for sure... and undo your hair... how come it's in a plait today?" she asked as she removed the small length of red ribbon that kept it tied up._   
  
_"Miss Jane decided that it was better suited for me if I gathered my hair since I had to go to the library with her this morning. She mentioned something about other people having lice and other dirty stuff in their hair and she didn't want me to catch it," she nodded back._   
  
_"Well, she was quite right," she smiled as she let her long golden hair loose. "You've got such beautiful tresses," she whispered as she took hold of one of the brushes on the side table and slowly started untangling her hair. "You've got Giselle's same hair."_   
  
_"You mean like my mother?" she smiled back, looking up at her happily._   
  
_"Mmm-hmm, she had beautiful long hair just like yours... and blue-violet eyes... they had this really strange colour that must have enchanted your father at the first glance," she whispered when she noticed the little girl's honey coloured eyes get cloudy with tears. "Oh, I'm sorry Sweetheart, I didn't mean to talk about them..." she comforted her immediately. "One last thing though... your eyes are just like Robert's. Fierce and sweet at the same time... you're like that you know," Adel winked back at her as she leaned down to kiss her cheek. "And your hair's ready dear... let's untie your dress and wait till Jane arrives with your bedclothes."_   
  
_"Alright."_   
  
_Once Jane had arrived in Lady Adel's quarters, the two women immediately proceeded into helping Gwyn into her white frilly night dress, chuckling as Adel placed the embroidered night cap on her hair._   
  
_"Do I really need to put this on?"_   
  
_"Yes dear, at least for the time being."_   
  
_Laughing lightly when she saw the little one pout and sit herself down on bed, Jane helped Adel out while she removed first her dress, then her crinoline, then all the hair pins that tied up her hair. Once done, they proceeded into undoing the corset, earning the usual sigh of relief from the lady's behalf while Jane smiled understandingly as she laid everything in its proper order and helped her into her night garments._   
  
_"You know Gwyn, you'll really see what a pain all this is when you grow up a little bit more..." she confessed, noticing that Gwyn was eyeing her curiously. "What's the matter dear?"_   
  
_"What's that bruise on your neck? You bumped against something?" the little one asked, in child-like curiosity._   
  
_"Oh... this..." Adel stuttered taken by surprise, which made her cover up with her left hand the spot Frederick used to bite whenever he felt like feeding off his wife. "Well... that's a permanent bruise I have, got it when I was small and it doesn't want to go away..." she lied, in an attempt to shield the girl a little bit more from the truth behind her nature and that of the people surrounding her. "Don't worry about it, it's nothing."_   
  
_"Alright..." she mumbled, smiling back at her, while Jane nodded back and bowed slightly as she walked out of the room and locked the door._   
  
_"And now you can crawl under the bedsheets dear."_   
  
_"Mmm-hmm..."_   
  
_"All that's left is to let down the bed's curtains... and... put off the lights," she winked back at her as she promptly did so and climbed onto bed by her side, noticing that she was rubbing her eyes and yawning continuously. "Sleepy dear?"_   
  
_"Mmm-hmm..." she mumbled as she nuzzled closer to her while Adel wrapped her arms comfortingly around her. "You know... mama used to do that to me whenever it was a rainy night... and she used to..." she stopped as her aunt removed her bed cap and started running a hand through her hair, caressing her gently. "Used to... do that, as papa placed kisses on my hair and on mama's forehead from time to time as he hugged both... That used to feel... nice."_   
  
_"You're not the only one that misses them honey," she whispered as she continued caressing her hair while Gwyn cuddled closer to her._   
  
_"You do?" Gwyn muttered as she started dozing off._   
  
_"You can't even imagine dear..."_   
  
_"Love you Auntie..."_   
  
_"Love you too Sweetheart... sweet dreams."_   
  
_"Same to you..." she replied, already fallen asleep._   
  
_-_   
  
"She was quite motherly with me... and still is anyway, even though I don't meet her that much. I've barely ever went to visit her these last few months," confessed Gwyn as Valerie started removing her mask.   
  
"Which means, you're as bad as Tris when it comes to visiting your mothers."   
  
"You can actually say that... and it's not that I do it on purpose, I love Lady Adel dearly... but too many things happened lately and I didn't have any time for that, plus, that would mean being in the possibility of encountering Fred and I'm not really looking forward to that."   
  
"Bringing us to the question," Kari mused in. "How come you call your adoptive mother by her first name... not that I mind it, I'm just curious."   
  
"Well... out of respect mainly. Plus, the more I grew up, the more I wanted to make a distinction between my real mother and my adoptive one, who strictly speaking is my aunt after all. It's Fred that insisted more than her that I had to call them 'mother' and 'father' in public... I do now, but in very rare occasions... especially now," she told them as Valerie grinned widely when she finished removing the mask itself.   
  
"Now, just some toner and moisturiser and we're done... not that you need it, but it'll relax you even more," Valerie nodded as Olivia finished off her manicure.   
  
"Think we should wake up the baby, Val?"   
  
"Once we finish with Gwyn, then he's all ours," she replied, flashing a wicked grin at the two girls.   
  
"Agreed!"   
  
Finishing up with Gwyn, who felt extremely relaxed and _alive_ after all of the pampering, the elder Faraday sisters turned their attention to their baby brother, who was fast asleep on his stomach. Rolling him over onto his back took little effort, as they were quite used to his slight weight, making Gwyn giggle.   
  
"Has he always been light as a feather?"   
  
"Despite the fact that he packs away enough food that would feed a small battalion? Yes he has. We were really worried about his weight when he was little, but the doctor told us that he was fine and that he would naturally be as he is due to his high metabolism."   
  
"What a lucky bastard..."   
  
"Valerie!"   
  
"Sorry mom, but come on, he is! I mean, he can eat anything without getting fat, while I eat a small something and gets me all bloated!"   
  
"That's because you barely ever move your lazy ass from the couch when you're home Val, Sweetheart," her older sister teased. "Tristan's always on the go, hence why he doesn't gain weight ever, plus, there's his system helps him out too. You should buy yourself a pair of joggers and go out and about... right mom?"   
  
"Mmm-hmm, but she'll do it only if she feels like it, right Val?" their mother replied as Valerie stuck her tongue out at her sister, making Gwyn laugh. "Come to think of it, you two should actually go jogging together, should be fun. Plus, I'm sure Tris would absolutely love to give you tips about it."   
  
"Aha! Gotcha sis, you'll have to come with me," Valerie exclaimed, flashing a wicked grin at her.   
  
"Jeez... you know Val, you're worse than a kid sometimes."   
  
"Now now you two... will you start waking up your brother... slowly please?" she asked the two girls while winking back at Gwyn.   
  
"Sure do."   
  
Seeing that Tristan was still in deep slumber, Valerie and Olivia grinned back at each other and hovered their hands over their brother's side, preparing themselves for some ticklish torture that made Gwyn chuckle and Kari sigh.   
  
"I thought I said slowly..."   
  
"We will mom... do it slowly," both of them replied as they started the tickling.   
  
"Nnn...stop..." came the whine. "No touchy..."   
  
"Still asleep," Gwyn told them, amused.   
  
"Well... since slowly doesn't work..." Valerie cackled as Olivia grinned in return. "Resorting to extreme measures..."   
  
"Knew it... and don't tell me I didn't warn you girls."   
  
"Stop...you mean!" whined Tristan more as he felt the tickling intensify.   
  
"Drat! Not even this wants to work... then... mmm..."   
  
"What?"   
  
"Maybe I know of the ultimate drastic measure..." Valerie grinned once more as Olivia blinked blankly at her completely oblivious of what her sister had in mind. Moving closer to his ear, Valerie smiled and proceeded into whispering to him: "Tris... there's Gwyn in a terribly sexy bikini set that I'm sure you'd love to see... so if you don't mind... will you get up, now?"   
  
"Huh?! Wha?! Where?!" Looking around, he saw the others laughing at him. "You're so evil..."   
  
"I can so blackmail you baby," Valerie laughed back when she saw her brother, eyes barred open wide and completely awake, seated in front of her.   
  
Sticking his tongue out at her, he pouted. "Me no likey..."   
  
"I'm sure you don't but... Gwyn sure does," his sister continued as she pointed at Gwyn, covering her mouth with a hand to stifle a laugh.   
  
Turning his head away from them, he continued to pout.   
  
"Tris, want to finish off the massage?" Olivia asked him, winking back at the other three girls. "Mmh? Well if you look back at me maybe..."   
  
"...okay..." he replied slowly while turning back to face her.   
  
"That's our boy," both sisters grinned as they finished off Tristan's massage while Gwyn sat back by Kari's side. After a few minutes, Valerie tapped Tristan's shoulder gently, and winked back at him. "And that's ready dear, you can go sit next to your girl now."   
  
"You're not gonna put that stuff on me...are you?"   
  
"What stuff?" Olivia asked.   
  
"The mask that Val's been eying to put on my face for the past five minutes..."   
  
"Gwyn, how's baby's facial skin?" Valerie called back, as Gwyn gave her a blank stare.   
  
"Uhm... normal?"   
  
"See...?"   
  
"Tris... mask. Now," Valerie ordered as Tristan started to squirm. "Liv, keep him still."   
  
"Told you," he grumbled as he continued to squirm under Olivia's grasp.   
  
"Just fifteen minutes, I promise, it's just a refreshing mask, that's all, you have this cute baby face of yours that doesn't need much work to be done... sooo... here it comes," she chuckled as she started applying the treatment to her brother's face.   
  
"...fine..."   
  
"I've already done this before on you so don't complain," she chided him as she completed the mask. "And we're ready now, right mom?"   
  
"Mmm-hmm... but I think I need a neck and shoulder massage from you dear, it's kind of stiff..."   
  
"That's because of all the housework you do mom," Olivia nodded as she helped Tristan off the table and watched him walk over to Gwyn.   
  
"You're probably right..." Kari replied as she sat up while Valerie started working on her neck.   
  
Slumping in the chair next to Gwyn, he smiled. "Probably one of the few times I feel like a king..."   
  
"When's the other few times?" she chuckled in return. "Might have clues..."   
  
"When we're at the museum...and any time I'm with you."   
  
"Then my clues were right," she smiled back. "Val should have chosen another colour for the mask though... I mean... blue?" she chuckled.   
  
"I like blue..."   
  
"That blue on your face is hideous," she laughed out, making the three Faraday girls giggle.   
  
"Blame Val then..."   
  
"But it'll make his skin clean and soft and..."   
  
"He'll feel like a baby," Olivia told them, as she noticed Tristan roll his eyes in response. "Is that alright for you Gwyn?"   
  
"Not a problem."   
  
"Pffttt..."   
  
"And ready there mommy!" the girls exclaimed together when done.   
  
"Thank you dears... now, will you get that mask off Tristan's face so that we can get all cuddled up on bed?" Kari asked the two.   
  
"Sure sure..."   
  
"I could go for some mommy cuddles..." grinned Tristan.   
  
"Geez, he's insatiable," Valerie muttered as her brother sat back on the massaging table to lie down. "I mean... you have Gwyn, leave the rest of the cuddles for us," she laughed back at him.   
  
"But I haven't seen her in a long time..."   
  
"Gwyn can't cuddle us you know..." the two continued with the teasing.   
  
"But I can cuddle her while mama cuddles me, duh."   
  
"See? He gets both... seriously."   
  
"Because I'm special...?"   
  
"Bleh," Valerie and Olivia chorused as they stuck their tongues back at him while removing his mask, which was over and done with after a few minutes. "See Tris, you whine too much," they both laughed.   
  
"...So?"   
  
"Brat."   
  
"Moo-oom..."   
  
"Stop it you three."   
  
"Well, it's the truth..."   
  
"Valerie and Olivia..." Kari started as the three Faradays blinked when they heard a hearty laugh come from Gwyn's behalf.   
  
Grinning, Tristan made his way over and let his mother hug him tightly. "Okay."   
  
"Now, since you're all ready and done with, and since you two will probably give massages to each other once we're on bed... what do you say... get in your pyjamas and come back on bed please, in say, ten minutes?" Kari suggested as she placed a kiss on her son's cheek.   
  
"Ours are all packed and..." Gwyn muttered.   
  
"We'll lend you one! And Tris can get one of his old ones, but don't worry, we have loads of pyjamas so..."   
  
"And I'm already in mine...oh wait, you want me in proper pajamas, huh?"   
  
"You're practically similar in size to us Gwyn so..." Valerie grinned as she took Gwyn's hand and dragged her out of the room, leaving Tristan, his mother and Olivia chuckling. "We'll be back in a couple of minutes!"   
  
"Are my old ones still in my drawer?"   
  
"Yes honey, and there still are the animal ones in there too," his mother chuckled as Olivia scurried out of the room to get changed too.   
  
"How about the white t-shirt and the bear pajama pants?"   
  
"There too."   
  
"Then I'll wear those..." he grinned before hugging her tightly. "Think I made a good choice with Gwyn, mama?"   
  
"Absolutely. In spite of the fact that she's quite the reserved person... she really gives me good vibes, plus, she's totally devoted to you, same as you are to her. Your eyes say that," she told him, rubbing his back. "I would have noticed immediately if it weren't, baby. She's the one for you."   
  
"I think so too..."   
  
"I'm pretty sure of that... now, go get changed baby, come on," she urged him with a smile on her lips.   
  
"Yes mommy..." he whispered before getting up and heading to his room.   
  
Having the girls and Tristan out of the room, Kari proceeded into clearing up the things on the massaging table. Once that was done, she proceeded to add a some extra cushions and another quilt on her bed, making the space even more comfortable. Eyeing the fireplace in her room, Kari also thought of lighting it up, in case any one of them would want to huddle next to it rather than on her bed. Chuckling as she heard their footsteps approaching, Kari promptly changed into her bedclothes and sat on the edge of the bed, waiting for the lot to arrive.   
  
"...I like these pajamas..." replied Tristan as Valerie continued to tease him.   
  
"When you were ten maybe?"   
  
"I think they're cute," Gwyn grinned back. "At least, they're not pink," she laughed, as the only pyjama set available - strangely enough - was a light pink one Valerie had.   
  
"They still fit though! And thank you, Gwyn."   
  
"You still haven't told me what you think about pink?" Gwyn asked as she slipped an arm round Tristan's waist. "I do like the bear pyjama pants."   
  
"It's cute. Not too pink, if that makes any sense. Better than the pink gumball over there," he snickered over at Valerie's hot pink pajamas.   
  
"Shut up, they're cool and in fashion, what do you know," she pouted as she ran off before them to jump on her mother's bed.   
  
"About fashion? Not a thing really," he grinned as he trailed after Valerie, leaving Olivia and Gwyn smiling in their wake.   
  
"They're just like kids... Gwyn, does he act like this with you?" Olivia asked as they took their pace into walking back to the main bedroom.   
  
"Only rarely... but it's fun seeing him so happy and relaxed... I think I make him go through too much stress."   
  
"What? Nah! Never seen him this happy so quit worrying."   
  
As soon as the pair arrived, they both found Tristan being cuddled tightly by both Kari and Valerie while lying on the bed.   
  
"Hey, not fair, you're all comfy and stuff already!" Olivia pouted as she saw the three.   
  
"But I'm so cuddly, and there's room for you two anyways," he grinned widely.   
  
"You're worse than a stuffed bear," the elder of the siblings laughed as she joined the other three on bed, leaving Gwyn standing at the edge of the bed, running a hand through her hair.   
  
"Well, there isn't much space..."   
  
Sticking his legs out from the bed, Tristan wrapped them around Gwyn's waist and pulled her on top of him before wrapping his arms around her. "There's plenty of room," he smiled.   
  
"How the hell did he..." Valerie gasped as Kari and Olivia looked on and laughed, as they noticed Gwyn blushing with what he had just done.   
  
"I'm quite talented."   
  
"Like a circus acrobat or something..."   
  
"I'm quite bendy too..." he smirked as he cuddled against Gwyn.   
  
"Right, knowing that smirk, I don't want details on the 'bendy' issue. And stop smirking," Valerie pouted, as she huddled against her mother.   
  
"Well, it was mom's idea to have me participating in all those martial arts...and gymnastics..."   
  
"Yeah now feign innocence... brat," she finished up in a scowl.   
  
"Heh heh," he chuckled as he tilted his head up and kissed Valerie's cheek.   
  
"So, Tris, you wanted to tell us something or might as well go to sleep? Olivia's already dozing off and it seems that Gwyn's quickly following suit..." Kari observed, winking back at her son.   
  
"I love you all..." Tristan replied with a yawn. "And I'll tell you about the other thing in the morning...when I'm up for it."   
  
"Then sleep it is," Kari smiled as she placed a kiss on Valerie and Olivia's hair then reached for Tristan and Gwyn's foreheads respectively. "Have a goodnight all."   
  
Yawning once more, Tristan snuggled tightly against Gwyn while cuddled in Kari's arms. Whispering into Gwyn's ear, he smiled. "I love you...and hopefully you'll be a permanent part of this family..."   
  
"Just remove the hopefully..." she muttered in return. "And love you too..."   
  
"Still awake? And yes, I know you'll be a part of this family soon."   
  
"Sort of," she chuckled, as she placed a kiss on his cheek.   
  
Hugging her even tighter, he kissed her gently. "Best sleep now then," he whispered with a yawn.   
  
\-   
  
_A cozy fireplace, a large living room, a fluffy rug laid down in front of a softly crackling fire, random exquisite pieces of Victorian furniture scattered around the room and..._   
  
_"A piano and a... cot?" Gwyn blinked as she walked across the room slowly, still confused, to the two items that almost seemed to attract her as if they had their own magnetic force. Leaning over, and to her utter surprise, Gwyn gasped when she saw a barely four-week old baby gurgling happily while fully asleep as he clutched tightly at his small plush bear._   
  
_As she continued looking at him, she couldn't help but notice the uncanny resemblance the baby had to Tristan - dark hair, same expression Tristan had when he slept by her side... his position..._   
  
_"Oh my God don't tell me this is..."_   
  
_"He's fallen asleep hasn't he?" a familiar voice whispered back to her as she felt two strong arms embrace her._   
  
_Turning immediately as soon as she heard that voice, Gwyn felt her heart skip a beat or two when she found Tristan smiling back at her sweetly, dressed in a short-sleeved white shirt and a pair of jeans. "What's with you... here... and that's our baby isn't it?"_   
  
_"Yes he is. And he's not our only one... We have a pair of twins as well, they're almost eight years old by this point. They take after you in coloring, save for the eyes, as they have mine."_   
  
_"We have... what?" she blinked back at him as he continued to hug her closely. "At least... this is much better than last time's nightmare," she chuckled._   
  
_"Twins. We got pregnant with them just before we fought Fred, Ryan, Lara, and the rest of Fred's followers. And... in case you're wondering, yes, I know what's going to happen - to me that is, as this is the future I've seen for us. And agreed, much better."_   
  
_"Hey wait a second, baby..." she whispered as she looked up at him. "You just told me a whole lot of information that... you mentioned... me getting pregnant, twins, a fight, future..." she muttered as she noticed the gold band on Tristan's left hand._   
  
_"Us married? Yeah, that much is obvious. And as for here? This is our home. Remember my dream, where I wanted a house by the sea? This is it... Now, I know that you're thinking about a lot of things - particularly us - but... I just want to let you know that all this will be waiting for you," he smiled before letting go of her and picking up the baby and cradling him gently. "This will happen for us, but only when you realize just what it is you exactly want. And I'll be right by your side when that happens, I promise."_   
  
_"Yes but how... I mean... I'm a... how can it be?" she whispered as she sat on the nearby piano bench and watched him closely as he rocked the baby to him. "And how do you know of all this?"_   
  
_"Well, let's just say that what happens to me in the coming weeks is responsible for me being able to see much more clearly into the future - our future to be exact..." Smiling, Tristan walked over to Gwyn and sat down next to her. "Here, he wants his mommy..."_   
  
_Staring back at him wide-eyed, Gwyn stretched out her arms and let Tristan settle the baby in her arms, making her smile as the little one cooed softly in her arms. "So small..." she mumbled as she felt Tristan rest her head on one of her shoulders._   
  
_"He should be, he was only born a few weeks ago... But he'll grow up to be a fine young man, as will our other sons and daughters..." Tristan whispered cryptically._   
  
_"Eight years... three children... Tristan..." she mumbled in mid-thought, realising that he hadn't changed one bit after all that he mentioned to her._   
  
_"Figure out why I haven't aged yet babe?" he smiled as he leaned over and kissed the baby's forehead._   
  
_"But how? I had promised myself not to! Promised that I would have protected you at all costs... including not becoming a vampire like I am! You mean... even the child is..." she muttered staring back first at him, then at the baby. "You mean I'll turn you? After all that happened?"_   
  
_"You'll only turn me because of two reasons - though the second reason is the most important. The first reason is simple. Fred will ask both Black and Lara to go after me because of you failing to do his bidding. The second? Because I wanted you to. I meant everything I ever said that I wanted to live forever with you. I wanted you to turn me to save me - which by doing so, you saved me from them. As for our children, yes they are just... like... us."_   
  
_"Honey, wait... wait. You mean I'm going to follow Fred's orders?" she told him. "And have vampire children... just like he wished to?"_   
  
_"Not exactly. You'll turn me because it's the only way to save me, as well as you doing it for your sake, not his. And the vampire children, they're ours. We have them because we love each other... and my mother always said that children were the product of a happy marriage," he chuckled before leaning over to kiss her sweetly._   
  
_"So it was our choice..." she whispered back as she gazed into his light blue eyes and smiled. "Your eyes are beautiful..."_   
  
_"They're what my eyes permanently change to after you turn me. The children get them as well. And another thing you'll notice," Tristan smirked as he stood up. "I grew a little bit too. Not as tall as Neville, but I'm now about 1.9 meters tall... that would be due to your blood..."_   
  
_"At least you're drinking off me..." she sighed with half a smile, as she caressed the baby's cheeks gently._   
  
_"Pretty exclusively you actually... though get used to stocking blood packs in another fridge for me..." he laughed as he played with the baby's hands._   
  
_"Seriously?" she laughed softly._   
  
_"Yeah. I'm not one for hunting actually... but you'll find out why I won't drink from anyone but you for the most part."_   
  
_"I still can't believe all this happens..." she whispered, staring straight into his eyes._   
  
_"Well, technically it hasn't happened yet, but it will... though only if you make the decision to turn me. I know it's hard to grasp, but trust me, a lot of good comes out of all this, as I was always meant to not only be your soulmate, but also a vampire - rather a 'bampia' as Roy here will call us, though he'll be referring to vampire bats instead actually."_   
  
_"Seems he's going to be quite the cutie isn't he? Just like his father..."_   
  
_"You'll love him to bits. As you will our other children, but Roy will always take a special place in your heart, since he takes after me." Taking another look at the baby, Tristan reached out and tickled his cheek, making the baby giggle happily._   
  
_"My most difficult of choices will turn out to be my greatest blessing I suppose..."_   
  
_"Immediately after you turn me, we'll both be hurting, but strangely, on my birthday, everything will be alright and you and I will make our relationship that much stronger. Trust me..."_   
  
_"Of course I trust you..."_   
  
_"I know, as I trust you. But for now, enjoy us as we are for the next few weeks... as everything will change in the moment we return. Even though it'll seem like everything's falling apart, just know that all this is coming...and that you and I will be together forever," he whispered before taking Roy back into his arms. "And now, it's time for us to wake up, my Love. See you soon."_   
  
_"No... don't tell me it's already time to wake..."_   
  
_-_   
  
"Up... where the..."   
  
Blinking slowly, Tristan blearily realized that both he and Gwyn were tucked under the blankets and were the only ones in his mother's bed. "Gwyn? Babe you okay?" he whispered while snuggling closer to her.   
  
"Hey..." she mumbled, accompanied by a yawn. "I'm alright... just had a... strange dream..."   
  
"Weird... me too actually. We were in a room... with a fireplace and... a baby, I think...?"   
  
"You snagged my dream, you little thief," she chuckled lightly. "Thing is, I don't have a clue what we talked about and... who the little one was..."   
  
"The baby reminded me of well... me, but I don't really remember anything we talked about either..." he smiled sleepily. "Anyways, best to sleep some more... as the others will wake us up for breakfast. And I need to hold you just a bit more before telling them what happened to me and _her._.."   
  
"As much as you like..." she winked back as she kissed his forehead. "But you know... I think we'll have our sweet revenge on the little bitch soon enough..."   
  
"Me too... but something tells me that she'll try to go after me again - but this time with help from Black - and under Fred's orders..."   
  
Gulping nervously, as it almost seemed that Tristan was actually hinting to the order Fred had given her, Gwyn placed a finger on his lips and hushed him gently. "Will you not think about that now please? Mmm?" she softly asked him. "And yes, the baby did remind me of you too..."   
  
Nodding slowly, he kissed her finger before pulling her closer to him. "The baby had my hair and eyes... cute little thing..." he replied drowsily.   
  
"Definitely your son..." she whispered as she nuzzled against his neck.   
  
"You mean _our son_ ," Tristan whispered back before kissing his spot.   
  
"Mmm-hmm," she hummed back. "Ours."   
  
Smiling against her neck, Tristan easily found himself falling asleep once again while holding her tightly.   
  
Humming softly, Gwyn continued to caress his hair slowly as she couldn't catch any more sleep after that dream, while she nuzzled closer to him letting snapshots of it slowly lull her back to sleep.   
  
"You'll be a wonderful father, Tris...”


	19. XIX

"Any idea on how we should wake them up?"

"Not a clue... You?"

"I ask the twins to hop on Tristan?" Catherine suggested, grinning back at Valerie who smirked back at her in return.

"Hey you two, don't start with the plotting now. And Cath, act like an adult, you've just arrived..." Olivia growled.

"Liv relax..."

"You're worse than Valerie sometimes, seriously."

"How about sending the minions to wake them up?"

"Oh not that, maybe Gwyn wouldn't appreciate that..."

"You're still plotting you three?" Kari asked as she popped her head from behind the bedroom's door. "I'm finishing up breakfast and the twins are hungry so... will you just get them up and come downstairs, all of you please? Without doing anything wild and crazy?"

"Yes mom... Seriously though, how does he sleep so much...?"

"Both of them do actually, I think they woke up some time earlier, then fell asleep again."

Snickering, Valerie eyed the sleeping pair. "They're probably catching up on the sleep that they lose due to constantly having sex..."

"Val!" both the elder sisters chided her upon instinct.

"What? It's probably true..."

"So? It's not your business after all," Olivia continued as Catherine smiled. "And what Cath?"

"She might actually have a point."

"Not you too now!"

"...Shut up..." whined Tristan. "You're all so loud..."

"Tristan Faraday, shutting up your older sister that you haven't seen for months, how impertinent..." Catherine replied in a mock-offended tone of voice.

"...Cos you mean..." he grumbled before snuggling closer to Gwyn.

"What did he say?" both Valerie and Olivia asked, blinking back at their older sister.

"No idea," she replied shaking her head.

Letting out another yawn, Tristan let out a quiet snore as he was fast asleep once again.

"Geez, he went to sleep again?!" the three of them gasped in unison.

"God... at this rate, we might as well drag him out of bed, strip him, and dump him in the shower... just to wake him up," grumbled Olivia, completely oblivious to both Gwyn waking up and her sisters grinning like mad.

"Talk about being drastic," Gwyn chuckled as she slowly woke up to find the three Faraday sisters grinning back at her. "You generally... do that when he's here?"

"Sometimes..." chuckled Olivia. "But usually he's a good b-Val! Cath! What the heck?!" she exclaimed as both of her sisters were moving towards Tristan's unconscious form.

"I shall totally call myself alien from what you are going to do, and I'm declaring that I've got nothing to do with this," Gwyn told them as she slipped out of bed and walked towards the door.

"I'm totally out of here too..." sighed Olivia as she quickly trailed after Gwyn.

"I can't believe they chickened out," Catherine gasped as she grinned wickedly back at her sister. "And... Gwyn was still asleep I suppose, didn't realise I was here..."

"Either way... grab an arm. Baby brother's been working out since you last saw him... If he wasn't my brother, I'd have jumped him a long time ago," chuckled Valerie.

"Val, the mental image you've just given me is horrid, say something else like... now!"

"What? It's the truth... okay fine... He and Gwyn and extremely adorable together... And mom absolutely loves her."

"That I noticed, something else, quick."

"He still loves his bear pajamas," she laughed as she pulled back the covers and showed her oldest sister.

"Awwww, the cuteness! I think I've got the twins a similar pair of them, come to think of it..."

"Anyways, let's get him into the shower..."

"You seriously have in mind of doing that... he's going to kill us when he wakes up..."

"It wouldn't do for baby brother running around stark naked while the kids, Steve, and Gwyn are about after he wakes up..." snickered Valerie. "All of their clothes are packed, but Tris has enough clothes here so we can just pull something together for him to wear. And Gwyn can just borrow mine or Livvy's stuff..."

"Let's do it."

Grinning, both sisters managed to carry the youngest Faraday into their mother's bathroom and proceeded to get the shower ready before undressing their little brother.

"My my, he's gone classy with underwear too..." Catherine grinned as Valerie placed his bed clothes by the side.

"I know... Terribly cute, isn't it? And told you he was sexy..."

"I'm not denying that, he's our brother after all... who took after dad, who was one hot officer in his prime - quoting mom's words."

"He looks like mom though... Which makes him look exotic actually..." replied Valerie as Catherine got the shower door open. "And the last part... the fancy underwear," she snickered.

"You take that off, I've got a husband you know," Cath laughed as she watched Valerie's amused look.

"Fine," she laughed as she removed Tristan's boxers. "And oh my God... Yep, that'll explain his and Gwyn's _sleepless nights_..." she grinned wickedly over at Catherine. "They probably have a little daytime fun too when they can..."

"I know you're saying that to make me look but I won't, let's get him into the shower," she replied, sticking her tongue out at her. "If he's all set on getting married now, then all's well and good."

"Well you're no fun... And you're gonna have to anyways if you're helping me carry him into the shower..."

"Not if I grab one shoulder and you the other, there's no need to look down there... you one-track minded girl."

"And from what I've seen, oh he's good and ready - they both are - but apparently there's a bit of trouble at work for them, so nothing official yet. And I'm not one-track minded..." she grumbled as she and Catherine carried Tristan inside before shutting the door.

"WHAT THE FUCK!? I'M SO GOING TO KILL YOU TWO!!!!" sputtered Tristan as the hot water of the shower hit him while glaring at both Catherine and Valerie who grinned and waved back at him mischievously in return.

"What was that about trouble at work?"

"He didn't say last night, but it's pretty bad as he actually cried a bit..."

Seeing as how his sisters were ignoring him, Tristan decided that the best thing to do was simply shower, though he noticed that there wasn't a towel nearby. "Okay, seeing as how I'm awake now, you mind grabbing me a towel?" he smirked as he turned to face them, thereby fully showing himself off through the glass door to both of his sisters.

"I'll go fetch it and... Val, stop staring."

"You're the one not moving either... Cath. So you stop staring."

Rolling his eyes, he grabbed a shampoo bottle and began to wash his hair. "Sometime in my lifetime please. Otherwise I'm strutting around the house naked..."

Giving a slight push on Valerie's back, Catherine proceeded to rummage in one of her mother's cabinets and grab a fairly large towel and hand it over to Tristan. "There you go, I have my three kids around the house, so, better not."

"Just put it on the rack. And for the record, it's two kids running around. Unless Alice has already mastered the art of walking and running at seven months, Cath... Also, I doubt Steve would be anxious to do any _size comparisons_ either..."

"She does observe things though you know."

"Not like she'd be saying, 'Why Uncle Tristan have that between his legs and I don't?' to you."

"Oh God... Tris finish off that shower now."

"It'll go faster if you two decide to help wash me up..." he replied sweetly.

"No way," the two grinned, walking out of the bathroom together, leaving Tristan in the shower stall on his own.

"Fine. Did you happen to grab me clothes then?" he called as he rinsed off the shampoo and grabbed the bar of soap.

"They're on mom's bed. We're going downstairs!"

"Okay..." he smiled as he finished rinsing off before shutting off the taps. Opening the door slightly to grab the towel, he immediately dried himself off before wrapping it around his waist and walked into the bedroom to find his old blue and white flannel shirt, grey t-shirt, and his jeans from the other day on the bed. Grabbing a pair of green boxers, he whistled as he got dressed quickly and headed downstairs while drying his hair. "Morning everyone..."

"The two little female demons got you in the shower eh?" Kari laughed as she continued serving breakfast to the rest of the family. "Good morning baby."

"Morning Uncle Tris!" the twins chorused back.

"I guess they're little, considering I'm so much taller than them, but yes, they did," he chuckled as he hugged and kissed his mother. "What's for breakfast?" Looking over at his niece and nephew, he grinned widely before making his way over to them and hugged them tightly. "Good morning you two and happy birthday. Did you introduce yourselves to Gwyn?"

"Yeah we did!"

"She's really beautiful Uncle!"

"Mmm-hmm, and really nice too! She almost looks like a fairy princess!"

"I'd say elf."

"Nah, a princess is way more cuter!"

"You're obsessed with fairies."

"They're nice! Anyway... she just had tea and nibbled at a waffle... now she's in uhm... the living room with Alice and mom!"

"She's watching her feeding her as mom and Auntie Gwyn chat. She already shoved down a stack of pancakes, mom I mean."

Grinning, he quickly greeted his brother-in-law as well as Olivia before settling down next to Valerie. "Good morning you evil woman," he whispered before kissing her cheek. "And your mom already had a stack of pancakes hmm? And she says I eat a lot..." laughed Tristan.

"Well, technically she's still eating for two, so you can't really blame her," replied Steve as he sipped his coffee and read the newspaper.

"Nah, not really. Especially when my mom's making the pancakes and waffles..."

"Morning little brother... mom prepared her very own chocolate milkshake for you," Valerie winked as she handed him over a large glass.

"It's because mommy loves me best," he grinned before taking a sip of the milkshake. "And thank you mommy and Livvy, since I know you had a hand in making breakfast too. But pardon me, I'm gonna go look for my eldest sister, littlest niece, and my significant half," replied Tristan as he got up from the table. "Vicky, Eth, no taking Uncle's milkshake, got it?"

"Honey listen, you sure Gwyn wouldn't want to eat anything else?" Kari asked as she brought another lot of pancakes on the table, earning a couple of squeals from the children. "She just had a coffee and barely even had one whole of these."

"Not really too sure, but I can ask."

"Okay Uncle, we have ours," they grinned, with the mouths brimming with pancakes.

"Don't talk with your mouths full you two."

"Yes dad."

"Thanks Stevie," smiled Tristan as he made his way over to where Gwyn was cuddling Alice while Catherine was heading out of the room. "And there're my girls. Leaving already Cath?"

"Left my hot chocolate over there... totally forgot about it. But there's Gwyn with Alice so it's alright from my end, baby's just full to the brim now," she winked back to her brother. "Plus, I need to check on the twins to see what they're up to. I'll see you in a bit."

"See you..." he smiled back as he made his way over to Gwyn and Alice. "Hey there Ally, you look quite happy with your new Auntie, don't you," he whispered as he rested his chin on Gwyn's shoulder. "And good morning baby. Seems you've bonded quickly with her."

"Your sister just asked me to watch her till she falls asleep. Then I can place her back in the cot... well at least she's not crying while I'm holding her."

"It's because she likes you. Told you the kids would love you, isn't that right Ally?" he whispered as he tickled the baby's cheek, making her smile and giggle. "Yeah, Auntie Gwyn likes you too."

"You know, it's amazing how Catherine does things so naturally, I mean... she fed her, she changed her diaper... played a bit with her making her chuckle in matter of just a couple of minutes... like it were the simplest thing in the world."

"She's had practice, I mean, she was ten when I was born, so most of her practice comes from me. And she's also had her twins too... but it takes time, as all babies are different. One day, we'll both experience it together when we have our children..."

"Maybe," she smiled as she continued cradling the little one gently. "And good morning Tris," she chuckled.

Leaning over slightly, he kissed the corner of her mouth before bending down to kiss Alice's cheek. "Mom's worried about you not really eating, so you'd probably best eat a bit more once Ally goes to sleep. It'll make her happy really."

"I'm not really hungry," she whispered back. "But I'll try to, I promise."

"Good," he whispered as he watched Alice's eyes begin to droop. "And looks like she's almost out for the count..."

"Seems like it," Gwyn smiled in return. 

"So... revising your opinion on the kid thing? Because from what I'm seeing, you're a natural with them too..."

"The idea still scares me though."

"Well, the thought of bringing new life into a world that you helped create... you'd be crazy not to be scared in my opinion."

"That's one of the million reasons I'd be scared to..."

"Well, don't worry. It's our love for them that will bring us our greatest joy."

"Should we have ours..."

"I'm hoping that we do... It'd make my mom and sisters happy for sure. Also, Cyn always tells me that I'd spawn some really cute kids if I had them."

"Quite like Cynthia to say something like that," she chuckled as she noticed that Alice had fallen asleep. "And your niece's off to dreaming..."

"Well, probably best to put her in her cot so that both Auntie and Uncle can have a nice breakfast."

"Mmm-hmm..." laying her back down slowly, just as Catherine had instructed her, Gwyn tucked the little one comfortably with her light pink bunny-motived blanket. "That's really a cute scene actually... it'll be nice to see Neville all fatherly, come to think of it."

"He's going to be a pushover for Amber," he chuckled as he wrapped his arms around Gwyn's waist. "But he won't mind, as that's his little girl..."

"I can't wait really, it'll be quite entertaining in a way too," she chuckled back.

"Definitely," he whispered before turning her to face him and leaning in to kiss her, all while ignoring Catherine standing in the doorway.

"She just needed some cuddling to fall asleep, didn't she?" she grinned as she earned the simultaneous gazes of her brother and his half. "And... sorry for disturbing you," she smiled sincerely.

"But you weren't..." smiled Tristan as he hugged Gwyn tightly as Catherine walked away. "Ah well, where were we?"

"Right... here," whispered Gwyn as she and Tristan shared a sweet and gentle kiss next to Alice's cot. "Let's leave her to her nap now," she smiled looking back at him. "We have a breakfast to finish up..."

"Yep. C'mon, next to Anne, my mom's pancakes and waffles are the best."

"Might as well then," she winked. "Wouldn't say no to another cup of tea either."

"Good..." he smiled back as they walked back to the kitchen. "And who drank all of my milkshake?"

"He/She did!" the twins pointed at each other, grinning in mischief.

"Not too convincing you two," chuckled Gwyn as she noticed Valerie giggling with them. "Maybe someone helped too?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about little brother..."

"The whole world is conspiring against me..." he sighed as he noticed his empty plate. "Yep... conspiring against me..."

"Here honey," Kari winked as she handed him a plate full of a mix of pancakes and waffles topped with chocolate sauce. "Maybe that's better... you can share that you two."

"Thank you mommy..." pouted Tristan as he began to dig into his breakfast while Gwyn continued to laugh.

"You could have tasted his vengeance if it weren't for Kari," Gwyn joked. "Never mess with Tristan's food."

"Is he still territorial about his food?" smiled Olivia as she went about preparing another milkshake for Tristan.

"Pretty much... I mean, not with me as I don't eat his stuff, save occasionally when I want to tease a bit," Gwyn smiled as she looked up at Tristan and grinned.

Pursing his lips, he continued to eat as Catherine snuck up behind him, placed both of her hands on his cheeks gently and kissed his hair. "Seriously baby... you'll never get married at this rate..."

"Mmm... well, I highly doubt that not happening in the near future," Steve told them as he looked up to smile back at Gwyn.

Shrugging his shoulders, he finished chewing his waffles before grinning. "Well, Gwyn doesn't seem to mind very much... so I think I'm okay for now..."

"You can't blame him though Cath, mom's food's always amazing," Valerie grinned as she finished off her last waffle.

"I help too," chuckled Olivia as she placed the drink in front of Tristan. "And one special chocolate-peanut butter shake for my baby brother. Gwyn there's quite a bit of the shake left over, would you like some?"

"And don't forget to eat your waffles Auntie!" smiled Ethan as he was hanging on the back of his father's chair. "They're the best!"

"I wouldn't mind tasting that, thank you," smiled Gwyn as Olivia promptly placed a smaller cup in front of her.

"All yours! With the extra waffle too, just like Ethan mentioned."

"Thank you."

Taking a sip of his shake through the bendy straw, Tristan grinned. "Ahh... just as good as my 'peanut butter and jelly' one..."

"Auntie Gwyn? Are you going to marry Uncle? He needs someone to take care of him," grinned Claire as she sat next to Gwyn.

"Mmm... maybe soon..." she smiled back at her as she handed her the glass of milkshake. "Want a sip?"

"Yes please and thank you!" replied Claire as she took a sip out of Gwyn's glass while Ethan stared at Tristan.

"Let me guess, you want some too?"

"Yes please?" Ethan asked hopefully.

"A sip, otherwise you're doing the dishes... Got it?"

"Yep!" grinned the little boy as he took a sip out of Tristan's glass. "That was great!"

"And you'd be great with children you two... even if you get to have twins for example," Catherine mumbled as she walked behind her husband and placed a kiss on his hair.

"Me have twins? That'd be a bit crazy..." smiled Tristan as Gwyn let Claire feed her some of the waffles and pancakes. "Oh and Vicky, make sure to get lots of syrup and butter on those pieces. Auntie Gwyn loves it when her pancakes and waffles are smothered in syrup and butter..."

"Yes Sir!" she giggled as she continued cutting small pieces slowly and feeding them to her.

"I think it'd be a lovely idea, since you're practically a kid yourself Tris," snickered Valerie.

"Same goes for you," Gwyn grinned back.

"I'm not as bad as him though... Four years is a pretty big difference," she replied back with a grin.

"In dog years? Sure," teased Tristan as he polished off his breakfast.

"Don't start with that again you two," Kari chided them as she started clearing off the dirty dishes from the table.

"He/She started it!"

"Valerie Marie and Tristan David..."

"Sorry mom..." grumbled the pair as Catherine patted Tristan's head.

"Just like a little boy... At least you're fairly well-behaved for the most part though Tris," she smiled before kissing his cheek before letting him go. "And Val, it's probably best if you set a better example for the kids, hmm?"

"Hey!" replied the youngest Faraday sister as she took off after her oldest sister, while the remainder of the family simply looked on.

"It's okay Auntie! They're always like that," Claire chuckled as she continued to feed Gwyn.

"Yep! They're always funny. But it's funnier with Uncle here - they like to baby him."

"It's easy to do Eth, as your Uncle doesn't look that much older than you and your sister," grinned Steve.

"Dad! No he doesn't..." smiled Ethan as he let his father hug and kiss him.

"Yeah daddy, Uncle Tristan's not a little kid," giggled Claire.

"Well he's our baby, so to us he's a little kid," smiled Olivia as she hugged Tristan tightly.

Laughing, Tristan continued to grin widely as his elder sister hugged him while looking at Gwyn, who had finished her waffle with Claire's help. "See what I have to put up with? You'll be getting more of this once you join this family..."

"Depends, probably you're more prone to getting teased than I am though," she chuckled as she stuck her tongue out playfully at him, visibly more relaxed than she was before.

"True... but at least you can see me in my natural element..." he continued to laugh as Kari came over to the table. "Even more so than with Cyn and the gang." 

"Not that I haven't before..."

"I'm sure you did, see him _natural_ I mean," Valerie flashed a grin at her as Tristan smacked her with a napkin that he found at hand.

"You stop that! It's not nice to be setting this kind of example to your niece and nephew..." 

"As if they'd understand, duh."

"So you were saying that Auntie Gwyn's seen Uncle Tris _naked_?" came the sly grins from the twins. 

"Talk about them not understanding..." Olivia laughed out as the rest followed suit.

Turning a healthy shade of pink, Tristan simply focused on drinking the rest of his milkshake while trying to pretend that he was invisible to rest of his family.

"No need to blush baby," Gwyn chuckled as she placed a chocolatey kiss on his lips as he finished drinking.

Surprised by the kiss, he simply kissed her back as all of the women present proceeded to coo while Ethan and Steve simply smiled. 

"See dad, Auntie Gwyn tastes like chocolate, that's why Uncle Tris loves kissing her," came the matter-of-fact reply. 

"And how do you know she does?" Steve smirked back at his son.

"Coz of the chocolate sauce on her lips, duh..."

"Yeah sure," he smiled as he winked back at Catherine who smiled in return.

"She also had the chocolate shake that Auntie Livvy made too, y'know..."

Letting go of Gwyn, he rested his forehead on her shoulder. "Quite the wake-up, don't you think?" he whispered just enough for her to hear.

"I can live with it for sure," she replied, resting her head against his.

"Same. I wish all of our mornings were this warm... and comfortable."

"They can be..."

"I want them to be, with you... and maybe a family too..." 

"Think we can work on that?" she whispered back, as if none of Tristan's family were there for a short moment.

"I intend to... but only if you want to as well..."

"If it's like this... it would be that bad... maybe."

"Well, we can make sure to keep the riff-raff out of the house," he grinned as he nudged his head towards the direction of his family, "but I think they're good to keep around for fun."

"Yeah... just imagine," Gwyn chuckled, noticing his mother smiling back at them.

"Hmm... us with two blonde haired kids and a black haired little boy... very cute actually. With both Anne and Jasper in tow... I look forward to it."

"There actually was a little baby black haired boy in the dream..." she muttered softly.

"I remember... he looked like me..."

"Pretty much."

"Ahem..." the three Faraday sisters grinned back at them as Ethan and Claire watched intently, and somehow amused, the scene.

"Yes? May we help you?"

"Well, we do have rooms if you want to cuddle at nine in the morning... but... we actually have other plans in mind," Catherine nodded as Kari chuckled in amusement.

"But I was cuddling with her - before you and the other demon woman dragged me into the shower... At least you had the foresight to strip me before dumping me in there," he replied thoughtfully.

"It would have actually been hotter if we had left you in your clothes," Valerie nodded seriously as Kari shot a death glare at her once again. "I'm joking mom alright..."

"Can we just go hide somewhere? Pwease?" whispered Tristan as he huddled against Gwyn.

"Tris? Do you mind taking Alice for a walk in the park with her pram? I don't think you two'd mind, plus I'd make younger sister here busy with the preparations for the party."

"Uhh... sure. I'll just wait for Gwyn to get ready and then we'll get going?"

"Sure sure," she winked as she stood up and placed a kiss on his cheek. "Hey wait a minute... we have to unpack to get changed?"

"Nah, either Val or Livvy can help you with some temporary clothing. I'm just wearing some old stuff I had here - save for the jeans as they're the ones I wore yesterday. Now Ethan, Claire... be good and terrorize Auntie Val for me, please?"

"Okay!" replied the mischievous pair.

"Mmm... jeans, a shirt and a jumper together with a coat are enough for you Gwyn?" Olivia thought out aloud as Gwyn immediately nodded.

"Great then. I'll just wait for you here?"

"Yes, I'll be back in a couple of minutes," she told him as Olivia took hold of her hand and escorted her upstairs.

"You should visit the café' in the middle of the park..." Steve suggested as the twins started chasing after Valerie. "Serves really good thick hot chocolates, apart from fresh rolls and toasted sandwiches."

"I remember that place. The owners used to give me free food when I was little... They still the same family mom? I remember the owners had some kids that were in high school and college when they started up the cafe..."

"Should be... and make sure to have the orange-cinnamon one... so good," Kari grinned back at him.

"Wonder if they'll remember me... And I'll be sure to do so."

"They should, you're pretty recognizable, plus, I go there often," his mother told him.

"How exactly am I 'recognizable'?"

"You look like your mother for the most part Kid, so at least that way the owners can recognize you as your mother's son," chuckled Steve. "Hope the kids aren't too rough on Val..."

"She'll be fine as a bit of early morning exercise should do her good... I think she was going on about needing to get into better shape..."

"True, she was actually telling me that she'd probably start going with mom for a daily walk in the park."

"Should be good for her and I'm sure she'll love spending more time with mom," smiled Tristan as he heard Olivia and Gwyn talking. "Guess they're ready..."

"Seems like it," Kari winked back at her son as she watched him get back on his feet and stretch out. "Make sure you wear a warm jacket dear... and Cath, tuck in Alice as cosy as possible."

"Mom, it's not that cold."

"Yes, but you might never know with the weather. And take an umbrella with you too."

"Alright... My old coat's in the closet right?"

"Actually, I think you're too tall for your old one... Mom, don't we have dad's old jackets in the closet? I think Tris should be able to fit them comfortably..."

"How about his military ones? They should suit him perfectly."

"Huh? We have dad's old stuff here...?" Tristan asked with a confused look on his face while both Catherine and Kari looked at him with a proud look on their faces.

"Mom insisted, as I guess we were waiting for you to grow into at least dad's jackets. You're actually taller than him, but skinnier, so you should easily fit into his stuff. Right mom?"

"Yeah, he'd fit well in them, especially a green military jacket he used often and a leather bomber jacket... I loved that," she chuckled. "They're in the closet under the staircase Tris, go fetch them," she told him with a wink.

"Sure..." came the unsure reply as he left the kitchen and headed for the closet, just as both Gwyn and Olivia were about to head into the kitchen. Seeing the puzzled expression on Tristan's face as he rummaged through the closet, Olivia simply smiled as she ushered Gwyn into the kitchen.

"Sent him to find daddy's old jackets?"

"Yep, there are the ones he used to wear when he was on duty..." Kari nodded. "And he's never seen them so... Gwyn, do you mind going next to him please?"

"Mmm, too late I suppose," she chuckled.

"Is this it?" asked Tristan as he stood in the doorway of the kitchen wearing an olive green military jacket, which still had all of its original patches - including the name 'Faraday' on his left chest.

"Tristan, come here so that I can see... you..." Kari came to a halt when she saw her son grinning back at her, as he imitated a military salute at her. "Oh... my... God..." the mother gasped, letting go of the clean kitchen rag she was holding to wipe the dishes and cover her mouth with her hands, in complete awe.

"It's okay right? And... are you okay, mom?"

"Yeah yeah, I'm fine honey..." she replied, while fanning her face with one hand as she felt tears rushing to her eyes.

"It's okay, don't cry..." he murmured as he pulled his mother into a hug while the twins and Valerie entered the kitchen.

"What's all... dad?" whispered Valerie.

"I'm alright Sweetheart, sorry about that... really..." she whispered, letting out a couple of sobs.

"Are you... sure?" he whispered back while Olivia pulled Valerie into a hug.

"It's not daddy - I had the same reaction as you... It's baby wearing daddy's jacket," she whispered in Valerie's ear.

"Yes baby, thank you," his mother smiled as she looked up to kiss his cheek. "Thank you for wearing it..." she told him, as Gwyn walked towards the room and rested against the doorframe to observe them silently.

"You're welcome mommy... Can I keep it?"

"You definitely can. You'd make me happier actually if you wear it - much better than staying in that closet, your father would be proud..."

"Thanks..." he smiled before kissing her cheek. "We'll be back soon, okay?"

"Don't worry... take your time. I'll have a double chocolate cake to bake, together with other goodies for the twins," she winked back. "As for the jacket, you're welcome. And you can take the other one too if you like."

"I'll probably pick them up when we're back from the holiday." Giving his mother one last hug, he stepped away and made his way towards Gwyn, holding out his hand as he did so. "Ready to go?"

"Mmm-hmm... and I think I've just confirmed something too."

"Which is?" he grinned as he simply focused on Gwyn.

"Uniforms agree with you so much," she smiled back.

"Perhaps..." he snickered as he headed towards the living room. "Time to spend some time with the little Princess..."

"You should ask your sister if she's ready to go out... The little one I mean."

"...Right..." Heading back to the kitchen while Gwyn made her way over to Alice, Tristan stuck his head in the doorway. "Ca-ath? Is Alice ready to go out?"

"Yes dear? Mmm... just need to put on her cap and scarf and she'd be fine."

"Don't forget the blanket."

"And what mom said... I'll give you the mittens too just in case she feels cold."

"Okay... Where are they so we can put them on her?"

"I'll go get them for you, don't worry," she smiled, as she hurriedly walked out of the room to fetch all the necessaries from Alice's large bag.

"Ah Tris!" Gwyn called back from the other room.

"Yeah?!"

"Can you get my cap and bag from upstairs please? And you get a scarf, it's cold!"

"Right right," he called back as he ran upstairs and went to fetch Gwyn and his things.

"See daddy! Uncle Tris is gonna make a good husband for Auntie Gwyn," smiled Claire. "He does things for her without complaining like you do with mommy!"

"He does complain at times," Ethan smirked, as Steve stuck his tongue out at him. "You know I'm right."

"Ugh... don't remind me..." sighed Steve as Ethan jumped on the back of his father's chair, laughing.

"Maybe, but at least mommy says that's he's very well-trained to be a husband... She said that Uncle Tris is better behaved than you are!"

"Wait wait... what? When did she say that?"

Smiling sweetly, Claire ran over to her grandmother and smiled. "Mommy's secret."

Running down the stairs, Tristan hopped off the last couple of steps while holding two scarves and two caps. "Got your cap and scarf, as well as my cap and scarf... Almost ready here?"

"Yes... well... almost, can you come have a look, since you're probably more into this than me? Catherine left me her cap and scarf to put them on for her..."

Looking down at the giggling pink bundle, Tristan grinned. "And Auntie almost got you completely ready. First we put on your cap... and then we'll wrap your scarf around you..." he smiled as he kissed her cheek and cradled her before grabbing her mittens. "Now we'll put these on... good! And Auntie, if you could put on her pink jacket, we'll be on our way, since she has her shoes on already."

"Mmm... let's see..." she mumbled as she took the pink jacket in her hands and crouched down, met by a giggle from Alice's behalf. "You sure are a happy baby, aren't you?"

"It's because she's with her favorite uncle and auntie right now..."

"Oh isn't it? That's nice," she smiled, as Tristan watched her intently while she slowly shifted Alice slightly to slip on her jacket and fasten it up, all the while making her giggle.

"And that's that... We'll just put her here and done! Got your shoes on?"

"Yep... your boots," she chuckled as she looked up at him briefly, to then tuck her in her blanket. "And there."

"Granted those boots look better on you than me - I can't really pull off wearing heels - but let me just grab mine and we'll be good to go. The umbrella's in the rack by the door, so we can just grab one on the way out," he smiled as he located his boots by the front door and began to pull them on. 

"Think she'll be alright without Catherine?" Gwyn asked him as she constantly gave a look at Alice down in the stroller.

"She's got us and food. We'll all be alright. I've been left alone with her for a day - no problems at all," smiled Tristan as he wheeled Alice outside while Gwyn grabbed an umbrella. "C'mon, despite the slight drizzle, it's a really nice day today..." 

"I hope the rain doesn't get too heavy now..."

"Shouldn't be too much of a problem. We're bundled up nicely and we have an umbrella. We're good."

Leaning over to kiss her cheek, Tristan began to leisurely push Alice around in her stroller as both he and Gwyn walked towards the park.

"She doesn't stop giggling when she sees things," Gwyn chuckled as she wrapped an arm around his waist.

"Not for as long as I've known her. She's always been a happy baby."

"Mmm... well, from the little I've known your sister and her husband... it's more than obvious that she is. She lives in a lively environment, with her brother and sister... I'd be surprised if she weren't in a way."

"Despite the long hours that both Steve and Cath work, they make sure to spend ample time with their kids. I used to visit them more often, but since we've been so busy... haven't had enough time - and don't blame yourself. I actually blame Advertising for melting down like they did, which caused us to rebuild them for the better. But once everything's back on track, I'll probably dropping by more often. You're more than welcome to come - actually, they'd probably insist that you come by too..."

"I wouldn't mind coming with you... it's warm and welcoming, similar to what I feel when your friends are around."

"Good. Because I intended to drag you along with me anyways," he teased as they neared the park. "And there's the little café Steve was talking about. I used to stop by there all the time as a kid..."

"Really. Let me guess? Food's good and he gave you freebies?" she chuckled as she placed a kiss on his cheek while Alice giggled when a dog passed by their side.

"Correction. Food's fantastic and they _both_ gave me freebies," he smirked back as he steered the stroller towards the little café.

"Anything you think I should try?" Gwyn asked as they found a rather comfy corner table for the three of them.

"My mom suggested the orange-cinnamon hot chocolate. It's more of a European style hot chocolate, so it'll be a lot thicker and richer."

"Sounds good... and if it's European... then you might keep a lookout for thick milk hot chocolate with amaretti biscuits in it... come to think of it, Anne hasn't prepared that for ages..." she told him as they sat down.

"Babe, anything chocolate dessert-like is all good with me..." he grinned before getting up to head over to the counter. "Good morning Miss Laura!"

"Oh bloody hell Ralph I'm hallucinating..."

"What is it Lau- My eyes must be playing tricks on me... Is that you Tristan?"

"Yeah it's me. I know it's been a long time, but I've finally made some time out here."

"Geez haven't you grown!" Laura exclaimed, racing off from behind the counter. "And you've become taller than me too..." she grinned.

"Well that don't take much now dunnit?" laughed Ralph as he also stepped away from the counter. "Lemme 'ave a look at you boy - yep! Remind me of your father when he was 'round, bless 'im. Now, what'll you an the missus o'er there be 'avin? Hmm?"

"'Missus'? Oh no we're not-" 

"Not your girl?" Laura asked Tristan, peeking across his shoulder at Gwyn who was playing with Alice's plushies, making her giggle out loud.

"Oh she's my girl, just not married yet," he blushed.

"Ahh, I getcha. You're both still young - might as well 'ave some fun then eh? That your sister's little 'un? Alice, yeh?"

"Right, it's Catherine's youngest. She and my mom thought it'd be good for me and Gwyn to have some quiet time for a bit while they get the house ready for the birthday for Cath's twins."

"How's Kari and the rest, Tristan? Are they all alright? Haven't seen them around for a while, guess they're all busy eh?"

"Oh perfect. They were so thrilled that I made it out here... even more pleased when I was accompanied by Gwyn."

"Lovely name."

"Just 'Gwyn' hmm?" chuckled the old man as he stepped back behind the counter. "I'll be prepar'in your fav'rit... I'm sure the missus'd love it too."

"Ah, Gwendalynn Coulston is her name..."

"Coulston you say? That surname sounds familiar..."

"Oh? How so?"

"Ralph? Didn't your grandmother always say that her mother worked with a lovely noble couple from time to time that went by the surname Coulston? I might be wrong though..." she asked her husband who was already busy with the orders.

"No she did, said they were quite lovely... The man was a doct'r an the wife tended to the sick, yeh? Granmama was a little 'un back then, but she loved them so... 'Cors that was back in the old country, but she took a photo with 'em. I thin' I still 'ave it..."

"Really? Only God knows where though," laughed Laura. "And you need any help back there?"

"Just warm 'em pasties for the little 'uns. I've got the chok'late ready... You be needin' any milk for the wee one?"

"Cath made sure that we had some food for her, but I'm sure you could warm up the bottle for us?"

"Just hand it over, I'll take care of it," Laura smiled back as Tristan promptly made his way to Gwyn and Alice to fetch the bottle from the bag.

"And how are you two ladies doing?" he asked as he rummaged through the baby bag for the bottle.

"Fine thank you," Gwyn smiled as Alice beamed back at Tristan and slammed her hands on the sides of the stroller happily. "Guess she's happy to see you here again... and you know the owners?"

"Oh yeah. From when I was a baby... Used to call them Grandma and Grandpa when I could talk. The Collins' cafe has been here for a good while, very popular and they've watched many of the kids from around here grow up - like my sisters and me. Laura mentioned something 'bout Ralph's grandmother...said she knew a couple named Coulston from way back in England... But then again, your surname's not too uncommon, so it could've been someone else..."

"Wait wait..." she looked up as she took Alice out of the stroller and placed her in her arms. "Did they mention something else about this Coulston couple?"

"Said the man was a doctor and the wife took care of the sick... probably meant that she was a nurse... He also mentioned his grandmother had a picture with them as well as having it, but can't remember where he put it. Why?"

"I... nothing nothing," she smiled as she turned her attention back to Alice who was slightly pulling her hair. "Could be relatives... just like you said, my surname's not too uncommon anyway."

"Could be... And got any room for some pastries? Laura's warming some up to go with our chocolate. And Ally can have a tiny bit - especially the cheese in the pastry." 

"Mmm?" she replied, rather absent-mindedly. "Yeah, sure."

"You sure?" 

"Yes yes, don't worry..." she confirmed as Alice was trying to stand up on her lap. "And wow little lady, that's quite enterprising of you already," she chuckled.

"Be right back then," he replied cautiously as he made his way back with the bottle and handed it to Laura. "Here you are Miss Laura." 

"Thanks dear and Ralph's ready with preparing your pastries, he'll bring them over to your table in a minute... plus, he's still thinking where he placed that blessed photograph. Said it should be here somewhere, but I wonder where..."

"Oh, well if he finds it, tell him to bring it over then if he can. Should I wait for the bottle too?"

"I'll bring it over myself, go relax," she winked back at him as she walked behind the counter and disappeared in a couple of seconds.

"Thank you!" he called as he made his way over to where Gwyn and Alice were. "And look at you, you big girl. You can stand up now, huh?"

"Seems like it," smiled Gwyn as she held the little girl's hands tightly.

Bounding up and down on Gwyn's thigh, Tristan smiled as he watched his baby niece easily play with Gwyn. "Yep! Hopefully you'll be walking soon too, hmm?"

"And running after your brother and sister," she grinned as she placed a kiss on her forehead. "What do you think Alice? Mmh?" 

Giggling, she reached over towards Tristan, who gladly took her in his arms. "Yep, and then you can help them terrorize your Auntie Val when she's being a meanie-head to Uncle, yeah that's right," he murmured as Alice continued to giggle loudly.

"Being a father suits you." 

"You think so? You're really good with her too, so again, I think motherhood suits you really well too," he smiled warmly as he continued to play with Alice.

"Ahh, 'ere you go! Got 'em pasties for yeh and some chok'lates for you laddie an you too lass. Laura'll be brin' the bot'le for the wee lassie 'ere. Enjoy!"

"Thank you..." Gwyn looked up, taking one of the plates in her hands while smiling back at Ralph. 

"Naughta prob'em. Anyways, 'ere, found the little bugga. Take a look at it, swell ain't it?" grinned the elder man as he produced a photo of two young adults and a little girl that looked to be about four years old. "That there's me granmama when she was a little 'un with the two Coulstons..."

Gasping as soon as she saw the picture, Gwyn took the cup of hot chocolate in her hands and looked away immediately, obviously earning Tristan's attention as she did.

"I'll leave yeh two alone fer now," smiled Ralph as he walked away while Tristan sat Alice on his thigh.

"What's the matter babe?" 

"The picture just reminded me... of my parents, that's all..."

"Ahh, well it's pretty old. Maybe these Coulstons were related to your family? Maybe they were your great grandparents or something?"

"Could be..."

"Yeah..." he smiled as he tore off a piece of the cheese pastry for Alice. "And here's a bit of your favorite Ally," murmured Tristan sweetly as he fed the baby a very small piece of the cooled pastry.

"Do you think it's alright to give her this kind of food?"

"Should be," Laura told them as she walked up to their table and handed over the warmed up milk bottle to Gwyn. "She's probably, six to eight months old, time to start her solids. Sorry for butting in," she chuckled.

"Seven to be exact, and the others have been giving her bits and pieces here and there. Cath loves to give Ally these pastries as there's not a lot of sugar in them, so it's better for her teeth. The cheese is mostly sweetened with honey... 'Course I only know this because my mom used to give me the same pastries when I was little and... I watched them make them countless times..."

"Your mom still bakes eh? Excellent stuff it was..."

"You'd literally have to pry my mother away from the kitchen with a crowbar and forklift, Miss Laura. Still one of the best bakers I know, but Gwyn's little sister could give my mom a run for her money..."

"Seriously?! Must be a professional then," she chuckled. "Your mother's obsessed with the kitchen..."

Hearing Alice giggle as she finished eating her piece of pastry, Tristan took the bottle and gave it to the baby. "Not professional, but Anne loves to cook just as much as my mom. If they ever met, they'd probably get along really great." 

"You should organize a cooking contest... I'm sure you'd enjoy it Tris."

"Maybe... We'll see though..." he grinned as he took a sip of his hot chocolate. "Ahh, and that's fantastic as usual!"

"Glad you liked, Ralph put you some amaretto liquor in it too. Apart from the crushed biscuits of course."

"Of course... Perfect for a cold day like today. Thank you Miss Laura!"

"Welcome welcome," she smiled back as she noticed new customers entering the café. "And guess I'll have to leave you for now, talk to you in a bit dears." 

"Sure thing..." he replied as he continued to watch Gwyn while feeding Alice. "Penny for your thoughts?"

"Mmmh?" she hummed as Alice held her hand while she drank her bottle.

"You've been pretty focused on that picture in your hands..."

"Ah... well... you noticed it's Victorian?" she smiled as she handed him the picture over. "Probably dates back round the early half of the nineteenth century." 

"Oh? Didn't notice earlier but now that you mention it..." he trailed off as he studied the photo. "You look like her... the woman I mean..." 

"Might be earlier than that, judging from the clothes," she told him matter-of-factly, not actually confessing that she knew the exact date of the taking of the photograph.

"Maybe..."

"No I'm sure of that... and what?" she blinked back at him, now realising what he had noted about the woman.

"I said that you kinda look like the woman in the photo..." he replied in a confused tone. "She was probably from your mother's side..." 

"I... well yes she could have..." she smiled, as Alice finished off her milk.

Sensing a bit of nervousness as well as wistfulness from Gwyn, he simply shrugged his shoulders and took the bottle from Alice, who was grinning. "I think so, but eh, not really my worry..." replied Tristan as he located a rag in the baby bag and draped it over his shoulder before cradling Alice against his shoulder to burp her. 

"No... not really something to worry about, we've got a whole load of things to think of I suppose," she mumbled as she looked outside. "Rain's getting heavier..."

"Hmm... guess we might head back then..." he whispered as Alice let out a burp. "And sounds like you're done too, Little Princess." Smiling gently, he wiped her mouth of the spit-up milk and cradled her once again. "Wanna hold her?"

"Mmm-hmm... but we should go for a walk around the park should it calm down a little bit," she replied as she took the baby in her arms and hummed a soft tune as she held her.

"Probably, but for now, best warm up with your hot chocolate. The rain might let up once we're done..."

"Think we should place her back in the stroller while we finish up eating?"

"If you hold her, I can recline it back so that she can nap for a while..."

"Sure sure..."

Reaching behind the stroller seat, Tristan pulled a lever that allowed the piece to recline until it was flat and then pulled up some pieces from the bottom to seal up the holes for the legs. "Now we just put her blanket over her and she's ready to roll."

"Don't forget her plushie," she winked back at him, seeming slightly more relaxed.

"Ahh right, can't forget you Mr. Bun Bun..." he grinned as he placed the white bunny next to Alice, who immediately latched onto the plush and hugged it tightly. Caressing Alice's cheek briefly, Tristan settled back down in his seat before reaching over and taking Gwyn's hand in his. "So, anywhere else you'd like to go? All the shops around here are within walking distance, and I know my mom would probably prefer us to be out of the house - she'll be putting everyone except for the twins to work."

"Still in for that walk?"

"Yeah, definitely. It's been a while since I've been ba... okay, more like since we've been together so roughly almost eight months now... but I still don't mind seeing if anything's changed."

"What do you mean?" she told him, raising his hand to kiss it gently. "Plus, you started saying something and you stopped."

"What I meant was that I haven't been back home since about eight months ago - so not really a while," he chuckled. "As for seeing if anything's changed, many things can happen in seven-eight months, so I'm curious to see if anything has around here." 

"Anywhere you need to go's fine for me."

"It's about you too, y'know. I mean we're in this together," he grinned as he began to push the stroller back and fourth with his foot to rock Alice to sleep.

"My priority's the park for sure... then I'll leave the choice to you as you're more into this place than me," she smiled.

"Then obviously no eating more than this, my mom and Livvy are gonna cook up a feast. If you want, I can show you Cyn's house, as well as the homes of the other two knuckleheads..."

"Alice, you're witness now. Heard Uncle Tristan say that there should be no more eating?" she teased.

Ignoring her last comment, he simply chose to stare out the window. "...Right..."

"Honey I'm joking," she mumbled as she nuzzled gently against his neck.

"I know..." he whispered back while watching the rain fall through the window.

"Thinking about something Colonel?" she smiled as she kissed his shoulder while turning her head towards the window. "At least we've got two large umbrellas with us."

"Colonel? Huh-oh, forgot about that..." replied Tristan as he looked down at the jacket and saw his father's rank. "It's funny that I'm just now learning about him, but I guess I was just used to him just living in me that I was never sad about not meeting him..."

"I do miss them you know..."

"Your real parents? I don't blame you, as I'd have loved to have met them. At least you're lucky enough to meet my mom, so for that I'm glad..."

"And thank her for me too for being so nice with me..."

"I think you can do that, as you're practically part of the family already. Plus, I think it puts her mind at ease knowing that I'm being taken care of... And really, I'd love to meet Lady Adel one day... she reminds me of you, from what I remembered from the picture of her you showed me..."

"She'd probably like you too... probably the best thing that we could do is invite her at my place... I definitely don't want to see that bastard around when we talk to her."

"For sure. Or... think we could meet up with her for tea or something?"

"Maybe... but, many people know Adel, since she's Frederick's wife. I don't want anyone of his _friends_ to see us together and go blabber to him that she's meeting you and me behind his back. Picking her up from somewhere and bringing her home for a calm chat with tea and biscuits would be perfect, plus, she could easily say she went at the Richards' place since her and Lady Abigail are friends... ah, Abigail's Jacob and Alice's grandmother."

"Oh that'd be nice. How about when we get back?" 

"We sure have a lot of people to meet after the holiday," she smiled as she softly kissed the back of his neck.

"So long as we stay away from _them_ , then I'm all for it. Amber should be the little bundle of joy and Rhys is the one I'm interested in meeting since he can actually put up with Alice. But Lady Adel, I really want to meet her..."

"I actually hope Amber waits for us before being born... I mean, I'd _love_ seeing Neville hold his newborn daughter for the first time..."

"I think she will. Oh! Didn't Alice say Rhys was coming 'round the time that Lisa's due? Should probably have a welcome dinner once he arrives..."

"Perfect! At our apartment, Anne would be very glad," she winked back at him.

"Great!" he grinned as he ate up the last of his pastry. "Best finish your chocolate, otherwise I'm drinking it all..."

"Want some before I drink it off?"

"It's all yours. Best have the pastry too..." 

"Finishing it off now Sir," she grinned as she finished off her chocolate with a spoon, feeding the very last one to Tristan. "The very bottom had candied orange zest in it..."

"That it did. I always begged my mom for that piece when I was little... and she'd always feed them to me..." he grinned back. "I really love my mom - she's more like a best friend than a mom...and she's such a strong person. After all, she did manage to raise four kids on her own after her husband died..."

"And that's extremely admirable of her... she probably got the strength from seeing the four of you grow up so well."

"I think so too. Plus, seeing Cath and her kids, probably makes her realize that everything was worth it..." 

"And she's very proud of you too. Just one look at you, Tris, and her eyes dance with happiness."

"I know. I'm glad I can make her happy... Anyways, all this talk about moms... I think I wanna get something for my mom - since she rarely ever gets anything for herself. And, we can get something for your Lady Adel as well."

"You mean food or a present?"

"Present. I'll get more stuff for my mom when we go on holiday - she loves it when I travel and bring back local stuff, as she likes learning about their culture and making their food," he grinned widely. "But for now, probably something practical - she hates overly fussy things..."

"We can go round shops after the walk in the park..."

"Sounds good. Ready to go?" 

"Can you put on her scarf and cap, I need the bathroom," she chuckled as she stood up, placed a kiss on his cheek and hurriedly made her way.

"Uh sure?" Watching her dash off, Tristan chuckled to himself as he placed the cap and scarf over the sleeping pink bundle with ease and pulled down the covering to protect her from the rain and wind. "Nice and snug there baby..."

"And back... sorry about that," she grinned as she returned a few minutes later, now with her cap on.

"No worries," he replied back as he began to clean up the table.

Watching the young man cleaning up the table, Ralph stepped away from the counter. "'Ey you. Go on whitcha. No need to be clee'in up boy. Missus an I'll take ca'er of it..."

"Yes, husband's right... you're worse than your mother, boy," she laughed as she took the tray from her hand and started gathering the cups and saucers.

"Bu... nevermind. Thank you all and I'll see you soon!"

"Our pleasure son, and make sure to come back soon," Laura grinned as she watched Gwyn push the stroller slowly out of the cafeteria as Tristan trailed behind.

"We will! Bye!" he waved cheerfully before opening the umbrella for him and Gwyn and wrapping his arm around her waist as they walked. Checking his pockets briefly, Tristan found the picture in his pocket. "Oh! Hang on Gwyn..." he got out before running back into the café. "Here Grandpa, your picture."

"Oh! Thank yeh boy. Now run off now, yeh," smiled Ralph as he watched Tristan jog back to Gwyn and replaced his arm around her waist.

"What have you forgotten?" Laura smiled as she turned her head to look up at him.

"Oh, just the picture of Granmama... the boy return'd it to me. That's all..."

"You noticed that Tristan's girlfriend really resembles the Coulston lady?"

"Aye she does in fact... Probably one of 'er descendants... Pretty lit'le thing, innt she? She looks good with 'im."

"She's polite, looks caring and thoughtful... and I've never seen the boy this happy."

"Reminds me of his father when he was a'courtin Miss Kari... They'll do well together... Now c'mon now, customers are 'ere..." he murmured warmly as he hugged his long-time wife.

"You were pretty cute yourself when you were courting me too," Laura chuckled as she greeted the new customers and headed back together behind the counter.

-

"At least the rain's let up," smiled Tristan as he was busy resetting the stroller while Gwyn was carrying Alice. "Plus the rainbow's nice..."

"Mmm-hmm, and even Mr. Bun Bun agrees, right Alice?" she grinned as the little one hugged her tightly. "Tris, did we get that blanket Cath told us about, the one that we can spread on the grass?"

"Yeah, it's in the undercarriage. I'll grab it." Snapping the seat back in place, he reached underneath into the little storage basket and pulled out a large blanket. "Should easily handle all of the water on the grass..."

"Mmm... how about under a tree... should be relatively drier I suppose..."

"That works." Finding a large tree that appeared to provide relatively dry grass, Tristan locked the wheels on the stroller before spreading out the blanket and making himself comfortable on it. "Good spot?"

"Looks like you're pretty comfortable in that already so... I think so," she chuckled. "Is she awake?"

Hearing a loud giggle as Mr. Bun Bun fell deftly into Tristan's hands, he grinned as he saw Alice look up at him. "Yep. She's wide awake now..."

"My my, look at that," Gwyn grinned as she moved next to the stroller, unfastened the little one and placed her in Tristan's arms as she sat down by his side. "So now Alice, where's bunny?"

Looking up at Gwyn, then at Tristan, Alice immediately started cuddling against Tristan. Letting out a few nonsense words of baby babble, she easily found Mr. Bun Bun and hugged the plush tightly.

"Looks like she found it."

"And that's such a good girl... now Alice, will you give the bunny to Tristan please?" Gwyn asked her once more, making Tristan gaze back at her amused.

Nodding, Alice sat up and tried to hand the bunny over to Tristan, who took it easily.

"Thank you Ally. Go sit with Auntie!"

Giggling, the baby crawled over to Gwyn and smiled brightly.

"She's really good at recognizing names, isn't she?" she smiled as she took the baby in her arms and placed her on her lap.

"Usually since my name is either yelled or replied with a smile, she knows my name rather well..." he joked. "As for you, I think it's because she like you a lot..."

"You think so," she chuckled as Alice tried to climb against Gwyn to give her a hug. "She's really caring..."

"Pretty much. She used to scream and holler at James in the beginning... now she likes him. With other strangers, man oh man does she have a set of lungs on her... With you though, she just likes you a lot - like Cole. Ally loves Cole a lot... especially since he's the one who gave her Mr. Bun Bun - named him too."

"That's sweet..." she whispered as she nuzzled her face against her cheek. "What surprises me though... is that children were actually afraid of me, till... a few months ago maybe?"

"Because I'm good luck?" 

"Guess so," she smiled as she leaned in to kiss him, making Alice laugh as she brushed against Tristan. "Want to go to Uncle Tristan now?"

Taking his niece into his arms, Tristan lied back down and cuddled the baby, who let out another yawn and snuggled against her uncle. "Looks like she's pleased." 

"As much as her Uncle is..."

"Yeah. Well, if it's the same to you, me and The Pink Thing are gonna take a little nap..." he grinned as he saw Alice's eyes droop once again.

"They do sleep a lot, don't they... and don't call her thing you," she laughed as she watched Tristan dozing off at the same time.

"I could call her a marshmallow, and she'd still giggle..."

"That's actually cuter..."

"Marshmallow it is..."

"Would your sister say something about that?"

"She's called me a hurricane, hayate - which means gale wind, a marshmallow, and Wild Thing... She's fine with it."

"Nicknames run in the blood it seems then."

"They all call me things - some with inappropriate words attached - while growing up until now. Even when we grow old - they'll still call me names. Baby will always be their name for me, plain and simple."

"I like that too."

"I'll bet you do."

"Nap now?"

Rather than answering, Tristan let out a quiet snore as Alice was nestled on top of his stomach, fast asleep. 

-

_"Ahh... After such a long day at work, it's nice to finally be able to rest," smiled Robert as he settled in bed next to his wife._

_"Well, I had told you I could help you out, but you insisted that I had to rest," Giselle replied as she rested her head against her husband's shoulder. "Are you still worried about Frederick? Adel just mentioned to me that he's being absent lately, too much work... but that doesn't mean that he's sick or something."_

_"I... am worried... but not for Frederick, but rather Adel," he replied with a steely tone in his voice. "I caught a glimpse of him as I was closing down the clinic one night... and he was certainly not coming out of the office."_

_"Wait, what do you mean?" she blinked back at him, sitting up in bed._

_Sinking deeper against the pillows, he closed his eyes briefly as he rubbed her stomach gently. "I had seen him coming out of... a local pub known for its_ other _services..."_

_"Darling, you mean... oh I don't want to think of that..."_

_"I only wish I wasn't... There were two individuals attached to his arms... the woman was snuggled close to him while the male was kissing his neck..."_

_"Ugh..." she sighed deeply, leaning back to rest her head against the bed's headrest. "Humans or vampires?"_

_"Both vampire from what I sensed..." he sighed as he rolled onto his side and watched the storm raging outside. "I only wish your sister didn't have to suffer so. We should probably invite her 'round the clinic, plus it'll give you time to tend to the patients while she minds the little princess..."_

_"Which is even worse as they're both aware of Adel..." she muttered. "And I think she wouldn't mind... seriously dear, would you have believed that?"_

_"Oh very... Though I suspect that the male was probably more pleased than the female. And good, as little Gwyn misses her so - believed what?"_

_"Think we should tell her about it... about all this I mean..."_

_"As much as I would love too... she's far too blinded by her love for Frederick..."_

_"She's been like that ever since they were betrothed. And he always looked ecstatic and completely devoted... but if he's doing that to her... with a man at that!"_

_"And woman as well - though it is the male that seems to pique my interest as well. Then again, according to Reginald, Frederick will get on with anyone willing, male or female..."_

_"Promise me you'll feign ignorance with him... I don't want you to get into a fight with my sister's husband. You'd probably kill him in the process."_

_"I promise. Wouldn't do well to distress her, as she's got another life to worry about... as do we..."_

_"Your son wouldn't approve for sure you know," she chuckled sweetly._

_"I was thinking of the name of Christopher for the little one? What do you think? Though Roy would be rather cute too... Our 'Little King'..."_

_"Mmm... and if you add the one I was thinking about, it could turn into Christopher Isaac Coulston..."_

_"Sounds nice or how about Roy Christopher Coulston?"_

_"Now you confused me Dearest," she laughed as she rested her forehead against his. "But you decide, I was the one who chose Gwendalynn's name after all."_

_"I'm leaning more towards Roy Christopher myself, but yours isn't too bad at all..." he teased gently._

_"You win, Lord Coulston..." she whispered, as she leaned in to kiss him._

_"Why thank you, milady," he whispered back before kissing her while the storm continued to rage outside their mansion's walls._

_"I'll have to start wearing my corsets loosely again..." she teased as she heard a clap of lightning which made her close her eyes._

_"Probably and - Oh, we have a visitor," smiled Robert as he heard the door of the bedroom open._

_"Mama? Can I come in please?" a young child's voice asked, as she was clinging against the bedroom door's frame._

_"Hi Sweetheart! Of course you can! The rumbling outside scare you?"_

_"Mmm-hmm..." she mumbled, whimpering when she heard another thunderclap._

_"Come here baby, just make sure you close the door before you climb on bed..." Giselle replied, sitting up as Robert did._

_"You mean I can sleep next to you?"_

_"Of course you can. You've always been able too... and tonight's no exception," grinned Robert as he watched his daughter close the bedroom door and scurry over to their bed as fast as possible._

_"Those are scary! I was trying to sleep and... I kept hearing them everytime... even with the bedsheets over my head! Then I kept humming my piano pieces... and still kept hearing them!" she mumbled as she rested her chin on the mattress of the four-poster bed._

_Reaching down to pick up his daughter, he settled her in between himself and his wife. "My poor little Gwyn, but don't worry. You're a very brave girl for trying to ignore them, even though you were scared. But both mommy and me will always be here to keep you safe... I promise."_

_"Yes papa," she giggled as she huddled closer to him. "You're not scared?"_

_"I was when I was little, but my mama and papa also did this for me too when I was scared. And soon, one day, I realized that I could sleep in my own room because I knew that they were with me here," he smiled as he pointed to his daughter's heart. "Just like mama and me will always be here in you too."_

_"Mmm... but isn't there my heart there? How can you be there then!" she chuckled as she turned face up to look at both. "You're upside down now," she smiled._

_"No, your mama and I are right side up. Right mama?"_

_"Yes of course... that's because... someone's with her tummy up," she chuckled as she leaned over to tickle her stomach making her laugh out loud._

_Kissing his daughter's hair, Robert cuddled both of the women in his life. "Good night you two and I love you both..."_

_"Alright mama, I'll turn but no more tickling please," she muttered, still laughing. "I am now!" she laughed as she turned on her stomach and looked back up at them, with a grin on her face and a flush on her cheeks which made her look absolutely beautiful in her parents' eyes._

_"Okay my pretty baby...time to go to sleep. Your Auntie Adel and mama have a day all planned out for your birthday tomorrow. And papa will get you something really special too. Okay?"_

_"Mmm-hmm," she yawned as she nuzzled her face against both of them. "Auntie Adel will be here too?"_

_"Yes she will. And if you settle down now, your mama and I can let you know about your early birthday present, okay?" grinned Robert as he shot a look over at Giselle._

_"Really?!"_

_"You want to tell her, mama?"_

_"Baby, what if me and papa told you that you'll become a older sister soon... mmh?" she smiled, eager to see her daughter's reaction._

_Changing from a gaping expression, Gwyn immediately smiled and grinned, squealing out in delight as she crawled up to hug the two of them tightly._

_"Alright, alright baby don't crush me," Giselle whispered in her ear while she placed a kiss on her cheek. "Happy?"_

_"I think she right is, aren't you baby?"_

_"Yes! And you papa?"_

_"Oh yes. As you get to be a big sister... to a little brother," he grinned._

_"It's a boy!" she exclaimed, looking up at the two of them, earning a nod from her mother and a wider grin from her father._

_"Mm-hmm. Now, that we gave you an early present, time for the Little Princess to go to sleep because see? The thunder and lightning has stopped outside because she's happy now."_

_"But I can stay here right? Just for tonight, please..." she pleaded softly as she hugged her mother tightly. "And I'm not scared any more..."_

_"That's my girl..." Giselle smiled as she kissed her hair. "Mmm... since papa agrees then... lie down now Princess, we all need to rest."_

_"Yep. Need to let your baby brother go to sleep too," he grinned as he hugged his daughter tightly. "And you know what? We have a name for him too. His name will be Roy... do you know what 'Roy' means baby?"_

_"That's nice! It sounds like... 'roi' in French... and... mmm... that should mean... king?" she told him as her father winked back at her. "And... he's sleeping? You mean he's here?"_

_"In a way honey..." Giselle smiled._

_"He's in mama's tummy right now, but he's sleeping. And like a good big sister, so should you," smiled Robert._

_"But how can he be in mama's tummy... that's... strange and... it can't be..." she babbled as she started dozing off slowly._

_Watching her fall asleep quickly, he caressed her hair gently while pressing a kiss against her cheek._

_"Interesting thing to explain to her eventually honey," Giselle chuckled as she passed slowly through her daughter's hair._

_"Perhaps one day. But for now, it's time for the rest of us to sleep now," whispered Robert before settling against his pillow. "Good night Giselle, and I love you dearly."_

_"I love you too..."_

_"Love you mama, papa... and love you Roy too..."_

_"And we love you too baby, especially Roy..."_

_"Mmm-hmm..."_

_-_

"I had forgotten about that..." Gwyn thought out loud, as a stray tear ran down her face. 

Snoring faintly, Tristan continued to nap quietly while Alice began to stir in his arms. Letting out a yawn, the baby let out a few sounds before immediately seeking out Gwyn... and Mr. Bun Bun. Once she took hold of the bunny plush, Alice crawled off of Tristan's stomach and found Gwyn. Grabbing the bunny's ear, Alice crawled over to Gwyn easily and tried to climb into her arms.

"Hey pretty baby," Gwyn smiled as she took Alice (and her bunny) in her arms and stood up to cradle her gently.

Yawning once again, Alice smiled as she was being cradled in Gwyn's arms before giggling at her sleeping uncle.

"Yes, probably he's a sleepy baby more than you actually are," she chuckled as Alice straightened out to look at her, to then place a hand on her cheek. Patting Gwyn's cheek, the baby moved to hug her bunny as she noticed her pacifier in the stroller and made a few coos while pointing at it.

"Mmm... you want to go sit or you want that," she whispered as she reached over to grab the item and hand it back to Alice.

Taking the pacifier in her hands, Alice expertly shoved it into her mouth and began to suck on it while snuggling closer to Gwyn.

"That it was then," she chuckled, as she continued rocking her back and forth as she walked a few paces away from Tristan to watch the rain.

Rolling onto his stomach, the young man let out a yawn as he began to wake up.

"And seems someone's waking up too..." she whispered in the little girl's ear, earning a hearty giggle from her end.

Babbling to himself slightly, Tristan began to sit up.

"And still sleepy too at that," she muttered as she walked by his side and leaned down to kiss his hair. "Good morning..."

"...mrng..."

Letting down Alice on the blanket they had spread on the grass, Gwyn straightened out her jacket and whispered to her to go by Tristan's side to wake up him. Without pondering too much about it, the baby merely giggled out loud and turned her gaze at Tristan, promptly crawling up by his side and tugging his shirt.

Cracking open one of his eyes, he smiled faintly. "Hey you... and you have your binky good..." he murmured while taking her in his arms. "Do you want to stay here or go for a ride? Hmm?"

Smiling as she watched their exchange, Gwyn rested against the large oak tree, her hands folded across her chest, realising how loving Tristan was with children. "Maybe she'd enjoy a ride on her Uncle's shoulders."

"Perhaps she would... once the rain lets up again..."

"Had a good rest? Always amazes me how you manage to fall asleep in these circumstances," she noted as the little one started reaching up for his hair.

"It's the same reason that my mom took in Fuery and said that he reminded her of me - I can sleep anywhere like a cat," he grinned as Alice began to tug on his bangs. "And yes baby, Uncle's aware that his hair's gotten a bit long..."

"Come to think of it, it's true... about the sleeping I mean."

"Yep, it's a talent of mine..." he snickered as he eased his locks out of Alice's grasp and swung her onto his shoulders, which made her clap and giggle loudly.

"And baby certainly approves of that," Gwyn smiled as she watched Tristan get back on his feet while the girl hugged his neck tightly.

"Yep. Rain's stopped again, let's make it to the shops before it starts up again," he grinned.

"Sounds like a plan," she smiled as she walked her way up to him and gently kissed his lips, making Alice first observe them silently then giggle out loudly.

"Then if you would so kindly fold up the blanket, we can get going while it's dry..."

"Mmm-hmm," she nodded as she grabbed the blanket and slowly folded it neatly to place it in the carrier tray of the stroller.

"Ready Auntie Gwyn?" 

"Ready I say," she winked back at the two as she took hold of the stroller while Tristan carried Alice. "Now you lead the way."

"Sure, follow me." Winking back at her, Tristan easily lead them through the park and towards a little shopping center. Locating a store that featured home goods, he walked towards it. "Let's check that place out first..."

"You have in mind something already? For your mother I mean..."

"Maybe something for her room - like new bed linens..."

"What's her favorite colour?" she asked as she poked her tongue out at Alice who was looking at her, making the little one first laugh then rest her head against Tristan's hair.

"Um... she likes mostly earthtones, so greens and browns...but she loves blue too... Hey, how about that?" he asked while pointing at a light blue and chocolate brown framed duvet. "Love the pattern and the colours work well together..."

"Since you know your mother's tastes more than I do then... we can get that," she smiled. "What do you say Alice? Think Grandma will like that?"

Giggling, Alice seemed to let out a nod as Tristan continued to look over the bedding. "Yeah, I think this is perfect for her..."

"Very classy I must admit... I actually like it myself too."

"We could get some for our bed if you want..." he replied as he began picking out the needed linens in the correct size. "So, shams, pillowcases, fitted sheet, bed sheet... comforter... and that bolster should be perfect. Oh and a bed skirt too..."

"Not that we'd keep it in order..." she laughed as she started looking around for something that she could get for Adel.

"True... We do seem to have a penchant for disorder when it comes to our bed... I'll go put these on the counter while you look for something for Adel?"

"Thing is... I don't have a clue..."

"Hmm... well, how about something that you know she'll appreciate? Could be anything... a picture frame, a lamp, something for the mantle... whatever feels right to you should work."

"Do you think I'd find a tapestry easel here?"

"Tapestry?" Tristan blinked back at her as Alice continued holding him close.

"Yes. She got into that after her love for painting diminished... don't get me wrong, she still loves going to galleries and the sort, but she keeps telling me that her muse is gone... so she got into arts and crafts. And lately she's into tapestry... which reminds me, do you recall those couple of tapestried cushions I have on the chaise lounge in the living room? She made those for me," she smiled. "She's quite good at it, plus, makes her while away the time..."

"That's awesome! So... think we should get her that, and some supply materials? That might work..."

"Sounds perfect. Any idea where that is now?"

"Should be second floor if I remember well," Tristan replied as he started looking around and Gwyn grinned. "What?"

"It is there, and there's the children's department on the first... we could stop there before and get a little present for Alice, what do you think baby?" she chuckled as Alice squealed out in response.

"That was definitely a yes if I ever heard one..."

"Seems like it," Gwyn smiled back at him as she pushed the stroller next to the elevator. "You're bringing your mother's stuff with you."

"Since we're here already, guess so..." he chuckled as he dragged his mother's items with him while holding onto Alice. "Maybe we'll get you an elephant plushie or something..."

"Or a panda," chuckled Gwyn as the three of them entered the elevator to get to the first floor.

"Maybe a giraffe then..."

"That too... it looks cute after all..." she replied as the elevator door opened. "Ever seen a real one?"

"Yeah while in Africa... I got to feed one of them - then it licked my head," he laughed.

"Really?!" she chuckled softly. "Told you that even animals like you..."

"I'm just a lovable guy I guess... and look over there, which one do you think we should get? Might as well get the tiny terrors something here too - to go with their other presents."

"Maybe get a panda for Claire, an elephant for Ethan and a giraffe for baby here?"

"Hmm... hopefully they don't have those - if they do, they can always just switch with each other then," he smiled as he located a baby giraffe and handed it to Alice, who immediately squealed happily. "Guess she likes it. And we should probably put her back in the stroller so that we can get the stuff for Lady Adel."

"She definitely has something new attracting her attention so I don't think she'd mind," she replied as she watched Tristan grab back Alice in his arms and place her back in the stroller, making sure she was properly tied up.

"Yep. So should we set these things down for now and then find the stuff for your aunt?" he replied without realizing what he just said.

"Wait... how do you know that Adel's my aunt?"

"I said aunt? She is?" came the confused reply.

"Yes... my mother's sister..."

"Oh, guess it slipped out then when I said it because I didn't realize I said it... It fits though, since she has the same eyes as you do - from what I could tell in that picture of her that you I mean," he rambled on.

"It's not a problem, don't worry... I'm just... surprised so to speak... that you know of that without me telling you. It's..."

"Oh... sorry. I could feel that you feel really strongly about her - they're usually warm feelings of love and admiration - and saw her picture so I just put two and two together... Though in your head, you also seemed to mention 'aunt' or 'auntie' in relation to her," admitted Tristan.

"In my head?" she blinked back. "Tris, what am I thinking about now?"

"What does me wearing a tuxedo have to do with you wanting ice cream right now?"

"Oh God you are..."

"Huh?"

"You're reading my thoughts..."

"I am?"

"Yes... try now..."

Closing his eyes, he smiled and kissed her. "I love you too... Plus, Neville looks good in pink too."

Chuckling, she rested her head against his and smiled. "Probably it doesn't happen all the time, but you're really managing to do it..."

"Guess so... It just started today in case you were wondering. Like I've said, I can sense you best when you're relaxed."

"I have to watch out what I'm thinking about when I'm relaxed then," she whispered as she kissed his cheek. "Every day that passes, you manage to reveal how special you are."

"Aww... thanks. And don't worry...on holiday, I'll make sure you're not thinking of _anything_ ," he smirked.

"Well apart from you, I don't think I will," she laughed in return as she started pushing Alice's stroller again. "And about the plushies... I think we should get the other two with us... we'll ask for a shopper bag upstairs..."

"Sure sure."

Humming happily, much to Tristan's content, Gwyn pushed Alice's stroller to the next elevator and smiled when she noticed the little one doze off while she hugged her newly acquired giraffe tightly.

"We should probably pay for that soon..."

"We'll pay everything together..."

"Sure. And there's the fabric section..."

"Can you see if you manage to spot a tapestry easel while I look at getting her some supplies?"

"Sure can. I'll call if I do..."

"Thank you," she smiled as she pushed the stroller while the baby had dozed lightly, noticing that many people, particularly women, were looking back at her nodding and smiling.

Wandering around the section, he noticed several looks from most of the female shoppers before spotting an elegant looking tapestry easel. Seeing that Gwyn was nearby, he called out to her. "Honey? I think I found it..."

"Oh great! Coming..." she replied, grinning back as she rushed to Tristan's side.

"Right there. What do you think?" Tristan smiled as he pointed to the easel. 

"Looks pretty elegant to me, plus I think she'll like the finishing too..."

"Great. And again, did you want to get the beddings for our bed as well or just hold off on them?"

"Yes... and you choose the colour," she smiled back as she watched Tristan grab the easel while the two made their way back on the ground floor, with easel and plushies at hand.

"So we have my mom's bed linens... and those are in blue... How about the green and brown ones?"

"Go ahead," she winked back, giving a look at Alice from time to time to check whether she was asleep.

"Okay." Grabbing the necessary items, he placed them in the shopper's bag and proceeded to drag the bag with him over to the register. Once they arrived, the sales clerk smiled over them as Gwyn set down her items before taking Alice in her arms and cuddled her while Tristan set the bag down. "Good afternoon ma'am."

"Good afternoon sir. How are you and your wife and child today?"

Blinking, Tristan smoothly recovered and smiled without missing a beat. "Oh they're great. The little one's been completely perfect and my wife's just glad that I'm here with her," he winked over at Gwyn, who proceeded to bury her face into Alice's body - hiding her grin.

"Excellent..." Trailing off, the woman began to replace all of the bed linens into the huge shopper bag. Smiling as she got to the plushies, she noticed the one in Alice's arms. "Is the giraffe-"

"Oh yes. She just refused to let it go once we showed it to her," he grinned back as he handed the woman his payment card. "Oh, my wife will be paying for the easel. It's a gift for her mother."

"Would you like it boxed and wrapped? It's no trouble at all..." she asked after having him sign for the purchase and take his receipt

"Oh that would be lovely if you could," smiled Gwyn as she stood next to Tristan. "Babe, can you take her for a bit while I pay?"

"Sure sure," he grinned as he took a giggling Alice in his arms. "And you got a new friend for Mr. Bun Bun hmm?" murmured Tristan as he kissed and nuzzled her cheek while Gwyn paid for the easel.

"And here you are ma'am. Hope you and your husband and daughter have a lovely afternoon," smiled the woman.

"Thank you and have a good day yourself," smiled Gwyn as she made her way to Tristan. "I'll take her now and will you be okay with the bag?"

"Yep, no worries. Just a short walk to my mom's house anyways," he chuckled as he handed Alice over to Gwyn, who replaced the baby back into the stroller. As Gwyn made sure that Alice was secure, Tristan easily took the bag and held it as Gwyn pushed the stroller. Once out of the store, which caused them both to smile as the rain had completely stopped, he let Gwyn kiss his cheek as they both started heading back to Tristan's house. "Feeling good, Mrs. Faraday?"

"Very good... think we have that much of a couple aura in us?"

"I think so... as everyone seems to think that we're married and that Ally's our daughter..."

"That's true... and that's strange... as I always thought the contrary. And I'm not referring to us, but just to me and children."

"I think it's because you never really gave yourself a chance to actually... y'know... _be_ with them. You're really good, you just never really had the confidence when around them," he continued to smile as they walked.

"Because I'm scared that I'd hurt them," she confessed softly.

"Well just know that kids are stronger than you think. They're extremely inquisitive, honest, and earnest. So long as you're honest with them, they'll mind you but if you give them reason to be suspicious, then they'll be very wary of you."

"I meant physically... in not knowing how to handle them, or in not knowing how to talk to them and address them... or..." she smiled as she heard Alice babble in her sleep. 

"Again, they're smarter and more observant than you give them credit for. Take the twins for example, I mean Val totally underestimated them when she thought that they wouldn't know about you and me, but they were pretty quick to point it out. When you were talking to them, you were perfect. So again, just have more confidence and when talking, start off with something you'd use to talk to new people - they'll give you straight answers."

"That's with older children like the twins though..." she replied as they swapped places to make Tristan push the stroller while Gwyn locked her arm with his. 

"You're doing fine with Amber. Also, you did a great job when we were at the museum. Just relax, you're doing great..." he chuckled as he kept his hold on the shopper bags. "And we're almost there. I'll get these inside and then I'll get the kids' presents. They're in my trunk."

"Honey, Amber's not even born yet," she chuckled. "And that's alright..."

"Sorry... meant Alice. Guess I was jumping the gun there a second..." he laughed. "But my point still stands, you're doing fine. Just...do what feels natural to you, you'll be great. The worst thing you could do is treat them like they're stupid..."

"I've encountered far more stupid people at work than children, and probably they're way more intelligent than those nit-wits." 

"Exactly. Most children will be able to hold a far more intelligent conversation than say Lara or Ryan..." he replied easily, as he seemed to slowly ignore them.

"Well those two are the epitome of imbecile, apart from the fact that their brains are found on the underside."

"Pretty much. And... I'll talk to my sisters and mother once the kids are put to bed..." he muttered as he saw his house within his line of sight.

"It'll be fine," she whispered as she reached up to kiss his temple.

"Yeah... and almost home..."

"Don't worry baby... they'll understand, probably they'd want to shred the bitch to pieces, as I would..." she muttered, as a wicked grin formed on her lips.

"Whoa there tiger," he snickered before turning to face her and kissing her deeply once they made it to the driveway of the house.

"She'd really deserve it... so picture this, I rip her while you punch Black to death," she laughed out. "Then we take it on Fred together."

"Punching him is too good for him... I have my family's sword that would probably do a fantastic job... It was the sword above the mantle of the fireplace. Special thing about it, it contains silver, as apparently my mom's family were metalsmiths and swordmakers. Which is why I was trained to use them from an early age."

"Silver?!"

"Yeah... What's wrong?" 

"I... nothing nothing really, must really be a stunning item..." she chuckled. "You're getting homicidal ideas worse then I actually have," she laughed.

"Considering what they've done to us...not like you can really blame me," he replied nonchalantly as Olivia stepped onto the porch.

"We'll get our revenge eventually... trust me," she whispered, as she gave one last squeeze to his hand.

"There you are! Whoa, you got a lot of stuff with you! You went shopping?" she asked, eyeing the bags they were carrying. "Didn't it have to be just a walk? And baby's fast asleep..."

"It was a walk... we just happened to get stuff along the way. Oh, I got mom some new bed linens," he smiled widely.

"Oh cool! She was whining with me not too long ago that she wanted a new set..." Olivia chuckled. "Oh by the way, we're almost done with the party preparations... Tris I'm warning you, there's loads of food."

"Mom whines? I've never heard her whine before..."

"Or something approximate to that..."

"Ah... well then, how about you hold the door for me so I can carry these bags inside before you help Gwyn with the easel. Please?"

"Easel? You got a new one Tris?" Olivia asked as she promptly almost grabbed the whole lot of bags from her brother's hands and started making her way inside. 

"That's actually a tapestry easel for my mother," smiled Gwyn. "Hey Olivia, you didn't need to carry everything..."

"Ah no worries! You get Alice inside, and Tris carries the easel. And we'll be ready in no time."

Watching Olivia march off, Tristan shrugged his shoulders. "As you can tell, she runs a rather tight ship," he snickered as he took the easel from Gwyn.

"I like that attitude though," she grinned as she took Alice in her arms and pushed the stroller in front of her.

"Told you. Even Val... when she's at work, tends to be all business. Obviously it skipped a generation with me..." he laughed.

"To that I beg to disagree, you're pretty good at your work. Remember you wouldn't be in your current position if you weren't," she told him matter-of-factly, as she placed a small kiss on Alice's hair.

"Okay... I focus when I want to. Though when it comes to you, I'm _all business_ ," he winked before stepping inside the house.

"Never doubted that," she laughed as she noticed the little one stir in her sleep. "We'll soon need her mommy I suppose..."

"Yep. Go find Cath. I'll take care of the stuff." Giving her a grin, he removed his shoes and headed straight upstairs.

"Alright... see you later," she smiled back as she headed towards the living room where all the bustle seems to come from. Chuckling when she saw Valerie on a three-stepped stool hanging streamers, she couldn't help not smile, especially when thinking about how closely-knit their ties were. "I wonder if this would have actually been possible if mama and papa were still alive..." she thought, not considering that Tristan might have been reading her thoughts that very moment.

"Gwyn! How did your walk go? Is Alice..." Valerie smiled as Catherine moved by Gwyn's side.

"Hi Sweetheart," the older sister whispered, making Alice startle and turn to look at her mother with a huge grin. "How's my baby doing?"

"Oh very good, she's been such a good girl," Gwyn replied, as Catherine took the squirming pink bundle from her arms. "And preparations seem to be going quite well."

"They're almost finished actually," Valerie grinned. "Mommy's in the kitchen cooking... I'm gonna die from all the goodies she's preparing!"

"Same here!" grinned Tristan as he re-appeared, sans jacket. "Just gonna grab some things from the car and then I'll help with the rest of the stuff!"

"Is the car inside the garage? I don't want you to catch a cold!" Valerie chided him, making both Catherine and Gwyn smile.

Putting on his shoes, he grinned. "It's outside still. Don't worry, I'll move it inside..." Smiling, Tristan bolted out the door just as Fuery wandered into the living room and nuzzled against Gwyn's legs.

"So grab a jacket then... useless," she pouted as she turned and got back to work on the decorations. "I warned you anyway."

"And hi you," smiled Gwyn as she crouched down to pat one of Tristan's pets.

Purring, the cat licked Gwyn's palm before sitting patiently at her feet.

"Mmm... let's go get you changed honey now," Catherine smiled as Alice huddled against her. "Then you can have your milk too... want to come Gwyn?"

"Oh? Yes yes sure..." she nodded as she followed her up to the bedroom, with Fuery following suit. "So where are the twins?"

"Up and about with Steve..." Catherine replied as she placed Alice, and her giraffe, on the bed. "Let's get done with this..."

"Hey, where'd they go?" asked Tristan as he re-entered the house through the garage carrying a couple of presents in his arms. 

"Cath, Gwyn, baby and cat are upstairs Tris," Valerie called out.

"Oh, okay. Need me for anything?" 

"No need, I'm almost done. Plus, Olivia is with mom, so I'd suggest you go upstairs... oh and Steve is with the kids."

"Alright alright... oh and the pink hair suits you," he snickered as he ran up the stairs.

"And that tickles you doesn't it, oh yes it does," Tristan could hear Gwyn mutter as she played with Alice by gently tickling her side while her mother prepared her bottle.

Standing in the doorway silently, he watched Gwyn interact with Alice. Remembering their exchange, he couldn't help but wonder why she was so afraid of children beforehand, but was really glad that she was starting to get over her fear as she continued to play with his niece. "Everyone okay?"

"And seems that Uncle was in the doorway," Catherine laughed as Gwyn turned to look at him.

"I'm not that stealthy Cath," he smiled before crossing his arms. "Carry on...pretend I'm not here."

"As if we would... want to give her the bottle? I can leave you two alone while I go downstairs help mom." 

"I can leave you two to bonding. I'll go help mommy," he smiled before blowing them a kiss and heading back downstairs. 

"Later!"

As soon as Tristan wandered into the kitchen, his mother grabbed his arm and started to drag him elsewhere. "Wait - where we going?"

"To the bathroom. My baby needs a bit of a haircut," she laughed. "Can't have you looking _too_ scruffy now can I?"

"How'd you-? When did you-? I...nevermind," he mumbled as he let Kari seat him on top of the closed toilet seat. Once she told him to remove his shirts, Kari proceeded to wrap a towel around her son's shoulder before producing a pair of scissors, comb, and two sets of clippers. Nearly fifteen minutes later, a newly trimmed and cleaned up Tristan sat before her - his bangs neatly trimmed, the sides shortened, and the back of his head neatly clipped and shorn. Staring into the mirror, he smiled. "Okay yeah, that looks better than before..."

"He's all smart and clean no, and mommy approves," Kari laughed as she placed a kiss on his forehead.

"Guess so... At least my bangs aren't _as long_ as before. Alice seemed to notice while we were out and was tugging on them. Now, they just _cover_ my eyes slightly."

"Check them out in the mirror, then tell me if I need to do anything else."

Holding the mirror in his hand, he got up and faced the bathroom mirror in order to check the back, only to see that it was perfect. "Not a thing. It's perfect mom. Thanks. Just haven't had time to go to the barber - too much work."

"And too much Gwyn," she winked back at him, making him blush slightly.

"Well, she usually keeps me clean - clothing wise I'll admit. But on the other hand, she loves running her hands through my hair, which is probably why I never bothered..."

"She'll be pretty glad about it I'm sure... ah, honey, how did your walk go?"

"Just perfect. Saw the Collinses, Gwyn loved the orange-cinnamon hot chocolate and the cheese danishes - as did Alice. Relaxed in the park under a large tree for a bit, then did a bit of shopping before heading back here. Of course, along the way, everyone thought we were married and that Alice was ours..."

"I'm not surprised actually... Gwyn's really good with babies I suppose... come and have a look at her Tris," another voice came from behind the bathroom's door.

"You'll be soon enough, and I'm not joking sweetie."

Opening the door, Tristan saw that Catherine was grinning back at him as he proceeded to open the door fully. "Just let me ditch the towel and I'll follow you?"

"I'll wait, and make sure you're stealthy enough..."

Removing the towel over the tub, he shook off the hair before he felt his mother grab the towel and begin to wipe him off. "I-thanks mom..."

"Mom, if you let go of Tristan for a second, I might show him something... like now maybe?"

"Don't worry mom, she can clean up the hair I tracked later," he replied with a sly wink as he trailed off after his eldest sister.

"With your help of course," she grinned back, making him stop as soon as they arrived in front of Catherine's old bedroom door. "Have a look," she whispered, as she pointed at Gwyn playing with Alice on bed, while she was lying down with the baby giggling on her stomach.

"You're the one who's gonna... aww..." he grinned as he watched the scene in front of him.

"Mmm... seems you want to do some flying again, don't you?" Gwyn whispered back as Alice squealed in delight as she grabbed her firmly by her sides, raising her up above her all the while making her laugh out happily. "See baby can fly after all," she smiled as she rested her back on her abdomen, while Alice continued to giggle heartily.

"I can't wait until she's like that with our kids..." he murmured wistfully as he continued to watch Gwyn and Alice play without a care in the world.

"You'll be a daddy soon baby, trust me," Catherine smiled as she kissed his cheek. "I'll see you downstairs."

"Yeah...see you..." Once he heard Catherine's footsteps trail down the stairs, Tristan watched Gwyn and Alice play a bit longer before knocking gently, as well as reaching out to her through his emotions. "All's well here?"

Making her sit up, without letting go of her, Gwyn turned to rest on her side and smiled back at him. "Perfectly well, and little one, say hi to Uncle for me," she whispered back to the toddler, making her utter an indecipherable greeting.

Stepping into the room, Tristan made his way over to the bed and crouched down in front of them before reaching his hand out to Alice, who grabbed his fingers immediately. "Hey you, little girl. You love Auntie Gwyn, don't you?" he smiled as Alice seemed to nod back at him while shaking his fingers.

"Catherine told me that it's strange that she didn't fall asleep after her feed..."

"Probably because she's napped so much while we were out," he replied as he flicked some of the hair off his bare shoulder before scratching it. 

"And yes, I love your haircut," she turned to tell him, as she shifted to lie on the bed tummy down, grinning back at him, almost face to face.

"Mom insisted...didn't want me to look scruffy around you," he chuckled. "Everything's almost ready downstairs. I'm just gonna grab my shirts from downstairs and wash the hair off of me. You should probably clean up a bit too, if you want..."

"Is that a hint to _"let's take a shower together"_?" she laughed as she leaned over to kiss him.

"Not really, but if you want it to be... sure, I'm not gonna stop you," he smirked before kissing her as Alice cooed and played with both her giraffe and Mr. Bun Bun.

"Think we should call Catherine or we can just leave her in her play-pen?"

"Up to you, but I think Cath would love to spend some time with her baby, don't you think?"

"I'll take her downstairs then... even though... we'll get loads of comments if you don't invent something..."

"I have to invent something? Like they wouldn't see right through me..." he laughed. "In all seriousness, I've been a good boy so I think I can hold out a bit longer..."

"I'll be back in a minute then," she winked back as she sat up and got back on her feet, crouching by Tristan's side. "Want to go to mommy baby, mmh?"

Letting out a giggle, Alice nodded while Tristan straightened up. "That would be a yes, and I should see my mommy... as I have to clean up the bathroom downstairs and grab my shirts..."

"Come baby then," Gwyn smiled as she took the little one in her arms and stood up. "You're coming with me then?"

"Yep. And if anyone sees me, all they have to do is see the shorter hair." Giving her a wink, he left the room before them and ran down the stairs, leaving both Gwyn and Alice giggling in his wake.

"You know your Uncle's a crazy baby, yes he is," she laughed, as she placed a kiss on the girl's forehead and started making her way down to the living room, where all the Faraday bustle was.

"Uncle Tristan got a hair cut!" exclaimed Claire as she spotted Tristan headed towards the guest bathroom.

"Now he doesn't look all scruffy," laughed Ethan alongside his sister.

"Hey now, I wasn't all _that_ scruffy earlier..." he smiled as he saw that the bathroom was completely tidy and that his shirts were on the towel rack.

"Mommy, Grandma, and the Aunties have said that you did. Daddy said that you reminded him of a shaggy dog," laughed the pair.

"Ha ha very funny you two," replied Tristan as he stuck his tongue out at them. "So now I have to go get cleaned up. Go play with your sister and terrorize Auntie Val again - maybe you can make some of her hair green this time..."

"Hey Claire, do we still have the color stuff left?"

"Yep! And we have that bright green colour too..."

"Great. Have fun and I'll see you guys in a bit."

Giving him matching grins, the two set off in search of Valerie while Tristan shook his head in amusement before heading back upstairs to his old room.

"And seems someone gave me the right directions," Gwyn chuckled as she saw Tristan come inside, gaping back at her when he saw her seated at the edge of the bed. "Alice is with Kari and Catherine in the kitchen, watching them bake cookies."

"Oh? And who would that be?" he smiled as he began to rummage through his dresser and fetched a pair of royal blue boxers.

"Val," she winked back at him, lying down face-up on his old bed.

"Ahh, well, I had to head back here anyways for a pair of boxers since my t-shirt and flannel are still good. Question is, why'd she tell you to head up here? I was gonna look for you anyways - but I have to admit, this is much better."

"She told me that you were looking for me and that... hey... she lied to me," she laughed back.

"Bingo... Ah well, I sent the twins to terrorize her and add another color to her hair so everything's fine. Bathroom's through the door by my dresser, but make sure to lock the door at the other end, as it connects to Valerie's room. Don't exactly want anyone to go through there while you're in the shower... Believe me, I've had more than a few mishaps like that growing up, as it's not fun walking in on your sister taking a shower while you have to go pee..."

"Listen... I was serious about having the shower together."

"Really...then seeing as how everything's almost ready, guess we better get going then, hmm?" Giving her a wink, he closed and locked the door to his bedroom before entering the bathroom and headed straight for Valerie's room. Seeing that it was completely empty, he proceeded to lock the door to her room as well before heading off to the bathroom and securing both doors.

"Done?" she called as she started to remove her clothes.

"Yea... Hi," he whispered before standing next to her and proceeding to unbuckle his belt and remove his jeans and boxers.

"And why did you stutter?" she smiled, wrapping her arms around him while placing kisses on his back. "Thinking about something?"

"Just thinking about you really... Like I was saying earlier, you'll be a great mom someday..." Letting Gwyn keep her hold on him, Tristan opened the door to the shower stall and turned on the taps.

"Who knows," she whispered. "Maybe... that dream was right."

"Most likely," he whispered back before pinning her against the wall of the shower and kissing her.

"And..." she managed to mutter after the kiss. "Still reading my thoughts?"

"...Just make sure not to scream my name, okay," he smirked back at her mischievously. "And...we'll make our dream come true soon, I promise."

"I've got no doubt about that..." answered Gwyn, leaning in closer. "And I won't..." she chuckled. "We're not home you know.."

"Good point," he smiled before kissing her again.

"We just have to make sure... we don't take much time," she laughed as she placed a kiss on his shoulder. "And... the short hair really suits you."

"Technically, this is what my hair looks like on a normal basis. The shaggy mess was due to me not having been to a barber in a few months. After all, my hair was like this when we started going out..." Placing his hands on her bottom, he lifted her up and pressed her against the wall. "And we'll be downstairs on time..." 

"Alright," she winked as she kissed him one more time, clinging tightly against his back as they made love.

-

While Tristan and Gwyn were off on their own, Valerie found herself running away from the twins - both of whom were threatening to color her hair an astonishingly bright shade of neon green. Racing up the stairs, she saw the door to her bedroom and grabbed the knob, only to realize that it was locked. Growling as she heard the children laughing as they climbed the stairs, she ran to Tristan's room, only to find the same thing. Seeing the pair out of the corner of her eye, she ran back towards her room and began to bang her fists against it.

"Will you open the friggin' door, goddamn little brother?! I'll be having rainbow-hued hair if you don't open dammit!"

"Oh Auntie Val..." came the sugary-sweet voices of the twins as they were both armed with paint brushes in their hands, making Valerie bang on the door harder.

"Oh no... oh no no no, you won't..." she muttered as she dodged their double-attack and raced towards the staircase. "Mooom!"

"Come back Auntie Val!" giggled the pair as they ran after her.

"Go paint your father's hair not mine!"

"But daddy doesn't have as much hair as you do to color!"

-

Resting his forehead against hers some time later, Tristan smiled. "I think they're still after her..."

"She would have hid in one of these rooms I suppose..."

"Pretty much... Also, you okay? You bit down on my shoulder pretty hard there...that'll leave a bruise for sure," he snickered. "But I guess that's my mark for a job well done, I suppose."

"Did I hurt you in some way?" Gwyn immediately looked back up at him, slightly concerned that she could have gone overboard, all the while caressing the area Tristan had commented on with her thumb.

"Not really. It didn't break the skin, if that's what you're wondering. Most of the time we were muffling each other with our kisses... If I let you down, will you be okay?" he muttered as he began kissing and licking his spot, wincing slightly at it. "And I think I bruised you there too... Sorry 'bout that..."

"I don't mind," she chuckled. "Really... I... worry more the other way round," she continued, thoughtfully. "And yes, I'll be fine."

Kissing her forehead, Tristan separated them before gently setting Gwyn down to the floor of the shower, keeping his arms loosely around her. "Good?"

"Mmm-hmm," she smiled as she rested her chin on his shoulder, while keeping her hold on him.

"Alright then," he grinned as he reached for a bar of soap. "You want this first or the shampoo first?"

"Shampoo," she mumbled, seemingly enjoying being cuddled by him there and then, while at the same time nuzzling against his neck to kiss him.

"At this rate, I don't care if we're a bit late," he smiled as they both proceeded to clean each other up.

"What would your sisters say?"

"Val will tease me, Olivia will smile, and Cath will tease me but also say that we act like we're married already... In that order."

"And we'll make sure to counterattack, maybe giving them teasingly vague answers," she chuckled, as he kissed her nose.

"Pretty much," he grinned before moving to stand under the water.

"Your turn now... but keep a hold on me please," she asked him as she reached out for the shampoo and started lathering his hair.

"Anything for you..."

-

"I can't believe you two..."

"But you look so much better now Auntie! Even Alice loves your hair!"

Sighing, Valerie grinned as Alice continued to play with her now pink and green hair.

"Still though, you two are going to have a very long bath after dinner and presents... And did you say sorry to Auntie Val?" chuckled a green-haired Steve.

"Yes we did," replied the pair as they continued to point out each other's different colored hair while laughing.

Standing in the doorway, Catherine, Olivia, and Kari seemed to grin while their thoughts drifted towards the youngest Faraday... and his future wife.

"They still missing?"

"Seems that way, though let them enjoy some private time. Jack'll take care of them when they're down there."

"So if Valerie was complaining that her door was locked, as was Tristan's - they're most likely in the shower."

Chuckling, Kari wrapped her arms around her elder daughters. "Reminds me of your father and I... we'd both taken to the habit of taking showers together after you were born Cath, as it was our way of just relaxing. Seems my baby's picked up on that habit too..."

"But, this is happening, before they got married mom," Olivia chuckled.

"Let them be... This is there way of relaxing when together..."

"Probably."

Gasping back at her, Catherine shook her head and laughed. "Geez haven't you changed... Remember all of the sermons you used to give me when I started dating Steve?"

"From what I was observing, especially when they were with Alice, the rings around their fingers would just make them official - but they're practically married to each other right now," grinned Olivia.

"True, I did... but considering what Valerie told me, as well as a few phone calls to Cynthia... Not that I'm saying that you and Steve weren't a good pair, but there's something about Tristan and Gwyn - like they were _destined_ to meet and fall in love with each other. Also... she reminds me of that painting that he did as a little boy, you remember - the girl in the dress. I remember him telling me that he wanted to meet her someday and maybe he has." 

"Painting... painting..." Catherine muttered, trying to recall the painting. "Oh shi- That actually looks like her... now that you got me thinking..."

"I remember that too... It was a really beautiful painting... hard to believe a little boy painted it at times - but that's our Tristan. And Gwyn does look like that girl - only older now..."

"So, sorry for being hard on you Catherine, but as my firstborn, you know I was simply being overly-protective of you."

"I know," she smiled back, placing a kiss on her cheek. "But you know, I think this explains why Tris never really got... too attached before he met her."

"He gets attached... But he wasn't thinking long-term anyways. Cynthia's Cynthia - the girl he knew growing up, dated a bit, and realized that they were better off as exactly what they were - best friends. Elizabeth, if anything she was probably the one who taught him to know what to look for in a relationship. After all, he was just a teenager when he left to travel... When he came back, he was still extremely young, but definitely more mature. All of his traveling, as well as probably self-exploration, shaped him to be who he is now... Still, when I see him and Gwyn together - they remind me of a fairy tale come to life," sighed Olivia. "Yes I'm a hopeless romantic at times, so shoot me..."

"Nah, it all makes sense, plus, they give me the same vibes too... and I'm sure Alice would say the same thing if she'd know how to talk."

"So what exactly do you think she'd say?" grinned Tristan as both he and Gwyn, fully cleaned and dressed, appeared right by their sides.

"That you'd be just like mommy and daddy," Catherine grinned back at him. 

"You haven't heard Hurricane Valerie at your door?" Olivia giggled as their mother just chuckled in return.

"I think I heard something banging on the door, but was distracted while brushing my teeth," he grinned widely. "Ever since I've accidentally walked in on you guys... and vice versa while going to the bathroom, I've learned to be overly cautious with the doors..."

"She was trying to seek refuge from the two tornadoes," Kari laughed. "I'm sure she's going to tease you about it."

"Somehow I don't doubt that... I'll go entertain them, you can hang out with the girls here..." smiled Tristan as he kissed Gwyn's cheek before walking over to where the rest of his now multi-colored haired family was playing.

"No problem," Gwyn smiled as Olivia and Catherine placed a hand on her shoulders respectively.

"Pink and green... I like. Looks quite fetching on you, dear sister," smirked Tristan as Alice immediately reached out to him while the twins proceeded to cuddle him warmly. "Oh and Steve, you look fab too."

"Shut up brat," teased the elder adults warmly.

"And hmm... Purple hair Claire? And turquoise for you Ethan? Guess you two could do worse..."

"Like what?"

"Neon orange neon yellow..."

"No way! Too bright for us," laughed the kids while Alice reached up to tug on Tristan's hair.

"Oh yeah, it's a little bit different that last time," he smiled as Alice simply continued to babble.

"Sure is. And now you don't resemble a mop as much anymore," smiled Steve. "Anyways, I'm going to grab some water, want any you guys?"

"No, we're fine!"

"Alright then," he grinned before walking past his wife and kissing her cheek warmly before disappearing behind the kitchen door.

Once Steve had left the room, Tristan laid down on the carpet and let Alice settle on top of his stomach while the twins continued to cuddle him. Soon after, Fuery, Hawkeye, and Havoc wandered into the family room and settled themselves over everyone on the floor while the Faraday women (including Gwyn) continued to watch the scene and smile widely.

"He's really good with children, always been like that," Catherine smiled as Olivia nudged her gently.

"Mmm-hmm."

"He'd be like that with yours too," the older sister grinned back teasingly.

"Yeah, as if." 

"Oh you will." 

"What do you know?"

"You might never know actually..." whispered Gwyn at the two of them, smiling.

"Know about what?" 

"Having children."

"Gwyn's right. I'll say this for the four of you... two of your were planned while two were surprises. Care to guess who's who?"

"Tris sure is one of them," Catherine winked back at her mother. "Mmm... Val maybe?" 

"Hey! I heard that!"

"Not quite. You and Tristan were the surprises Cath, your other sisters were planned. I mean after all, your father and I were still teenagers when you were born. Your father and I were planning on starting a family when we were a little... _older._ So after you came along, we waited a bit and then had Olivia. A few years later, we had Valerie. Tristan, of course, was a complete surprise - but very welcomed," smiled Kari as she remembered the day she found out she was pregnant with her son.

"That makes sense," smiled Tristan as Steve walked back into the family room.

"So now that everyone's here, should we have dinner now before the kids fall asleep?" he grinned as he looked over at his children as well as young brother-in-law.

"I think so," Kari nodded in agreement.

"I'm not..." began Tristan as he yawned loudly while the twins and Alice followed his lead and yawned themselves.

"Like I said, kids are falling asleep," Steve grinned.

"...Sleepy. Right... Come on Kiddo, grab your nieces and nephew and go recharge with dinner," chuckled Catherine as hugged her husband's arm.

"Need help in the kitchen?" Gwyn asked, as Olivia and Kari shook their heads.

"Nope! You go sit with Tristan and start enjoying Part Two of the Faraday pampering." 

"Gwyn? Can you grab Ally for me please? And Miss Watermelon, can you grab Ethan? I'll take Vicky with me..." yawned Tristan again.

"Sure... come here you pink bundle," Gwyn laughed as she picked up the giggling lot and cradled her in her arms. "And Tris... why are you calling her Vicky?" she asked him, raising an eyebrow.

"You can call her bundle but I can't call her 'Thing'? Now that's not right... And as for Claire here, her middle name's a very familiar name to you - Victoria. Right Vicky?"

"Yeah Uncle!" she grinned back. "I like it though!"

"Rightly so, it's a very royal name," Gwyn winked back at her. "And Tris... thing..." she rolled her eyes with a laugh.

"Yep! And my middle name's Robert!" grinned Ethan as Valerie hugged and kissed him.

"You're calling my daughter a 'thing'?" chuckled Steve.

"Technically 'Pink Thing' but Gwyn won't let me...so I'll just call her 'Marshmallow' instead - in honor of her big puffy pink jacket, as well as the fact that she's squishy."

"Told you I like that more than 'Thing'", she laughed as she stuck her tongue out at him.

"And that's cuter," Valerie nodded.

"Tristan David Faraday! You were calling my infant daughter a 'Thing'?" laughed Catherine as she feigned shock. "Anyways Wild Thing, go on to the table..."

Sticking his tongue out at her while Claire giggled, both Tristan and Claire headed into the dining room. 

"I do call her Thing though," Ethan grinned mischievously as he pointed at his twin sister.

"Can it Brat," snickered Claire as she pointed to her twin brother. 

"Will you two sit down and stop it?" Kari asked the two, who immediately nodded and sat down at either side of their father.

Whistling, Tristan slipped away to his seat, which was in between Olivia and Gwyn. "I smell hamburgers..."

"Mmm-hmm... curious baby... Steve you helping me out?" Kari and Catherine told him in unison.

"Wow wow, women, one at a time," he laughed as he got up and followed them in the kitchen.

"How about me mom? Anything I can do?" called Valerie.

"Stay, it's fine," she called back. "You can help me out with the dessert later." 

"How about me?" asked Tristan. 

"NO!" came the reply from the kitchen.

"Why not?!"

"Because you'll eat all of the dessert!"

"No I won't..." grumbled Tristan as the twins simply stared at him before laughing.

"Yes you will Uncle... Unless there's either raisins or prunes in it..." 

"Maybe they're right," Gwyn laughed softly, covering her mouth softly with one hand.

"It's a conspiracy to keep me away from those brownies..." 

"And the ice-cream."

"Don't forget... the apple pie."

"And the birthday cake!"

"But that's ours!"

"That's my point, silly."

"...Seriously?" replied Tristan as a mischievous smirk crept onto his face. "Happy birthday to me... heh heh..."

"No way!" both of the twins pouted in unison. "Say another word and we'll paint your hair purple."

"Actually I was thinking a nice bright blue would look fine on me actually..." mused Tristan as Olivia entered the dining room first.

"I don't think Auntie Gwyn would like that," Ethan nodded.

"Probably not... And hey... Panzanella salad Livvy?"

"Yep! You, young man, need your daily dose of leafy greens before I even let you near the desserts. Same with you two," grinned Olivia as she eyed the twins.

"Awww no whyyy," they both whined. "We hate that stuff..."

"I don't care. You're either going to eat it or no birthday cake. After all, we know that Uncle here can probably polish off that entire cake by himself..."

"I... uhh... what's in the cake?"

"Your favourite - all _three_ of you."

Winking back at Olivia, Tristan grinned. "You hear that you two? If you don't eat the salad then..."

Staring at the large salad bowl, the twins continued to eye it suspiciously while Steve rolled his eyes. "I completely with Auntie Liv on this one. Either eat it or no dessert. Also, it's your favorite salad - the one that's mostly bread."

"It is?"

"Yes it is, so... go ahead," Catherine laughed as she noticed her twins stare back at each other while starting to nibble at the salad.

"So, instead of pancetta, you actually used bacon... interesting," grinned Tristan as he was meticulously saving all of his bread pieces for last while gobbling up the vegetables first.

"That's because I know you fancy that more than pancetta," Kari laughed. "And Gwyn... you should eat you know?"

"Yes yes, sure."

"I like both, but must say that bacon grease is better than pancetta grease..." he smiled as he grabbed more salad out of the bowl and placed it onto his plate.

"What th- You've already eaten half of the salad Tristan!" whined Valerie as she saw that the bowl was almost empty, while her brother's plate was piled high with salad.

"I like this salad though... it's got bacon, tomatoes, and bread..."

"Gwyn say somethiiiing," she continued whining as Gwyn merely chuckled and stole some from his plate. 

"Well... I just take advantage of the situation," she grinned as Valerie pouted in return and Steve burst out laughing.

"At least you left me the bacony-flavored bread and tomatoes," Tristan chuckled as he reached for his glass of lemonade.

"Mom? Does this mean that since Uncle ate most of the salad that we don't have to eat it anymore?" Ethan asked hopefully.

"No, you and your sister can finish off the rest of the salad in the bowl," replied both Catherine and Steve as they nonchalantly ate their salad portions.

"But-"

"Eth, shut up..." sighed Claire as she continued to pick at her salad while Olivia dished out the last bits of salad onto the twins' plates.

"What?! You're putting more?" she exclaimed while rolling her eyes. "Really, ugh."

"Oh come on you two, there wasn't much left anyways. Just eat this last bit," Olivia shot back as she rolled her eyes, making Catherine laugh.

"You're seriously making a fuss out of just that babies... it'll make you grow," Steve grinned as Alice on the opposite slammed her hands on the table, giggling all the while.

Shaking his head, Tristan polished off his entire plate of vegetables before breaking up some of the bread pieces on his plate and placing them on Alice's plate, who began to eat the pieces in front of her.

"Such a good girlie," Gwyn whispered in her ear as she winked back at Tristan. "Catherine, she's really something, already eating on her own?"

"It's funny that you mention that Gwyn, she only eats on her own if Tristan gives it to her. If it's any of us, she'll just pick it up and play with it," laughed Steve.

"Really?" Tristan and Gwyn turned to look back at them, smiling as Alice let out a squeal.

"Yep. Seems that Uncle Tristan has the magic touch in getting her to eat, though Alice is getting better at pointing out when she wants something to eat."

"Apart from other things... Alice, where's daddy?" Gwyn asked her.

"As if she'd know, she's too small!" Ethan chuckled as Claire sighed and finished her salad.

"First... you finish that now, slowpoke."

Picking up a piece of her bread, Alice pointed towards the general of where Steve and Catherine were sitting.

"Mmm? What do you want now Marshmallow?" Gwyn laughed as she grinned back at Tristan all the while referring to Alice.

"She doesn't want anything babe, she's pointing out her daddy," chuckled Tristan. "And Marshmallow, where's Uncle?" 

Giggling, Alice managed to point towards him, making Tristan smirk.

"Told you."

"What?!" the twins gasped together.

"Well, my baby's a bright little princess you know," Catherine grinned proudly as she and Kari got back on their feet and started clearing the table from the starters. "Real food's coming now..."

"Baby want to help?" Kari called out at Tristan, smiling. "And I know I said no before but now I wouldn't mind if you come here, as long as you don't eat anything though."

"Sure mommy... and I'll try not to..." he grinned as he followed his mother and oldest sister into the kitchen.

"If you do, I'll ask the twins to turn your hair sky blue!" Valerie called back.

Opening the door briefly, he stuck his head out to poke his tongue out at her before disappearing once again.

"So how'd you end up with Wild Thing over there?" Olivia asked with a wide grin towards Gwyn.

"If I tell you that he started it all with teasing me at work what would you say," she replied as Alice started babbling while seated on her lap.

"I'd say that's... _normal_ for him. He's a good boy through and through, but he's still a cheeky little thing - always has been. That's why Cyn, James, and Cole try to stay on their toes with him - he'll be perfectly sweet one minute and a little hellion the next," chuckled Valerie as Olivia nodded.

"Pretty much what she said."

"Thing is... he was teasing his superior," she laughed. "And I had obviously observed him for quite some months, he never acted like that with anyone else."

"It's because he liked you already Auntie," smiled Claire. "There's this boy in my class that does the same thing to one of my best friends...then he gave her a valentine and a hug when his friends weren't watching him."

"That's sweet," she smiled in return, while Valerie and Olivia sighed in unison.

"So cute!"

"So... you're actually Uncle's _boss_?" asked Ethan as he ate his last tomato. "Do you know Auntie Cyn and my other uncles too?"

"I'm the Assistant Director, and he's one of the Managers working under my supervision... and yes, Cynthia's my personal assistant."

"What's that?"

"It's like a secretary dummy."

"Shut up."

"Both of you, stop."

"Yes dad."

"So, eventually he charmed his way into your heart? Val told us about when he was taking care of you when you were sick..."

"Let's say I had this little accident... and it was Tristan who found me and helped me out... probably that was the final blow..." she chuckled as she looked down and started caressing Alice's hair. "Val saw how I was messed up after all..."

"Yeah, that was pretty bad, but I forgave him for dumping his laundry on us while he was helping you out. Say - how's Anne doing?"

"Quite alright, taking care of Jasper... and she'll stay with my brother for some days and with Cynthia in others on her insistence, while we'll be away I mean."

"Well that's good to hear then."

"Who's Jasper Auntie?"

"Our dog," she winked back. "You can ask Tristan about his breed... and Val, if you want to call Anne these two week, phone Cynthia up," she smiled.

"You have a dog?! Daddy? When can we get one?" chorused the pair while Alice gurgled happily.

"Ask your mother," Steve whispered, smirking back at the kids.

"I think Cynthia mentioned the dog, said he looked like a mini version of Hawkeye..." 

"He's probably a Shiba then, Val," grinned Olivia. "Must be a cute puppy, though I'm sure he's grown since when you first got him."

"...He has, but still on the small side. He has to get fixed though," chuckled Tristan as he came through the door carrying a huge platter of fried chicken breasts and grilled hamburger patties.

"Fixed?" Claire blinked.

"Yay food!" Ethan exclaimed, eyeing the dish hungrily.

"That's what I said... then your mother slapped my hand before I could snag a piece of bacon..." chuckled Tristan as he set the platter down on the table. "Oh and Vicky, your dad can tell you what I mean..."

"About what?" Steve raised his eyebrow as he was staring at the food as hungrily as his son.

Tugging on his arm, Claire looked up at her father. "What did Uncle Tristan mean that his doggy has to be 'fixed'? Is his doggy broken?"

"Er... maybe I'll explain that later, Sweetheart," he smiled back at her, while giving a death glare at Tristan at the same time.

Grinning sweetly at his brother-in-law, Tristan opened the door so that Catherine and Kari could come out with platter of bread and fixings for the burgers. "Apparently they're getting hungry out here," he chuckled as the two women walked past him, but not before he stole a piece of bacon and proceeded to eat it.

"Tristan..." Catherine laughed, rolling her eyes, while setting out the dishes. "Dig in, I know this is your favorite, babies."

"You mean we get to build our own hamburgers mommy?" 

"Yes, without making a royal mess though."

"Yay!" cheered the pair as they proceeded to grab some of the toasted hamburger buns and begin building their sandwiches - which were noticeably devoid of vegetables.

"And at least put some tomato slices in that," Steve commented as he prepared his and Catherine's.

"Tris what are you doing?" Gwyn chuckled as she watched Tristan solemnly preparing two buns.

"Making a double decker bacon cheeseburger... why? I'd make you yours... but I don't know if you want the hamburger or the chicken...which I'm saving for later."

"Both."

"But we already ate tomatoes dad..."

"So... two individual ones or one hamburger chicken burger?" he grinned as he began adding bacon, cheese, sliced tomatoes and grilled onions on top of one patty before placing down a bun and building up the burger before topping it with the top bun.

"Put them in the burger too," Steve promptly told them.

"And mmm... let's try both Tris, won't do any harm anyway," she chuckled, earning an applause from Alice's end.

"Okay then, want me to build you a chicken burger or the hamburger?"

"Mooommmmm..."

"Listen to your father you two..."

"Aww..."

"Chicken," she winked back at him.

"Now, I'm of the opinion that bacon makes everything taste better -"

"-Which it does!" chimed his sisters.

"-What they said. So... I'll make you this," he grinned as he grabbed slices of jack cheese, tomato, lettuce, bacon, and some ranch dressing before building the chicken sandwich for Gwyn. "Well, what do you think?"

"Looks fine to me," she grinned back at him, taking the sandwich in one of her hands while Alice started reaching out for it.

"Great!" Taking a hold of his sandwich, Tristan began to eat his burger easily, while the rest of his sisters and his mother shook their heads in amusement.

"Black hole... thy name is Tristan," sighed Olivia as she bit into her chicken burger.

"Auntie Gwyn? Ally wants your sandwich... even though it has veggies in it..." muttered Ethan as Steve placed a veggie-laden cheeseburger in front of his eldest kids. "Daaadd..."

"Quit the whining and eat it, it has vitamins."

"Your sister likes veggies it seems," Gwyn smiled as she gave Alice a small piece of tomato to try. "Think she'd eat it? You're a bit of experimental taster just like your Uncle it seems, mmh?" she whispered, watching the baby closely.

"Blech..."

"Well, if you two want to remain short forever, then by all means, don't eat the vegetables," replied Catherine.

Letting out dramatic sighs, the pair picked up their burgers and began to eat slowly.

"And that was a good burger... time for chicken," grinned Tristan as he began to build his chicken sandwich.

"Seriously mom, who did he inherit the appetite from?" gaped Valerie as she just reached the half of her burger.

"Your father was a bit like that, but not to that extent," Kari laughed back.

"I so wish I had that metabolism..."

"Well, look at it this way, since you had all that exercise with the tornadoes, at least you have your exercise for the day and have tons of room for dessert," smiled Olivia.

"Hey Cath? Can Ally have chicken?"

"Mmm... give her a little bit of the breading and some small bits of chicken. She'll eat it... she also likes pickles too because of you."

"Oh yeah? Let's see if she'll go for grilled onions too," he smiled as he proceeded to make a baby plate for Alice, consisting of: cut up hamburger, cut up chicken, bits of grilled onion, two pickle slices, and some more bread. Handing the plate to Gwyn, who grinned and placed it on Alice's highchair table, the baby began to pick up the different foods and eat them happily.

"Seems that I've made her a fan of vegetables," grinned Tristan as the twins proceeded to glare at him.

"You're not helping..." grumbled the pair.

"Well, if you two knew the pains that we went through to get your uncle to eat his vegetables, believe me, you two are getting off easy," chuckled Catherine while Olivia, Valerie, and Kari laughed.

"I wasn't _that_ bad..." whined Tristan.

"You were horrible when it came to eating them. Half the time we were wearing the vegetables, the other half we were forcing down your throat..."

"Strange, and I thought he always used to eat everything without being fussy or anything..."

"Caaaattthhhh...." Tristan whined more while Catherine shrugged him off.

"He did... on some random day shortly after he turned ten. But before that... pfffttt... He'd eat tomatoes, but only because he learned that ketchup was made from it. Celery he ate, because we put peanut butter on them. Corn, peas and potatoes were easy - lots of butter did the job. Carrots because he doused them in ranch dressing. Finally, baby spinach because we put it in the pasta dough. Lettuce, he was super picky and he hated cabbage..."

"Remind me to keep that in mind if we have children," Gwyn chuckled lightly as she continued feeding Alice.

Ignoring her baby brother's pouting, as well as her own children's matching pouts, Catherine smiled. "Probably a good idea, but the day he decided that vegetables were okay...I think we went out to dinner and treated him to the biggest ice cream sundae you could imagine. From that day on, he was usually snacking on carrots or celery. There are a few he still doesn't like - mostly ones from Japan - but now he'll eat it all..."

"Mmm..."

"Meanie..." grumbled Tristan as he polished off his sandwich.

"You'll see when we bring out the Japanese food..." their mother confirmed, winking back at Tristan.

"Noooo... not that _stuff_..."

"He really hates daikon for some strange reason... but like mom said, you'll see Gwyn," smiled Olivia before looking over at her brother. "And you, drink up your limeade."

"Oh that's a first," Gwyn grinned, placing a kiss on Tristan's cheek. "I've never seen him whine about food... ah wait. He did once... with Cynthia's diet food."

" _That_ was not food, _those_ were unspeakable horrors..." he murmured while drinking his limeade.

"He's lying," Gwyn snickered, teasing him. "You can ask Cynthia about that. What was that food again?"

"I don't want to talk about it as talking about it means re-living eating that horrible horrible thing... And that diet soda... blech..."

"Life-scarring experience, oh come on!" Valerie laughed out. "It's just diet food, _baby_."

"Wow... so diet food can defeat the black hole... Interesting," teased Steve while the twins finally finished their respective burgers.

Pouting still, the three made for interesting conversation pieces for the rest of the table.

"And since all of you seems ready from their burgers..." Kari smiled, winking back at Olivia who immediately got on her feet and followed her into the kitchen.

"You all find each other blindly," Gwyn commented as she finished off her drink. "That's nice."

"Hmm? How so Gwyn?" asked Valerie as drank her water while Tristan got up and fed Alice.

"Well, it was more than evident, your mother didn't even have to ask you to, you just take it in turns and go help her. That shows how in tune you all are." 

"Huh... never really thought of it that way. It's always been like this - the taking turns to help. Even when Tristan first mobile, he'd always try to help out - usually carrying his blanket and bear. When we were kids, we used mostly durable plastic cups and plates, simply because even an eighteen month old toddler like Tristan could carry his own cup..."

"That's really sweet..." 

"Oh yeah... Since it was just us, especially with a baby brother to take care of, we all worked together to keep up the house. I mean, money wasn't really a thing - the military took care of us, as well as my grandparents - but just making sure that we all went to school, kept our grades up, and helping our mom take care of the baby and our house. It was kinda hard, but we made it together," grinned Catherine.

"True, and we don't regret one single bit of that," Valerie grinned back.

"I did that? I don't remember that..." commented Tristan. 

"Of course you don't you were a baby," chuckled Catherine. "But again, you were always running before you could walk..." 

"He still runs a lot," Gwyn smiled back at him.

"I mean figuratively, as he's always been trying to help others before helping himself, but...him still running doesn't surprise me in the slightest." 

"I actually meant both in fact."

"Good, as it means we're on the same page. He needs an anchor, but it looks like you're doing a good job of that so on behalf of my family, thank you Gwyn for keeping him safe."

"I don't deserve all that gratitude... really," she mumbled slightly, looking flustered at their comment.

"No, I think they're right..." smiled Tristan as stopped feeding Alice for a bit and placed a hand over hers.

"It's not that I've done anything spectacular, in real terms, the situation is the other way round..."

"Well, we've helped each other out constantly over these past few months... So how about we agree that we're each other's anchor, hmm?" he grinned at her.

"Another skill of his, ending conversations and debates where both parties win," Steve commented while checking on the twins, both of whom were smiling the entire time.

"And I've noticed that, what's the grin about you two?" Catherine commented, referring to the twins.

"Are Uncle and Auntie Gwyn going to get married soon?"

"Well we..."

"We're still working on that. But trust me, you guys can be the flower girl and ring bearer respectively... so Ethan make sure you can fit into that dress, okay?"

"You're always thinking about that, fairy-tale maniac," Ethan teased, rolling his eyes. "And hey!"

"You deserved it, brat," Claire laughed out as her father shot her a look. "What?! He started it!"

"Tristan... Gwyn... I just hope you two get married soon, you two are gonna be great together. And as for words of advice, just tell each other that you love each other every day. It's always the little things that'll make you two appreciate the other every time. And... I'll make sure that Claire's tuxedo is picture perfect and that Ethan's dress has a veil too," he smiled widely.

"WHAT?!"

"No no, no way daddy - _I_ want the dress! Not him?! He'd destroy it!"

"As if! You can get your fairy-tale like frilly, cutie stuff, I'll have a tuxedo just like dad."

Chuckling, Tristan noticed that Alice was holding out a piece of tomato for him to eat. Taking the tomato in his mouth, he ate it happily while Alice picked up the pickle piece and ate it her self.

"And Alice is much more diligent than you two..."

"Dili-what mom?"

"She eats her vegetables without any fuss, that's what I mean. And the word's diligent."

"She only eats them when Uncle's around though..."

"No, she eats them by _herself_ when I'm around. I'm pretty sure she eats them even when I'm not," smirked Tristan.

"Precisely," Catherine nodded in agreement.

"Seems like everyone's in a good mood now, so may I present a bit more food - in smaller sizes - for us to eat," smiled Olivia as she set down a platter of sushi.

"Mom! The ones without fish please! Where are they?" Claire asked as she started studying the large plate carefully.

"Easy you two... they're the ones with the green things in them, and you know what they are - vegetables," cackled Tristan as the twins looked mortified.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" wailed the pair.

"Well what did you expect? Geez," Steve laughed as he snagged the first sushi piece and shoved it down at one go. "So good..."

"Mmm... since you're objecting," Gwyn grinned as she took one of the vegetable pieces and ate it at one go.

"Spicy tuna for me and some rice for Ally-kat," grinned Tristan.

"You're feeding her Tris please?" Catherine asked, as she kept an eye on the twins while the rest of the family starting eating from all the platters. "And there is teriyaki too Tris."

"Good. Could you put some of the sauce in the rice then? I'll feed her. Oh and Gwyn, don't worry, there's a bit more selection of Japanese food than when I prepared it last time," he chuckled while Kari brought out a steaming pot of tea.

"Which further poses the question - what should I eat and what not..." she pointed out as Catherine handed a small bowl of rice to Tristan.

"Mommy? If you would be so kind as to help Gwyn select what to and what not to eat, that'd be great... considering there are things even I won't eat. And thanks mommy number two."

"Mooooooom, I need to know which ones are edible, pleeeeeeeeeease," whined Ethan as Claire rolled her eyes. 

"It's not like you can't tell from one with fish and one without."

"And no problem dear," Kari nodded as she moved by her side and helped her into choosing some piece that she'd probably enjoy.

Grabbing a set of chopsticks that were by the sushi, Tristan proceeded to easily pick out pieces for him to eat and placed them on his plate. Shoving a piece of tuna maki into his mouth, he mixed the teriyaki sauce with Alice's rice and began to feed her the rice little by little.

"Mom? What're the round orange things?"

"They're fish eggs," smirked Valerie as she picked up a piece that was topped with the eggs and ate it in front of the twins. "Mmm... my favorite."

"Ewwwwwwwwwwww, gross!" both of them wincing and cringing their face in front of their aunt. 

"Seriously Auntie, that looks disgusting."

"For once I agree with him."

"Well, considering what they actually are, I think I concur," Gwyn added.

"What? It's like the best part. Just imagine all of these little eggs popping into your mouth - giving off tons of flavor. It's fantastic."

"Don't look at me, the only eggs I like are the ones for breakfast... and the tamago pieces over there. Cath, have you tried giving the egg cake ones to Ally-kat?"

"Yes and she'd spit them so, don't bother."

"Hmm... let me try something..." Grabbing a piece of the egg cake sushi, Tristan proceeded to cut up the egg into smaller pieces before placing it into the bowl of rice and mixing it with the sauce. Feeding Alice a bit of the egg, rice, and sauce combination, he watched patiently before Alice began cooing for more. "Well what do you know, she ate it."

"Right," Catherine pouted as Steve burst out laughing.

"Again, he's really good with kids. Couldn't really do too much with the tornadoes because he was in school and traveling at the time they were born, but he's done good with them since coming back."

Gurgling happily, Alice continued to let her uncle feed her the rice until it was all gone. Clapping her hands, she giggled loudly.

"And she's done before you two, you know," Steve laughed once more as he had finished eating himself.

"But she doesn't eat as much!"

Shaking his head, Tristan wiped up Alice's face before taking her out of the high chair and hugging her close while finishing the rest of his food. Looking over at his mother and Gwyn, he grinned. "Enjoying sushi 101 from my mom? And really, I'm not a big fan of the fish eggs, but you should at least try them out. You might actually like them. And believe me, I've tried and tried again - I usually end up spitting the eggs out."

"No maybe not... I already shiver when seeing their texture so... maybe not."

"At least give it a try Gwyn. We tried with Tristan several times: as a baby, at around the same age as the twins, when he was thirteen and on the day of his college graduation, but he had the same reaction each time. For you, you're just hearing it from everyone else but aren't too sure about it..." 

"No really, I'm happy with what I tried," she winked back at him. "I'll pass the fish eggs for today."

"Well, like my mom said, at least give it a shot before dismissing it. My sisters and mother love it, as does Cynthia, James, and Cole. I'm technically the odd one for not liking it."

"Maybe next time... please?"

"Sure. Whenever you're up for it. I could take you to a place, but... I'll let my mom and Livvy handle this one, they're the experts."

"Hurricane Val, on the other hand, is an expert in pizza and pasta dishes..." Catherine pointed out with a grin. "So if you'd need an overdose of carbs, she'd the one. Not that Tristan isn't either."

"My pizzas need only these things: sauce, cheese, and meat. Anything else is compromising it... though for pastas, so long as there's no fish, I'm good," chuckled Tristan.

"You infidel... that's what you think," Valerie continued. "Gwyn, next time you're here, I'll take you to a really quaint Italian pizzeria and make you taste how a real pizza should."

"Oh... yeah, sure," she nodded as she felt the two starting to bicker again.

"Yes, it is what I think," he quipped back. "Besides, they know exactly what I like at that pizza place and they know what you like on yours, so it works out for the both of us."

"Stop it immediately you two," Kari told them.

"Fine but I wasn't arguing... Just making a point... Anyways, I'm pretty much good now so I'll just clean up a bit...and change Marshmallow's diaper...eww," he winced as he sniffed Alice for a second before hauling out of the dining room.

"He's even more perfect than an actual father..." Catherine mumbled, giving a glare at Steve.

"What's that look now?"

"You barely do that _ever._ "

"So? I do other things."

"Like?"

"Like... oh Cath stop that you're doing it on purpose," he scowled as his wife burst out laughing. "Well... I didn't _know_ she went... besides, I was dealing with _these two_ ," sighed Steve as he watched the twins dissect their food.

"But she's right though dad, you don't really change her diaper that often..."

"And will you tell me what on earth you two are doing?" Catherine asked, making the twins look up at her immediately, while Gwyn silently watched the scene unfold.

"We're picking out the stuff we don't like?"

"Guys, that roll was just teriyaki chicken, rice, and nori. Nothing else."

"You mean... There wasn't any fish in this one?"

"None. If you looked on the platter, you'd have seen your uncle grab just the fish ones, but left all the chicken ones there for you guys."

"Shit there was chicken in that?!"

"ETHAN!"

Placing his hands immediately over his mouth, he gave his parents a wide-eyed stare as everyone at the table stopped eating.

"Since when have you started using that kind of language, Mister," Steve told him. "It's not like me and your mother talk like that."

Letting go of one hand, the boy pointed over at Valerie. "She says stuff like that all the time..."

"Hey wait a second, that doesn't mean that you can go repeat whatever I say!"

"Then how come you say it all the time and I can't?"

"Did we miss anything...?" asked Tristan as he and Alice returned to the dining room, with Alice in a different set of pajamas.

"Ethan saying a swear word," Gwyn whispered as she took Alice from his arms. "All nice and clean aren't you now?"

"What the heck? Who told him? And yeah, she kept pulling on that one from the bag when I was changing her so I changed her into that."

"Seems you have a liking to bunnies eh?" she chuckled as she continued whispering. "Heard that from Val."

Sighing, he slid into the seat next to Gwyn and his mother before resting his head on Kari's shoulder. "Wow..."

"What is it sweetie?" Kari whispered as she watched her eldest daughter first chide her son and then scold her younger sister.

"Can we have dessert now?"

"We can, just leave them vent for a couple of minutes... brownies will calm them down," she smiled as she watched Alice doze off in Gwyn's arms, resting her face on her chest.

"Sure," he replied with a yawn. "Still though, she's a good mom..."

"True, as much as your Gwyn will be."

"I'm not doubting that for a second..."

"...Sorry mom and sorry everyone for saying that," apologized Ethan after Catherine was finished scolding Valerie.

"It's alright, as long as you don't say it again..." Kari replied as she got back on her feet. "Me and Uncle Tristan are going to bring dessert now, so, sit down."

"Sounds ugly on you honey," Olivia nodded.

"Yeah pal. Since it's your birthday, you can have dessert, but once we get home you're doing extra chores around the house. Got it?"

"Yes dad..."

Sensing that he was feeling a bit down, Claire moved closer to her twin brother's side and hugged him closely, making Catherine and Steve smile.

"And with that, we'll be back with some brownies... and possibly a cake," grinned Tristan as he followed his mother into the kitchen. Once inside, he spotted the dessert and snagged one of the corner pieces. "Ahh, so deliciously chocolatey..."

"Tristan..."

"But it's the corner piece..."

"My boy's such a baby," she laughed as she ordered him to bring out the ice-cream and the chocolate sauces.

"Well, they always seem to fight me for these pieces though. And I'll get them..."

"In a way he's right mom, those tend to be the best pieces," Olivia nodded as she joined them in the kitchen too to give a helping hand.

"See? I'm totally justified in my whining," he grinned.

"If you steal it without whining it's even better."

"I did... then mom said my name in that chiding tone..."

"Because you shouldn't steal... at least ask me," she chuckled.

"Mmm... mommy, is it okay that I just ate the corner piece that I ate?" 

"Too late and yes anyway," Kari laughed out as Olivia immediately followed suit. "Now let's take the things out there, will you?"

"Okay, and right right..." he smiled before heading out into the dining room with the ice cream and chocolate sauces. "Settle down now, plenty for everyone."

"Whoa!"

"And there's another accompaniment," smiled Olivia as she came out with the birthday cake and plates for everyone while Kari arrived with the brownies, bowls, and flatware.

"Uncle! Auntie Gwyn went to settle Alice in bed."

"And cake!"

"Alright. I'll go check on them and be back in a bit. Cath, coming?"

"You take care of them, I have the wild couple of birthday twins to take care of here," she winked back. "Don't take too long though."

"Yes ma'am. Will do..." he smiled before heading upstairs.

Finding Gwyn leaning over the baby's cot to silently watch Alice sleep, Tristan couldn't help but smile as he rested against the room's doorframe and observed her without uttering a single word, and at the same time without her barely noticing his presence. Moving into the room, he gently wrapped his arms around her waist. "All's alright here?"

"Mmm-hmm," she hummed back, smiling evidently as she looked up at him. "Guess all the commotion got her tired after all."

"Probably... she still has another gift from us, but we can just give that to Cath." Kissing the back of her neck, he rested his chin on her shoulder. "So, now that you've had baby 101, think you'll be ready for the real thing when we have ours?"

"Too many things will need to change up to when the time is due... but maybe, yes, there could be the possibility..."

"Lucky for you though, you'll have more practice with Ally here... and soon Amber as well. But you're right, a few things do need to change, but we're working on that, aren't we?"

"Yes. However, some people need to disappear before we decide to move that step forward. And you know who I'm referring to. Especially since I wouldn't want them within one kilometre distance from my children."

"Yep... also getting married would help too. But, first and foremost, we have a holiday to focus on. Once we get back, _then_ we can work on making the Terrible Trio disappear from our lives."

"We definitely do... in some way," she turned in his embrace, with a sweet smile on her lips.

"Yeah. That we do," he smiled back before hugging her tightly. "I love you..."

"Love you too," whispered Gwyn, as she gently rubbed his back while he held her close to him.

Giving her a gentle, unyielding kiss, Tristan let his feelings of warmth, love and happiness extend to Gwyn.

"And you're going to miss out the brownies, and the ice-cream and the birthday cake now," she chuckled, resting her forehead against his once their kiss ended.

"Well, technically I already stole one brownie, but... we should head back down now. Can't give them any ideas now can we?" 

"Nope," she laughed lightly. "But I like the way you're feeling right now." 

"I just wanted to let you feel what I always feel like when I'm with my family, but it's even better because you're here with me. If you ever worried about missing out on having a family, you're more than welcome to share mine with me."

"I had my parents... and still have Adel and Neville... so in a way I have a piece of something that I can call family... but, it's nothing in comparison to what you and your mother and sisters have."

"I know, that's why I said you can share them with me... since, if-I mean _when_ we get married, they'll be your mother and sisters too."

"That's an indirect proposal, isn't it?" she chuckled as she reached up to kiss his cheek. "With sleepy baby as witness." 

"Another indirect proposal from me? Yeah, it is."

"And you know as much as I do that the answer to that will always be a yes."

"Then, shall we get going?"

"Mmm-hmm, as I feel that brownie calling me," she laughed as Tristan placed a kiss on her temple.

"Well I had my corner piece, so I'm happy but I can go for another brownie, some ice cream and some birthday cake..." 

"Me too, and a nice cup of tea," she concluding, making him raise an eyebrow at the fact that she seemed pretty hungry that day.

"A black tea or green tea to go with that?"

"Black. Either that or a strong coffee."

Leading her out of the room, they continued to make their way back to the dining room. "Sugar and cream?"

"Yes that too," she winked. "Thank you." 

"Welcome," he winked back as he opened the door to the dining room. "You guys sing already or we not singing at all?" 

"We were waiting for you," Steve grinned as he held the large cutting knife for the twins.

"Yeah! Uncle come!"

"Auntie! Can you sing too?!"

"Well, a bit," Gwyn chuckled as she sat down by Kari's side.

"Well Gwyn?"

"Well what?" she grinned back, not getting his hint.

Shaking his head, he simply began to sing, "Happy birthday to you..."

"Ah oops, sorry..." she laughed out. "Happy birthday to you..." 

"About time!" Valerie exclaimed as she and the rest of the family joined in the chorus, making the twins squeal out happily.

"...Happy birthday to you! Blow out the candles!" cheered everyone as the twins blew out their own halves of the cake. Once the two were finished, Steve began to cut up the cake while everyone else grabbed their gifts for the pair. 

Ripping into their presents, the twins were completely happy, though their eyes lit up as Gwyn and Tristan produced two gifts each.

"Now, I know you two may think you're too old for plushies, but we both thought that you two could at least enjoy these... as well as the gifts that your auntie and I chose for you guys."

"We do have a liking for plushies, especially Tristan," Gwyn smiled as she noticed the amused looks of his sisters. "Let's say yours match Alice's giraffe."

"I've been serving as her living one," he chuckled as he watched the twins hug their respective plushies before ripping into their presents.

"Not that he minds it," she smirked in return.

"Not really... since I occasionally use her as one myself... And how do you two like your presents?"

"Whoa!"

"How did you know that I wanted this?!" Claire gasped happily as she unveiled a small amateur telescope that had parents had gotten for her.

"You do ask us to buy you starwatching-related books whenever we go to a bookshop after all," Steve replied, winking back at her.

"Mommy? Does this mean I can start learning kendo like Uncle Tristan did?" he asked as hefted up a shinai. Grabbing the second part of his present from his uncle, Ethan ripped off the paper and opened the box before pulling out the figure of the knight. "Oh how cool is this?! Now I really want to learn how to use a sword!"

"And thank you Uncle! I love the horse - it's like the one I get to ride at grandpa's place in the country..." beamed Claire as she quickly began to play with the horse while Ethan continued to study the knight.

"Go on! Open mine!" chuckled Valerie as she watched her niece and nephew open her presents before they both shot her a look.

"You can't be serious..." muttered the pair as they stared at their presents while Valerie laughed.

"You've still got other presents, babies," Catherine told them as she placed her mother's and Olivia's presents in front of the two of them.

"As for kendo," Steve replied. "Mmm-hmm, already found you a place where you can go train. Your great-grandfather suggested the place, as that's where your uncle trained when he was little."

"Cool dad... but Auntie Val... really?" whined Ethan as he pulled out a pair of white boxers that were covered with cartoon drawn hearts, some had arrows through them and some were plain. 

"Pffffffffffft," Claire laughed out when she saw her brother's present was.

"Oh come on they're fun," Valerie grinned back at them mischievously. "And you little Missy, wait till you open yours."

Opening her present, Claire immediately stopped laughing and began blushing as Ethan leaned over and saw what her present was before laughing.

"Ha ha! Now it's _your_ turn to show everyone..." he snickered.

"Shut up," she mumbled, blushing furiously at the new set of pink-leopard pink panty-shorts that her aunt had gotten for her.

"As if pink frills suit you, pffffffttttt," Ethan giggled as he continued laughing.

"Ohmigod you can't be serious Val," Tristan managed to get out as he was laughing uncontrollably. 

"Oh they're cute... well... it's kinda the leopard-tiger-zebra print that makes them... slightly weird?" Olivia commented as she held them up to have a good look at them.

Letting out a snort, Tristan managed to laugh even harder while both Gwyn and Kari couldn't keep back their giggles. 

"They're just underwear you guys, I mean, the only people that'll see you wearing them is just me and mommy. And even then, you'll have your clothes over it..."

"Right Steve, you say that now, but just remember that by saying so gives us a free pass to get you the most embarrassing underwear ever - which is not relegated to just boxers or briefs..." snickered Tristan and Valerie together.

"I know what you're thinking you two," Catherine told the two raising an eyebrow. "And he's certainly _not_ getting that stuff, apart from the fact that that's hideous." 

"It's all in good fun though," grinned her younger siblings.

"Keep the fun for yourselves, duh," she shook her head, while the twins hid their new underwear and reached out for their grandmother's presents.

"Oh wow..." replied the twins as they saw their very own kimono/yukata respectively from their grandmother.

"Grandma? Is this the same design on Uncle's?" Ethan asked as he took out the dark green jacket to inspect it for himself.

"Just slightly different... look at the symbol on the back. It's different from Tristan's one."

Flipping the jacket over, Ethan grinned. "This is just for me, right? And Uncle's is his own, right?"

"Exactly," Kari winked back at him.

"Yay!" cheered Ethan as Claire continued to look at her yukata in awe.

"I'm gonna look like a princess," Claire chuckled as she looked up first at her parents, then at Kari. "Right grandma?"

"Oh for sure, you actually wear them for special occasions, such as New Year's..."

"I think it'd be fun if we were able to attend some of the summer festivals next year, since we were all busy this year... could make for a fun family trip..." mused Tristan as he continued to hug Gwyn warmly.

"Sounds like an awesome idea!" Valerie exclaimed. "I mean, that would be a really cool holiday."

"I think it'd be great too actually... would also give me a chance to come up with more recipes for the restaurant," grinned Olivia.

"Apart from the fact that you'd have to wear the underwear I'd get for you," she grinned back, flashing a wicked look at each one of them.

"Whut? You can't be serious..." shuddered Tristan.

"In consultation with Gwyn of course," she guffawed back.

"For what? The underwear?" Gwyn laughed out, kissing Tristan's cheek. 

"I need help picking out my underwear? Really? That's a first... since I usually let you guys just buy it for me..."

"You buy it yourself no?" she asked him once again.

"Usually... since it's not exactly embarrassing or anything..."

"Obviously, since you don't buy the embarrassing stuff your little sister has in mind," Steve smirked. "Get your head out of the gutter woman!" he laughed.

"She's the elder one... I'm the youngest one in this family," chuckled Tristan. "But if you meant 'little' as in height, yeah I'll agree to that..."

"Are you implying that I'm short?!" she pouted back at him.

"No no no... I didn't say short, but _little_ ," he smirked as he reached over and patted her head.

"That's weird... I always thought that Val was younger than Tris," chuckled Steve while the twins shook their heads at their father.

"Nooooo, Uncle Tristan's the baby... Auntie Val's older than him by four years..."

"She's the baby girl out of the sisters though, in that you're right Steve," Kari pointed out.

"I guess... but wow... I totally forgot about that..."

"It's because you don't listen to mommy very often," snickered Ethan while Claire nodded.

"Look who's talking you two..." he smirked back as he saw his daughter yawning widely.

"At least we already _knew_ that Uncle was younger than Auntie Val," Claire grinned before letting out another yawn.

"You getting sleepy babies?" Catherine asked as Ethan followed his sister in yawning.

"Seems like they are," yawned Tristan as he began to lean against Gwyn more heavily.

"Didn't you want to stay up to talk to them?" Gwyn whispered as she placed a kiss on his hair.

"I do... but I'm getting really tired... Maybe a nap will help out a bit..." 

"You might stay a bit with the twins if you like, I'll help out your mother and sisters with the kitchen."

"Sure... sounds good," murmured Tristan as he rested his head on Gwyn's shoulder and closed his eyes.

"Seems that little brother's headed off to Dreamland now Gwyn," smiled Valerie while the twins began to lean against each other and closed their eyes as well.

"Mmm-hmm."

"And since Double Trouble's off to sleep, I'll carry them to bed," Steve said as he stretched out and got back on his feet and moved towards the twins to take Claire in his arms, while Catherine held Ethan. "Just wait for me, I'll be back in a minute."

"Sure..."

"How about Tristan?" Valerie asked, turning to look at her mother.

"What do you suggest Gwyn?"

"It's either the couch... or with the twins if you like," she suggested, smiling back at them.

"Probably best to put him with the twins, since he'll probably hang off the couch like he usually does..." grinned Olivia.

"With the twins then," Kari nodded. "Can you help him out girls?" she asked looking back at Olivia and Valerie.

"Sure, as it's not like he's all that heavy to begin with," laughed Valerie as she took hold of one of Tristan's arms. "You okay Gwyn? He's not too bad, right?"

"Not at all," she smiled back in return, as she helped the two sisters out. "He'll probably have a nap and be up again soon."

"Knowing him? You're probably right," chimed Olivia as she took Tristan's other arm and helped Valerie take their little brother upstairs. Leaving the rest of the girls, Valerie and Olivia located Catherine's old bedroom and found Steve setting his pajama-clad son on the guest bed. "Brought another one for you."

"Heh, well, just place him on the bed for now, gotta get the other half of the double team."

"They'll probably cuddle up as if they were siblings," Valerie commented.

"As far as I can recall Val, Ethan and Claire are...unless you mean to imply that Tristan is like their big brother - then yes, I completely agree."

"Yes I was referring to him, dummy."

"Figures," smiled Olivia as she and Valerie set Tristan on the bed next to Ethan, who immediately snuggled next to his uncle while Steve returned with Claire in his arms.

"I'll just get her changed and set her down next to them."

"Gwyn? Want to come downstairs with us and have a cup of Irish coffee?" Valerie grinned as Olivia nodded fervently.

"Val's coffee is really good, trust me, she can be a dummy in many things but that she gets definitely right..."

"Hey!"

"Oh come on, your coffee's good right? It's not like I'm lying or something."

"I was objecting to the dummy part," Valerie mumbled, sticking her tongue out at her.

"Fine... but let's go see the kids first and then we can have our coffee - I have the urge to look through our photo albums..." chuckled Olivia. 

"Steve must be ready by now," Valerie nodded as both Gwyn and Olivia went back inside the room, finding Steve chuckling to himself quietly as he placed a blanket to cover all the three of them up.

"My baby's worse than the kids," laughed Gwyn, as she saw Tristan being hugged by both of the twins concurrently.

"He's pretty much everyone's baby, but yours especially Gwyn. Still though, it's pretty cute I have to admit. Don't you think so, Sweetheart?" smiled Steve as he looked over at his wife, who had just come from the bathroom.

"Yes, especially since you do that often yourself lately, with Alice snoozing on your tummy," she winked back. "Yeah... having them is wonderful."

"Mmm-hmm, especially since someone's actually pondering on having another one..." Steve smirked as he silently tiptoed towards the door.

"What? You're joking..." Valerie muttered, blinking back at the two.

"I think it's great... there's more than enough love in this family to share with as many nieces and nephews there end up being in the Faraday Clan," admitted Olivia.

"Cath, you've already been pregnant twice?!" Valerie continued to gasp as Gwyn continued observing them.

"So? It's fun you know, plus someone treats me like a queen," she replied, grinning back at Steve.

"Val... let them be. If it's what they want, then we should stand by their decision. Now, let's leave them to rest... I guessing that Tristan wants to talk to us, so it's best to let him rest up before he does," Olivia gently chided her younger sister before ushering her out of the bedroom.

"And Val, I'm not saying that we'll have another baby tomorrow you know," Catherine whispered. "It's just that we wouldn't mind. Plus, I'm pretty sure that husband here would be ecstatic if we had another boy."

"I would, but wouldn't mind whatever we have," Steve admitted as he closed the bedroom door slightly and followed the others down the stairs. 

"But I can see you having another boy," Olivia nodded in agreement, as she stepped inside the dining room, finding that her mother had already cleared up the dishes from the table and had neatly placed the children's presents on the couch.

"Maybe. But I look at Tris... he and Gwyn will probably have a couple of each, and he'll be equally patient with his last as he was with his first and everything in between with the others as well. Listen Gwyn, you and him are going to be fantastic parents someday, I guarantee it."

"As long that nothing happens to us..." she muttered under her breath in almost a whisper.

"...I'm sure nothing will happen that you two can't handle," chuckled Kari as she re-entered the dining room. "The babies all asleep at the moment?"

"Yeps, all three of them," Valerie commented as she stormed inside the kitchen. "Mom? I'm gonna boil some water for coffee!" she called back.

"Val! Let's clear up the kitchen, then prepare the coffee!" Olivia called back at her.

"And... I hope so..." Gwyn answered, realising that Tristan's mother almost had a sixth sense as keen as her son actually had.

"I'm going to grab the photo albums. Gwyn? Did you want to head into the kitchen or could you help me with the albums?" 

"Wherever you need help. I don't mind either thing anyway." 

Patting her shoulder, Olivia looked over at the rest of her family. "We'll meet you there with the albums. C'mon Gwyn, you'll love most of these pictures - these are ones that Tristan doesn't have at his place, which mostly consists of him being about Alice's age to about when he was the twins' age..."

"No, he actually doesn't have many photos like those..."

"I know. Mom didn't really want to part with them, since he's her baby, so we have all of his childhood photos here at home," she smiled warmly as she located the two albums she was looking for. "Take this one and I'll grab this one with me." 

"Wow, talk about a lot of photos..."

"Yeah. I think it was mom's way of chronicling how Tristan's grown up... she would stop by our dad's grave and just talk to him. We tried to keep Tristan from knowing that she did that while he was little, but when mom was ready, she brought him along as it helped her, y'know _deal_ with him being gone," whispered Olivia as she tried to not cry. 

"It's alright, I know how it feels," Gwyn smiled as she placed an arm around her back soothingly. "I don't think Tristan actually told you about it but my parents are both dead." 

"Oh, I'm so sorry for your loss," murmured Olivia as she leaned into Gwyn's embrace. "But I'm glad that you two are there for each other, especially when you each need it most. At least all of us are happy that you two are happy and are taking care of each other. But now, I'll show you some of our happier times..." 

"Happened when I was younger than the twins, quite long ago now," she sighed. "And yes, especially since other than my aunt, who's like a mother to me, and my adoptive brother... I've got no one else. But anyway, let's cheer up a bit now," she smiled.

"Yeah. I'll show you a great picture of when Tris started walking - at that age, he hated clothes so pretty much most of the time he was naked," she laughed aloud as they entered the kitchen. 

"What? Really? That explains something," Gwyn chuckled as she recalled the days when he used to joke on staying naked in their bedroom.

"Should I even ask about this?" came the sly remark.

"Maybe not," she replied letting out a giggle. "Let's just say that you probably got the gist of it."

"He's always been a bit on the wild side, hence Cath's nickname for him... But then again, he's got the body for it, so if he wants to be an exhibitionist, then sure."

"It's not like he does that!"

"Does what?" 

"Nothing Val."

"I don't let him anyway." 

"Mmmh, really?"

"You're not believing me?"

"I'm joking." 

"Do I even want to know the route of this conversation?" Catherine asked with a smirk as she passed both Gwyn and Olivia mugs of the Irish coffee.

"Guess not, and thank you," smiled Gwyn as Kari passed her what looked like a dark chocolate cookie.

"You're welcome dear. Now, let's take a look at these photos, shall we?" Kari grinned with a familiar smile that made Gwyn realize that everyone, from Tristan to Catherine, had the same smile as their mother.

"Yes sure," she replied, as she sat down in between Valerie and Olivia. "And how about the kitchen, you're ready from that?" 

"More than ready, as right now, it's time to relax for a while. Especially for you and Tris - you're both supposed to be on holiday, so best to start early," chuckled the Faraday matriarch as she opened the album that Gwyn handed to her. "Ahhh, now there's a good picture... he was always such a cute baby - animals seemed to love him wherever we went..."

"They still do I suppose, seeing how his pets here love him." 

"That's true. In this picture... he was about five months old, and already that lab loved him...as did her puppies."

"Oh how sweet!"

Looking at the photo, Steve grinned. "Love his hair. Did it always spike up like that naturally?"

"Sort of. And you've had to see the girls making ponytails out of it," Kari laughed.

"Spikey ponytails? Cath, you and your sisters were horrible to this boy," laughed Steve.

"He used to like the attention though, probably made him feel more than loved," Olivia commented.

"Well obviously he still attracts attention - I mean, even I can see that he's a really good-looking kid, but the fact that all three of you were treating him like a doll is kind of amusing to me..."

"Don't forget he is the only boy between the four of us, apart from the fact that he's the youngest... that plays an important role in the whole situation you know." 

"True. Guess you guys showed your love to him at an early age by tormenting him a little. Got it," he smirked as he turned the page. "His naked baby phase I presume?"

"Yeah... he was about... ten months old or so - really early for a baby to be walking, but then again, Tristan has _never_ settled for _ordinary_ ," smiled Catherine. 

"And you, Gwyn, are an example of that," Valerie nodded.

"Why is that?"

"As, your character traits are pretty much perfect, apart from the fact that you're beautiful," she finished, making Gwyn blush slightly. "And that is why little brother never settles for the ordinary..."

"True. After all, how many subordinates actually _date_ and have a meaningful relationship with their boss without looking to advance their career? Tristan already was going to have your current position, but turned it down to work his way up the way he saw fit. Was a good move on his part, as he became a part of your team... and became an integral part of your life," smiled Olivia.

"Yes, I know," she smiled, her cheeks a brilliant red. "I must admit, I was scared at what his real intentions were... at first. Then so many things happened, that I couldn't doubt any more."

"He's always been on the forward side, but he's also pretty dogged at chasing after something he wants. He often chases after things that he knows will make him a better person, but I have a feeling he chased after you because you had something he felt was missing in his life," Kari commented as she flipped another page and settled on a picture of Tristan, dressed in a little sailor's outfit at about eleven months old, feeding some ducks with bread.

"That was that day at the zoo right mom?" Valerie grinned. "When Cath got her hair caught by an elephant's trunk... pffff."

"What what?" Steve asked, smirking back at his wife.

Sighing, Catherine let out a chuckle. "The elephant trainer asked if anyone wanted to feed the elephant and so I volunteered to do it - I was about eleven at the time. After feeding the elephant, I guess I was standing too close to the elephant so when I tried to move, the trainer realized that the elephant had wrapped its trunk around my hair and was tugging on it..."

"That's because it was love at first sight dear," Valerie continued to tease, as Catherine stuck her tongue out at her.

"Too bad you don't have pictures of that... darn it," Steve laughed out as his wife immediately nudged him on his stomach. "Ouch!"

"Quiet you... But still though, loved his sailor outfit. Tris was such a cute baby - he was very giggly and bouncy. He only cried when necessary: when he was hungry and when he wanted his diaper changed."

"No doubt about the hungry part," Valerie snickered.

"What was even funnier was the fact that he was such a skinny baby," laughed Olivia. "Not that he was gaunt or anything per se, but looking at these photos of Tristan, he's always been on the slim side."

"I used to be worried at first, but it's just him," Kari chuckled as she saw a picture of him hugging a giant plush panda.

"Awww... he looks like that plushie's baby in that photo," chuckled Olivia.

"I'm still pretty surprised how he actually didn't become a vet..." Catherine commented as they continued to flip the pages slowly.

"That's because he had to meet Gwyn, duh!"

"You do have a point there."

"'Course I do, I always have!"

"Dummy..."

"Oh wow... I mean, I knew how much Tris looks like you mom, but this picture, it's very telling," smiled Steve as he saw a picture of Kari carrying her almost two-year old son, grinning all the while.

"It's their smile," Gwyn noted, smiling herself at the photo.

"Yeah, it is," he agreed before draining the rest of his coffee. "Anyone else want some refills?"

"Yes please!" Valerie immediately exclaimed, raising her mug in the air. "And put some extra liquor in it too."

"Fine fine, anyone else?"

"Me and Gwyn's, please dear," Catherine winked back at him while she and Kari hand him the mugs.

"Well, practically everyone then..."

"Might as well," he grinned as he proceeded to make coffee for everyone while the others continued to flip through the albums.

"Oh, this is a nice one mom," replied Olivia as she looked at a photo of a two-year old Tristan wearing a kimono. "Didn't grandma have this one specially made for him?"

"Yes, and had it sent from somewhere on the outskirts of Kyoto. Knew some really dedicated artisans over there, and she instructed them to embroider the symbols of her choice, hence the outcome," she smiled. 

"You know that family trip he was suggesting? I think it's a good idea, plus, Gwyn would get to see Tris in a traditional kimono."

"Where? To Japan?" Valerie and Catherine asked in unison. "Didn't you say you wanted to go to a theme park?"

"Yes to Japan, and it was just an idea - as was the theme park idea," Olivia chuckled as she took a fresh mug from Steve. "Oh thanks."

"Well, there are theme parks in Japan after all..." Valerie muttered, her smile turning into a grin.

"You're welcome Liv and here you go everyone - upped the Irish creme a bit, so hopefully it's more to your likings." 

"There's more alcohol in it," Valerie chuckled as she took the first sip. "Yes definitely."

Flipping to another photo, Kari smiled as she saw a two-year old Tristan, dressed in a baby-sized version of his father's uniform, saluting her with a big grin on his face...

\- 

_"You're serious? You honestly think that this one will be a boy, Hikari?" asked Benjamin as he watched his wife getting dressed for bed._

_"You can count on it... I'm sure..." she smiled as she crawled up on bed and snuggled by his side under the bedsheets. "Pretty sure actually."_

_"If you say so... I'm just hoping I'll be back in time to meet this one," he sighed as he closed up the file he was reading and set it on his night table. "I'm going over the list of officers going with me. Denny and Alex are of course going to be sticking with me... but something about this assignment just doesn't sit well with me..."_

_"I don't want you to leave..." she mumbled, burying her head in a pillow by his side._

_"I don't want to leave either, but orders are orders... You understand. Leaving you and the girls is always the hardest part, and especially now that we have another little one on the way soon..."_

_"Dearest, you're a Brigadier General... it's not like you couldn't..." she stopped, sighing._

_"I know, I know... but I can't let them down - just like I can't let you guys down either. A lot of innocent people are getting hurt, and we have to help them. Alex is more than capable of leading, but I don't ever want to be in the position of telling Alicia that her husband died... Same thing goes with Denny and Patricia... I promise that I'll come back to you, the girls, and to the little one right here," he whispered as he gently patted her stomach._

_"And how about me? I do care about the others of course but..."_

_Pulling her closer to him, he rested his forehead against her shoulder. "You mean everything to me, even more than life itself, but honestly - I feel like it would be selfish of me to not leave while over there, some woman just lost her husband because there wasn't anyone to help them. The violence over there is getting worse by the minute, and I don't want to see anyone else die when their deaths could've been prevented. At the same time, I want to stay because I want to help you raise this little one, as well as our girls. Cathy's ten now, Livvy's six, and Val just turned four last month... They're getting so big and independent, but I hate the fact that I've missed portions of their lives as well - which is why I want to stay for this one... but the fact of the matter is I don't know how I could live with knowing that people are dying in a place that I know we can help end the violence..."_

_"Mine's a lost cause, and I've always been defeated against your front," she smiled back. "Since it comes from my pure egoistic instinct of not letting you go... but don't worry, you shouldn't worry too much about it. I'm used to it now."_

_"I don't consider it egotistical at all... but you know that I can't let these people down just as much as I don't want to let you guys down... Also, if you're so certain about this one being a boy... How about the name Tristan?"_

_"Mmm? And where did that come from now?"_

_"I was reading that book on Arthurian lore with Cath - she's been gobbling up those books as soon as she gets them. Of all the knights, she liked Tristan the most... and asked if we could name the baby Tristan - so long it was a boy. I think the name's unique enough and like it, though I couldn't bear to tell Cath that the name in French means 'sad' or 'sorrowful'. Instead, I went with the Welsh derivative - 'clanging swords'."_

_"Which would infer that he'd be a fighter in his life... good, I really like it..."_

_"He probably will be, especially if both our fathers have something to say about it - though yours moreso as I'm sure he'll be wanting Tristan to be quite the swordsman. I mean, that sword over our fireplace mantle is meant for our son, and your dad_ definitely _wants it to be put through its paces."_

_"Ben, promise me you'll be back, please..." she whispered, huddling against his chest._

_"I promise I'll be back...though I can't guarantee_ how _I'll come back. But know that right here-" he whispered as he rubbed her stomach gently, "-this child will be my gift to you and the girls. With him, I live - just as much as I live through the girls...considering that Livvy and Valerie look like my younger sister, Ashley, while Cath looks like both of us..."_

_"Stop talking as if you're going to die," muttered Kari, as she clung tightly to him._

_"Just being realistic - you know I'm more of a realist now, considering what a fatalist I used to be before we got married, so I have you to thank for my optimistic moments... Seriously though, I'll come back. I swear I will, I'll come back. I'll come back to you, to the girls, and especially to our Tristan here. See? You've already convinced me that we're having a boy, if that's not optimism, then I don't know what is."_

_"Mmmh, go sleep now... you need to rest..."_

_"So do you, we have a family picture to take tomorrow..."_

_"Yes I know... and I want you in your full uniform," she chuckled. "Surrounded by the girls."_

_"I can do that. Also, keep my jackets safe - the ones in the hall closet downstairs. I expect Tristan to wear then when he's big enough," he smiled back before kissing her gently. "I love you, my light."_

_"I will, so that you can go out together wearing them at the same time," she smiled. "And I love you too..."_

_-_

"...Mommy? What are you guys doing?" came Tristan's sleepy question as he quietly shuffled into the kitchen, hair sticking up in all directions.

"Looking at photos, baby," Kari smiled, as she looked proudly at her sleepy son that made her recall her husband so much.

Yawning, he moved to sit next to Gwyn, before promptly resting his head on the counter of the large kitchen island that everyone seemed to love using as a bar. "Do we have any hot chocolate...?"

"Either that or Irish coffee..." Steve asked as he fetched a glass of water for Catherine.

"Hot choco pwease..."

"Oh all right," Steve laughed out as he walked next to the stove. "How about whipped cream at the top?"

"Yes pwease?"

"You're such a baby," Valerie laughed as she raised her arm in the air. "Steve, while you're at it, can I have one too please?"

"Look who's talking then," Catherine laughed as she finished flipping the pages of the album. "The last one is the picture we took together before dad left right?"

"Yes... where I was expecting Tristan."

"You look kinda like dad, Cath," observed Tristan while Steve sighed to himself.

"I'm not your butler, Val," he chuckled while preparing some hot chocolate.

"Cath doesn't seem to have any objections so..." she grinned back at him, teasingly.

"I can be hers, but not yours," he teased back as he handed Tristan his mug. "See if that's okay with you..."

"Sure." Taking a sip, he gave Steve a thumbs-up before taking another sip - only to have Gwyn swipe the mug from him. "Hey!"

"Just one sip," she chuckled, drinking just a little bit of chocolate and smiling. "Well done," she winked back at Steve and Catherine, already seated at the table once more.

"Right right..." he grinned before taking another sip. "So... to those who were here last night, you witnessed me have a slight emotional breakdown at dinner. To Cath and Steve, I'm glad you're here so that you can hear the story without me having to repeat it twice..." Letting out a breath, he steeled his resolve and set down his mug before taking Gwyn's hand in his. "Okay, so my trouble at work has mostly stemmed from the CEO's PA - not because I'm a bad person or anything, but... let's just say that she's not someone that I'd ever bring over... Basically, she and her... I don't even want to consider them a couple but whatever...'fuckbuddy' have been trying to make not only mine and Gwyn's time at work hell - but also that of several of our co-workers. Anyways, she's been making it a point to stalk me... which _really creeps_ me out... and I'd been lucky some of the times as I had Cyn with me as cover - as Lara Howell kept implying that I was dating Gwyn - which I am, but we're not exactly public at work or anything. One day, I was going to head over to Gwyn's office - just to check up on something - but the moment I stepped out of my office, Howell was right outside and forced me into one of the empty offices next to mine. Immediately, she somehow tossed me on top of the desk and pinned me before ripping my shirt open - all the while making passes at me and such. Eventually... she tore at my pants and... began blowing me shortly after doing so. Then she started removing her clothes - all while she kept me pinned to the desk, and I was begging her not to do it. She... almost... raped me..." he admitted quietly.

"Hey hey hey hey, w-wait a minute..." Valerie stuttered as she slammed her mug on the bar almost breaking it into pieces. "Are you telling me that... what the fuck I need name, surname and address..." she growled back, feeling her blood reach boiling point in a few seconds.

"But she didn't... right baby?" Kari asked, in a soft, almost pleading voice.

"No... Gwyn came looking for me in my office and heard me yelling from the office," he replied while conveniently leaving out _how_ Gwyn actually found him.

"I would have _killed_ her if I could..." Gwyn muttered while gazing down at Tristan's hands in hers. "I swear I would..."

"Hold on a minute... didn't you tell the CEO about this?" Catherine asked, the calmest of all the people present. "I mean, she would have been sacked immediately in other places."

"...About that... Gwyn has more authority to say something about it than me..." he sighed while Olivia simply frowned at the situation.

"I can't believe that... You're one of the sweetest people in the world. Why would she try to do that to you?" sighed Olivia as she watched Gwyn and Tristan hold their hands tighter together.

"Let's just say that after I took Tristan home and he fell asleep... I phoned up that person I thought was a father to me to realise that not only he didn't care less about the health and safety of his employees... but, he didn't care that one of the members of my staff had been assailed... and... well that and all the mocking that went together with that. As much as I want that whore out of the place, things are actually more complicated than they seem... While I was talking to the CEO, I could hear him call the woman's voice when he was talking to me, and I'm pretty sure she was..." she stopped, rolling her eyes in disgust. "You probably got the point..."

"What..." Valerie gaped back at the two. "What the fuck's _wrong_ with these people? They're all fuckin' sick!"

"That's for sure... God what a screwed environment you two are working in... I mean, most people I know have said nothing but good things about your guys' company, but the fact that this shit's going on in the upper Management? That's really sad," commented Steve while he was holding his wife's hand tightly.

"How's the situation now?" Kari asked them in a low voice.

"We've been telling Cyn, Cole, James, and several others to simply stay away from them while we're away..." Tristan admitted as he nervously took another drink of his hot chocolate.

"They'd better, these assholes I mean. One false move and I'll be the first to go rip their throats off one by one," Valerie growled angrily, making Gwyn look back at her since she had actually said something that almost seemed to come from a Clan discussion rather than a human.

"Easy there Val... Don't exactly want you to go to jail for murder now," chuckled Tristan as Kari leaned over and kissed her son's cheek.

"I won't, I won't... for now."

"You should have told me, Sweetheart, about all this. You didn't have to keep it to yourself you two..." Kari whispered back to her son.

"I know... but I've been trying to muster up enough courage to even talk about it these past few days. Just _admitting_ that it happened to me... it makes me feel like I'm not strong enough of a person to fight back... I know I'm strong enough, but... it really just hurt to even rationalize _why_ someone would do this to me..."

"And half of the blame's mine... if not all. All these messes are happening to him ever since we got close to one another..."

"Whoa whoa... it's not your fault." Tristan replied tiredly, yet sternly at the same time. "Stop blaming yourself for something neither of us ever saw coming. When I first joined, I never thought that, 'Oh, Gwyn Coulston's going to make sure that my stint here is going to include some douchebag of a manager that has an inferiority complex, a PA who's practically the company's personal bicycle, and a CEO who's more than willing to fuck anything that moves'."

"Then who's fault is it? Certainly not yours. Have you ever been attacked that way before knowing me? No! Not in any remotest corners of your imagination would you have thought that it could have happened, just like you said."

"It's their fault - not yours so please stop blaming yourself. Again, neither of us knew this would happen - just like I didn't know that you'd be the person to get the position I turned down. Just like I didn't know I was going to work under you. Just like I didn't know I was going to fall in love with you... and you with me..." he countered back while trying to fight off his tears again.

"I..." she mumbled, as she lowered her head down, clueless on what to reply.

"Gwyn listen..." Catherine whispered. "Go calm down a bit in Alice's room... we'll take care of Tristan here," she smiled back at her. "He needs to get it out of his system completely without making you have guilty feelings once again. He'll be fine, I promise."

"If it's alright for you," she frowned, placed a kiss on his temple and silently walked away from the room, to hurry back into Alice's bedroom.

Watching Gwyn go was one of the hardest things Tristan felt he had gone through, but as she walked away, he reached out to her through his emotions and told her that everything will be alright.

_"Just talk to your family, taking all the time you need, I'll be fine..."_

_"I will... Just promise me you'll stop beating up on yourself? I meant what I told you at the table. Now, just make sure our little Marshmallow's okay..."_ he replied back before giving her a mental 'smile' while he was physically being held comfortably by his mother and sisters.

"And I'm off upstairs... I'll go have a shower or something... you need to stay alone you lot," Steve smiled as he got back on his feet, placed a kiss on Catherine's hair and walked away.

"Good night," they replied as Kari continued to hold onto her son. Never in all her years did she think anything like this would ever happen to her children, _especially_ her youngest and only son. Kissing his hair, she thought back to the photos in the album, her chat with her late husband, and her son in her arms - the boy who seemed to have an infinite amount of love for everyone he met...


	20. XX

_"Mama? We go see gwamma an gwampa in paa?" asked an eighteen month old Tristan as he tugged on Kari's pant leg. "I go see dawggies!"_

_"Yes baby we will, but first, we need to get your sisters ready for school," she grinned back as she set down her spatula and picked up her son, hugging him tightly as she heard her daughters running down the stairs and into the kitchen. "Where's Valerie?"_

_"She's upstairs still, getting her cat for show and tell today," replied Catherine while Olivia made her way over to her mother and baby brother._

_"Good morning baby. Good morning mommy."_

_"Liby!" cheered Tristan as he patted her head while clinging close to his mother._

_"Good morning sweetie. Could you check on your sister please and Cath, could you put baby in his high chair for me please? I don't want to flip the pancakes while he's in my arms."_

_"Yes mom," replied the pair as they proceeded to do their respective jobs: Olivia racing up the stairs to get her youngest sister while Catherine easily took Tristan in her arms._

_"Hey you, you sleep okay?" whispered Catherine as she kissed her brother's slightly chubby cheek._

_"I swee gud wif mama... she hab Bear... Kafy," he replied with a smile._

_"Oh? She has Bear in the bed? Do you want me to get Bear so that he can eat with you?"_

_"Peas? I hab Bear Kafy?"_

_"Yep! Mom? I'm going to get Tris' bear, okay?"_

_"That's fine. Just make sure to put a bib on him too before giving him to baby, okay?"_

_"I will," she grinned as she ran out of the kitchen while Tristan clapped his hands._

_"Mama?"_

_"Yes Tris?"_

_"Go see dada?"_

_Nodding slowly, she flipped the pancake and set the spatula down before crossing the short distance to where her son sat and kissed his head. "Yeah, we're going to see daddy after the park."_

_"Okie!"_

_Once breakfast was over, the girls had all of their things ready in their bags: Catherine with all of her homework and books nicely packed away, Olivia with her reader and math flashcards, and finally Valerie with her cat plushie, crayons, and blanket. After Kari changed Tristan into something a bit warmer, she ushered her children off to their school - which was about fifteen minutes away from their house. Since the girls were all in the same building, Kari knew that Catherine would be able to watch her sisters before she came back to pick them up. Waving good bye to her daughters, Kari continued to push her son's stroller through the nearby park, and headed straight for a little cafe that was run by the Collins family._

_"Oh Ralph dear, Miss Kari's come by with the little one," smiled Laura as she called to her husband while Kari was getting Tristan out of his stroller._

_"Good morning Laura! How are you and Ralph doing today?"_

_"'Ey whutchu- Aye mornin' sweetie! Drop the girls off 'ready?"_

_"Hi gwamma! Hi gwampa!" waved Tristan as he snuggled against Kari's shoulder._

_"Why hello baby! I know what you want..." Laura grinned as she cut up a piece of pastry for the baby and handed to him while Ralph handed over a tiny paper cup of warm milk to Kari._

_"Tan you gwamma!"_

_"I'll get ye summat choklate, jes sit tight for a bit," smiled Ralph as he pulled out a chair for Kari while Tristan ate the sweet bread._

_"Thank you Ralph," smiled Kari, knowing it was a lost battle to argue with the elder couple's generosity. "And you little man, can mommy have some of your bread?"_

_"Uh-huh!" beamed Tristan as he held out his piece of pastry for her to bite._

_"Thank you baby," she chuckled as he nuzzled into his cheek and blowing a kiss against his skin._

_"Such a good little boy, and here you are Kari, fresh from the oven," replied Laura as she set down a small plate of their famous cheese danish, cut into little pieces so that she and Tristan could share. As mother and son continued to share the cheese danish, Ralph gently placed the cup of hot chocolate on the table top before gently patting Tristan's hair._

_"Careful 'er Miss, dun wan the lit'le 'un te get 'urt."_

_"Oh don't worry Ralph, we'll be careful, won't we Tristan?"_

_"I be gud bo gwampa, yeah!"_

_"Yes yeh are, sweetie. Now, yeh listen to yer mum, okay?"_

_"Yeah, I be gud."_

_Smiling, Ralph left the two alone as he and Laura tended to the customers coming in and out of the cafe. After an hour or so, with Tristan dozing quietly in his stroller with his bear, Kari had a quiet conversation with the Collinses before heading back home. Upon arriving, Kari entered the house and retrieved her car keys before securing Tristan in his carseat and heading to the military cemetery where her husband and his trusted officers lay._

_Showing her ID card, Kari was lead through the maze of a cemetery before she found the road that led to Benjamin's grave. Glancing in the rearview mirror, the young woman smiled gently as she saw her young son fast asleep - reminding her so much of her late husband when he was fast asleep with their daughters snuggled next to him._

_Parking her car in the clearing not too far away from the graves, Kari got out of the driver's seat and opened one of the back doors to take little Tristan in her arms, who immediately squirmed in her arms while burying his head into her shoulder. Gently kissing his hair as she smiled, the young mother slowly made her way towards the spot, never taking off her eyes the place that had become sadly all too familiar in those past months._

_"Honey, you're alright there?" she chuckled as she whispered into Tristan's ear as her short walk came to a halt._

_"Uh-huh," he replied with a yawn. "I swee..."_

_"Good," she smiled as she rubbed his back soothingly. "Because we're next to dada you know..."_

_Lifting his head up from her shoulder, Tristan looked down at the simple white grave marker. "I go dow? Peas?"_

_"Weren't you sleepy?" she smiled as she rested him down, not before placing a kiss on his hair._

_"I sa hi..." he smiled as he toddled over slowly and gently patted the white cross and mumbled his greeting before heading back to Kari, who lifted him back up._

_"You wanted to say hello to dada?"_

_"Uh-huh..." he yawned again before quickly falling asleep against her shoulder once again._

_"He's just like you... Sweetheart. Even though he's never actually met you... he's just like you, just like you had thought," she chuckled to herself as a gently breeze started playing with her hair. "We're all missing you... me and the girls. Really... I do. More than I had ever thought I would... but we're alright, don't worry. The girls are helping me out at home, and studying hard, doing their best in whatever they do. Catherine's being a big help to me in all this, as apart from doing all that she needs to do with school, basically on her own, she helps me out at home and helps out her sisters at the same time. Olivia's very responsible, just like her older sister... she's a real big help in the kitchen and helps me with baby here whenever I'm busy with anything else. Valerie... she's the one that misses you most you know... she sometimes climbs my bed in the middle of the night, holding her blanket tight, and clings to me crying that she had just dreamt her dada and wants him to come back," she stopped, exhaling a deep sigh._

_"Those are the toughest times... when I really feel like hugging them tightly to me and burst out crying... but I don't. I don't because I would imagine you, in your full uniform, grinning back at me and chiding me softly that I shouldn't and that I need to be strong for all four of them. Especially for him," she whispered, kissing Tristan's hair softly. "And speaking of Tristan, he's running now you know," she chuckled. "And talking pretty much fluently, at least all of us understand him now. Oh... and... we talk to him in Japanese more," she continued. "And he's pretty sharp at learning new words... you'd be so proud of him, our little genius...I know you are anyway..."_

_"I hope he remains this happy for the rest of his life... and makes people around him happy as he is. Ben... I don't know how things would have been if it weren't for him... it's not easy... not easy at all raising our four children on my own. I always feel that I'm not going to make it, that I'm not doing something right as you would have... but then, this little angel comes along and banishes all those doubts in an instant by doing something special... he's like, your little helper down here," she smiled. "Don't get me wrong, I love all of our children the same way... but there's something in him that... makes him stand out from the girls... I don't know."_

_"I just want him to stay happy, finds someone he loves, and maybe have a family similar to ours... what do you think? You would have been quite the grandpa..." she mumbled, as a tear ran down her cheek. "Always keep an eye on the children for me, please..."_

-

Opening her eyes once again, Kari noticed that Tristan had fallen into a quiet doze after having a good cry. Knowing that he had been carrying so much pain and guilt during the past few days broke her heart, but she was also glad for Gwyn being there to help him cope - all while he was helping her deal with her own troubles. Looking around the table, she saw that her daughters were cleaning up the kitchen.

"Hey mom, everything alright?" asked Olivia as she took her mother's cup and saucer away.

"Yes sweetie, I'm fine," she smiled back at her, while rubbing Tristan's back. "How's Valerie?"

"She's still pacing nervously in the living room like a hamster in a cage," Catherine told her, entering the dining room with a rag in her hands. "You'll need to talk to her as she's pretty pissed off."

"That's the understatement of the century if I ever heard one, but we should calm her down while also getting Tris to bed. He and Gwyn have a train to catch in the morning."

"Yes I know, and we can take care of that... me and Olivia, mom. You take care of Valerie... _please_."

"I will," she murmured as she kissed Tristan's hair once again. "Check on Gwyn too, as I know that these two need each other more than anything we can do for them." Getting up from her seat, Kari headed towards the living room, only to find her youngest daughter pacing - just as her eldest daughter had said. "Hi Sweetheart... your sisters are quite worried about you."

"Hey... I know... and I'm sorry... but... can't help it..." she muttered, as she continued moving back and forth in the room.

"I know baby, but... unfortunately this is something that only they can deal with. It wouldn't look good for them if you personally showed up at their office and acted on their behalf."

"What if I found the whore out and punched the woman dead," she growled. "That would be terribly fun to do."

Taking Valerie in her arms, Kari hugged her tight. "Again, if she is as close to these people as Tristan and Gwyn say she is, it would be far too dangerous to not only you, but them as well."

"How could she..."

"I don't know honey... She's definitely a sick and twisted woman, trying to take advantage of him."

"I'm really happy that Gwyn's by his side... I would have been scared if he were on his own..."

"I am too. He's never been as happy as he is now. They are quite the striking couple indeed."

"Well mom, you and dad were like that too," she smiled back, hugging her tighter.

"He may look like me, but I see so much of your father in him... I wish he was here to help with this situation, but I know he's always been watching over all of you..."

"Yes I know," she whispered. "But I still want to beat the crap out of that slut anyways," she laughed as she let go of her mother. "Oh the time will come."

"I have a feeling that both Tristan and Gwyn are plotting already - they have similarities that play off each other extremely well."

"Knowing little brother, they probably are," Valerie answered, kissing her mother's temple. "Thanks mom."

"You're welcome sweetie. Now, we should all get some rest... we have baby and Gwyn to see off tomorrow."

"I'll go read a bit then sleep... need anything else mom?"

"Not really, as I'll probably tuck those two into bed. I might have just met her officially last night, but I already think of Gwyn as one of the family already."

"She'll soon be officially anyway..." she winked back at her. "Goodnight mom."

"Good night baby," grinned Kari as she checked inside the kitchen - only to find that her children were already gone. Chuckling, she headed upstairs and first headed to Olivia and Alice's room, where she found Catherine and Olivia tending to Alice. "Where's Gwyn?"

"She said she wanted to see where Tris was... we found her dozing off with Alice in her arms," Olivia told her mother.

"She's so terribly cute and absolutely perfect for Baby. I'll go check up on them. Go to sleep soon you two."

"Sure mom, and good night," both of them replied in unison.

Kissing them good night, Kari left the room and headed to the bedroom closest to hers - Tristan's bedroom. Knocking on his door gently, she opened the door to find Gwyn sitting on the bed while Tristan was missing. "You two okay?"

"Hey... mmm-hmm... he just went to the bathroom... thanks for everything Kari..."

"Not a problem. I'll make sure you to have a nice breakfast before we drop you off at the train station. Your trunks are still in the car, right?"

"Mmm-hmm, since we have some large ones..." she chuckled.

"Makes sense. Well, just wanted to say good night to you two... as well as tuck you in," Kari admitted with a smile as Tristan continued to bustle in the bathroom

"Hi mommy..." he called out warmly to her. 

"He should be ready in a few minutes if you'd like to wait," Gwyn smiled, just as Tristan got out of the bathroom. "Well maybe not..."

"Hi Sweetheart... you alright?" Kari asked as Gwyn slid under the bedsheets.

"Is everything okay now?" he asked as he tugged on his t-shirt. "And yeah, we're good."

"Mmm-hmm, well that's what I wanted to know from you," she told him as she moved by Gwyn's side of the bed. "And make sure to rest, since you have to travel quite some hours to get there."

"We will," he grinned as he climbed into bed next to Gwyn.

"You can cuddle as much as you like though," Kari laughed softly as she first tucked the bedsheets on Gwyn's side, then walked to Tristan's side of the bed.

"No need to repeat that twice," Tristan winked back, making his mother chuckle as she leaned over to kiss his forehead. "And good night mom, love you lots..."

"Love you both dears, I'll see you tomorrow," she smiled as she silently walked out of the room, closing the door behind her.

Once the door shut, Tristan rolled over onto his side and wrapped his arms around Gwyn tightly. "Thank you, for giving me your strength and love to get through this situation. I don't know if I could handle it if I didn't have you in my life."

"Me too..." she muttered, burying her face in his chest. "I don't know what I would have done if all those things happened to me without you by my side..."

Kissing her hair, he continued to caress her back. "Love you, Gwyn..."

"Love you too Sweetheart..." she smiled, looking up to place a kiss on his lips.

Settling into the kiss, Tristan found himself caressing and touching Gwyn all over her body, before placing his kisses along her jaw and neck.

"Looking forward for the holiday, aren't you?" she whispered, as she run a hand through his hair.

"Very much so," he whispered back as he slipped his hands under her shirt and began to caress her sides and stomach.

"Mmm... same here," she hummed, closing her eyes.

"Care for a massage?"

"That would be nice," she smiled.

"Then you might want to roll onto your stomach... and take off your shirt..." he smirked.

"And that is not optional right?" she laughed as she let go of him and turned on her stomach, while removing her shirt and tossing it away. "I'll get that tomorrow morning."

"...Amongst other things," he grinned as he began to plant kisses along her skin in between his massage.

"Such a naughty boy," she chuckled softly, sighing happily at his touch. "I really liked seeing your photos..."

"That's good. Hope they weren't _too_ embarrassing."

"No no, not at all... they were all actually very sweet when talking about you."

"Mmm, that's good," he murmured as he planted kisses down her back before slipping his hands under her pajama bottoms, kneading her lower back.

"No they weren't saying any bad stuff about you, trust me," she chuckled.

"I totally believe you, really," he smiled as he began to play with the waistband of her pajamas.

"Shouldn't it have been just a massage?" she whispered back, placing a kiss on his forehead.

"It is..."

"I wonder," she laughed softly. "And that little sailor outfit really suited you by the way."

"You think so? My grandparents loved me wearing it..." he grinned as he felt Gwyn tugging on his t-shirt.

"I think I agree with them too... you were pretty cute... ah, and same goes with the kimono."

"Is that right?"

"Do you still keep it?"

"The little one? My mom keeps it in her closet. My big one? That's in my closet at my apartment... in one of the garment bags," chuckled Tristan as Gwyn began to trace patterns on his bare stomach.

"And think we should go sleep?" she laughed, nuzzling her head against his neck.

"I thought we were going to?"

"Mmm-hmm..." she hummed, caressing his side.

"Then we go to sleep," Tristan smiled as he removed his t-shirt and pulled Gwyn close.

"Good night Tris... Love you," she muttered, dozing off before he actually did.

Kissing her forehead, he rolled onto his back so that Gwyn was sleeping on top of him. "Good night Love..."

-

"Tris... hey sweetie... you need to get up..."

"...nnn..."

"We can't miss the train you know..." Gwyn chuckled, still resting on him.

"...Hurr?"

"And I don't think you'd want to miss me in a swimsuit..." she snickered.

"Not really," he yawned before kissing her gently as there was a knock on the door.

"Tristan, Gwyn, it's six thirty, and I know you have your train early," Catherine's voice came from behind the door. "Mom's preparing breakfast downstairs for you..."

"We'll be downstairs soon," Gwyn replied as Tristan started kissing her jaw and neck making her giggle. "Thank you!"

"Oh you're welcome... and don't be late," she smiled as she walked away.

"Okay...thanks," Tristan replied with another yawn.

"If you're going to continue cuddling me, Mr. Faraday, I don't think I'll have the will to wake up..." she whispered with a smile on her lips.

"And this is a problem? But... I should probably let you go... since it'll take most of the day to take the train to the dock..."

"What's that supposed to mean?" she smirked in return, raising an eyebrow at him.

"What's what supposed to mean?"

"Oh alright, let's get up now," she laughed, letting go of him, not before placing a kiss on his nose.

"Fine..."

"Tris you're still sleepy... and I meant you referring to the fact that the train will take a whole day to arrive to the dock... so?"

"Like I said, from here to the dock where our boat is will take six hours - provided there are no stops..."

"Maybe I got the point," she chuckled. "Shower now?"

"Sure. Go first or do you want me to go first?"

"Both, together?"

"As much as I would love to... Val's probably still asleep next door. She doesn't wake up on her own very often..." he sighed.

"Well, dearest, a shower together doesn't necessary mean that we have to do that," she chuckled.

"I know - I was referring to her possibly walking in while we're in there together. I mean, despite doing nothing she'll assume we're doing _something_ in there..."

"We can leave it vague... make her curious," she winked back, kissing him quickly. "We go?"

Grinning, he sat in bed. "Let's go then..."

Almost half an hour had passed since they had gotten into the shower, and amongst giggles and smiles, the two had got back into the bedroom to get ready for the trip, making sure to wear comfortable clothes for the long hours ahead. 

"So, shall we?" asked Tristan as both he and Gwyn finished straightening up his room.

"I really like your old room... it's warm."

"Thanks... There are times when I miss this room a lot when I'm away from here."

"Even back home?"

"Yeah... but, home's is feeling like _home_ to me now, especially since I'm with you."

"You're so sweet," she chuckled, reaching up to kiss his cheek. "Guess we can go downstairs now I suppose."

"That we can. Just leave the clothes you borrowed from them on the bed - my mom'll take care of it," he smiled as he took her hand in his.

"I actually folded them and placed them on that arm-chair in the corner... is that alright?" she asked as they scanned the room quickly to then walk towards the door.

"That should work too... And I smell eggs and bacon," Tristan grinned as he began tugging Gwyn along behind him.

"Seems your mother thought to prepare you a very grand breakfast before we leave," she winked back at him.

"Yep!" Making their way into the kitchen, the pair saw Kari dishing up several pieces of bacon onto a plate. "Smells great mom!"

"Oh, good morning you two!" Kari exclaimed when she saw the two by her side. "Slept well?"

"Very... Who else is up right now? Aside from Cath..." he asked as he got settled at the small table in the kitchen.

"Steve and Olivia, Valerie and the kids are still fast asleep," she chuckled.

"Ahhh. Hey Gwyn, want anything to drink?" 

"A nice cup of breakfast tea would be perfect dear, thank you."

"Cream and sugar or just plain?" asked Tristan as he got up and began fixing a glass of orange juice for him and tea for Gwyn. "And mom? Anything for you?"

"Leave it plain, it's fine as is... wait... maybe a small slice of lemon?"

"I've already had my first cup of coffee darling, thank you," his mother replied. "You're leaving your car here right?"

"Lemon it is... And yeah mom, if that's okay, since we have to come back here anyways..."

"Sure sure, I just asked to be aware of it," she winked back. "And since you're here first, here," she grinning, handing them their plates brimming with breakfast.

"Wow... looks fantastic!"

"That's obvious, it's full with your favorites," Kari laughed back. "And Gwyn, yours is slightly lighter... but you should like it."

"Mmm... bacon," grinned Tristan as he broke the yolks on his eggs and began to mix them with his potatoes as his sisters and Steve entered the kitchen.

"Kiddies still sleeping, as is your Val, and good morning mom," Steve grinned as he took a seat by Tristan's side. "I smell bacon here."

"Get your own then," he snickered before getting up and grabbing Gwyn's tea. "Should be perfectly steeped now..."

"And here you go you," Kari laughed as Catherine came by her side to help, while she placed the plate in front of Steve.

Handing the tea over to Gwyn, he smiled. "Here you are Sweetheart."

"Thank you."

"And mom, you go sit down, I'll fix breakfast for me, you and Liv... you need some pampering from time to time," Catherine grinned back at her mother.

"Yeah. Oh and mom? Kinda left it as a mess, but did you see the bedding Gwyn and me got you?"

"What mess honey? And yes, it's really classy," she chuckled as she sat down at the kitchen table at her daughter's insistence.

"I meant that we just left the packaged bedding on top of your bed..."

"Ah no problem, I didn't mind that actually... and thank you dear," she nodded as Catherine placed a plate in front of her. 

"You're welcome. Tea or coffee mom? And you husband?"

"Coffee for me, Cath. And did you want potatoes with your eggs?" asked Steve while Tristan was digging into the remainders of his breakfast.

"What do the potatoes have to do with the eggs? And coffee it is for you too mom right?"

"Yes Sweetheart."

"It's part of your breakfast?" volunteered Tristan as he ate his last piece of bacon.

"You're still not full, Black Hole?" smirked Steve as Cath walked to the kitchen table to place the last plate in front of her sister.

"Mmm... I think I will be after the cinnamon rolls I smell in the oven are done..."

"You're thinking about those already?! Dammit, digest what you've just eaten first!" Steve exclaimed as Gwyn burst out laughing.

"I have digested, thank you very much. I'm digesting as we speak..."

"Thank you for the live-update, not like I actually requested that," he laughed back.

"Cath? Could you get me a banana please while you're up?" asked Olivia while she nibbled on her toast and yogurt.

"Sure sure..." she nodded as she fetched both the coffee jug and the banana for Olivia from the kitchen. "Here."

"Thank you," she smiled before cutting the banana with her butter knife and placing it in her yogurt. "Ahh, delicious."

"Mmm, Liv... you're on a diet?" Steve asked curiously.

"Er well..."

"What? Seriously Liv, you don't need that!" Catherine exclaimed. "Why's it that all of you are obsessed with that?"

"And Tristan hates it too..." Gwyn chuckled quietly as she took another sip of her coffee.

"Well, I do hate it when women who don't _need_ to diet _want_ to, but the only reason why Livvy's eating lightish - she wants one of the cinnamon rolls that I'm waiting for too," chuckled Tristan.

"Oh yeah! That's definitely an exception," grinned Catherine.

"Thought so!"

"As if I'd say no to mommy's cinnamon rolls," Olivia winked back at him.

"So remind me, when do you need to be at the station?" Steve asked the two.

"Umm... train leaves at nine thirty... so probably nine..."

"Maybe quarter to nine actually..." Catherine commented. "You'd better be there earlier to find good places..." 

"Well, we have reserved seats in first class," Gwyn grinned, as Tristan let out a laugh. "We took care of every single detail, you know." 

"More like Cath took care of every single detail - as I think she wanted me and Gwyn to travel in style..."

"Apart from being comfy since you two deserve it," she grinned back at the two.

"Thank you Cathy," Tristan grinned widely.

"You've got everything packed?" Kari asked as she finished drinking her coffee.

"I think so, as we left our trunks in the car, as well as our extra bags, so that we wouldn't forget anything... Right Gwyn?"

"Mmm-hmm," Gwyn nodded in return. "We just have to take the smaller bags we got with us and we're fine. They're already next to the front door." 

"Yeah, just those," he admitted as he made sure to keep his present to Gwyn completely safe and out of sight from her. "It was mostly just our tickets and itinerary."

"Mmm... good good, think Val will wake up in time, mom?" Catherine asked as she and Steve finished eating their breakfast.

"I could go check mom," replied Olivia. "Just make sure that those cinnamon rolls are ready when I come back."

"Geez, she _really_ wants them..." 

"You would too if you've ever seen them Stevie," came Tristan's cheeky reply as he got up from his chair and wandered over to the oven. "Mooooommmmyyy, when can we eat it?" 

"Just give them another five minutes... just switch off the oven now..."

"'Kay," he chirped happily as Olivia re-appeared in the kitchen giggling. "She still sleeping?"

"What's that grin?" Catherine laughed as she looked up at her sister.

"Yep. Also, she seemed to be mumbling that you and Gwyn were being less than _angelic_ this morning," she continued to smile. 

"Angelic?" Gwyn blinked back first at Catherine, then at Tristan.

"She seems to think that they were up to something this morning - she heard the shower and some giggling, but went back to sleep afterwards."

"We just had a shower, what was she thinking about?" chuckled Gwyn in return.

"Oh you can just imagine," Steve smirked, letting out a laugh.

"Knowing her, I'm not too surprised," sighed Tristan as he tried to reach inside the oven for the rolls before Kari slapped his hand. "Ouch!" 

"They're still hot Tris," she chided him softly. "You'd burn either your hands or mouth, so wait a few seconds, I'll bring them over to the table."

"Bu-they smell good..." he whined before spotting the large bowl of icing. Taking his finger, he swiped the side of it and tried to stick it into his mouth, but had his hand slapped again. "Moooommmm..." 

"Go sit baby," she chuckled.

Pouting slightly, Tristan meandered over to his seat and sat back down, much to the amusement of the others. 

"Mom will be over in a few minutes, you little impatient boy," Catherine chuckled. "Any one of you wants something else to drink?"

"More juice please?" asked Tristan.

"Anyone else?" 

"Coffee for us, please!" chimed Olivia, Steve, and Kari. 

"Gwyn?"

"Can I have a glass of chocolate milk?" she said in almost a whisper as Tristan turned to gasp back at her, his expression turning into a wide grin.

"I'm such a good influence," he smirked happily.

"Sure you are, Wild Thing," laughed Olivia.

"It's good for the bones," Catherine laughed as she got back inside the kitchen.

"Especially the chocolate," he replied sagely as an extremely large cinnamon roll, covered in copious amounts of frosting were placed in front of him. "Thank you mommy!"

"Holy shit..." gaped Steve as he eyed the cinnamon rolls. "Those are _huge_..."

"Traditional Faraday cinnamon rolls dear," Catherine laughed, as she observed Steve's reaction.

"No wonder Livvy was saving her appetite..."

"Try one, they're amazing!" grinned Tristan and Olivia.

"Yeah but I don't think I could-" Steve began as Kari cut one in half. "Oh, that works too..."

"Good because I know that Catherine would want her half of the roll as well. Gwyn? Would you like half a cinnamon roll as well?"

"Yes please," she grinned as soon as she finished her glass of chocolate milk.

Cutting another roll in half, Kari placed one half in front of her while she took the other half herself and sat back down at the table. "Probably a good thing you got your own - Tristan is _very_ territorial with one of these. When he was two, he stabbed Valerie's hand when she tried to steal a piece from him - luckily the fork was plastic and he didn't hit her too hard. But he spent the day in time-out in his crib, and I made sure he couldn't get out..." she chuckled.

"Just imagine if someone touched Gwyn, I don't even wanna know," Steve commented, taking a bite out of his roll.

"Yeah, you don't want to see what I did to one guy who hurt one of my friends..." Tristan replied cryptically as he continued to eat his roll.

"Probably reduced him to a bloody pulp," Olivia nodded vigorously.

"You mean you guys are okay with him doing something like that?"

"Not really, but Tristan's never been one to stand by when someone he cares about is hurt. When he was about three, he attended one of my tennis games. Afterwards, I took him to the park so that he could play on the playground for a bit. While there, I was approached by these guys from school who tried to get me to go with them - but I refused. Tristan, seeing that I was yelling no while the guys kept annoying me... he proceeded to 'attack' these guys. It was a bit comical, three fourteen year olds running from a toddler, but seeing the scratches and bite marks on the guys, Tristan meant business," smiled Catherine as she patted Tristan's head.

"Such a good boy," Steve laughed as he gobbled up his roll in one bite.

"Well, he is, so it's just good to praise him every once in a while... And, looks like you two had best get going, it's almost eight-thirty..." replied Olivia as she continued to eat her roll.

"Wow, already?" asked Tristan as he finished the last part of his roll and downed his orange juice.

"Yeah... strangely enough," Gwyn nodded as she finished her roll, and had a quick look at her wrist watch. "By the way, you're not going to wake Valerie up?"

"I can go get her!" grinned Tristan as he got up from the table - only to be grabbed by both Olivia and Catherine. "What?"

"Your idea of waking up Val consists of jumping on her while she's asleep and making noise - not happening Mister," smirked Catherine.

"Ruin my fun..."

"There are million of other ways how you can wake her up..."

"But it's not as fun as annoying her," he whined.

"You want to leave with that in mind, seriously Tris," Olivia laughed.

"Awww... then go bug her for me? I was thinking of schmearing her face with the icing from the cinnamon rolls..."

"That maybe is acceptable, since she likes them as much as you do," the sisters nodded in response.

"Excellent, go do that for me, since two want me to stay put," he chuckled before sticking his tongue out at them.

"No you can go do that, plus, mom is grinning," Catherine told him as Steve let out a laugh.

"Yay!" Tristan cheered as he bolted from the dining table, grabbed the larger bowl of icing and a spatula, and ran upstairs. Soon, a scream and several expletives were being shouted as Tristan dashed back into the kitchen with the bowl and spatula. "She's awake now," he smirked as he replaced the items onto the kitchen counter and dashed over to Gwyn and his mother.

"Where the hell is the kid?!" a furious Valerie raged into the kitchen, with what looked like a facial mask.

"Not here," he teased as he saw Valerie focus on him.

"Shit, now I have to wash my face all over with cleanser and the crap..." she replied, rolling her eyes. "I don't feel like it."

"Then couldn't you just grab one of the cinnamon rolls and schmear it over your face?" retorted Tristan cheekily.

"Like I'm going to waste them, dummy!"

"Then you'd be wasting good icing then!"

"Ah shut up..." she growled as she left to march towards the nearest bathroom. "And wait for me before you leave!"

"Okie dokie!"

"I swear... mornings with you guys are never dull," chuckled Steve as he tried to steal a bit of Catherine's cinnamon roll - only to be met with a stab from her fork. "OUCH!"

"No touching my cinnamon roll," came Catherine's nonchalant reply as she resumed eating.

"Not at all," Gwyn chuckled softly as she placed a hand on Tristan's hair and ruffled it.

"He he," he chuckled lightly.

"Listen you two, if you need anything call," Kari told the two, with a smile.

"We will," replied both Tristan and Gwyn as Kari kissed both of their heads and hugging them warmly.

"Good," she smiled as her youngest daughter came back into the kitchen, fully clean of the icing. "Good morning baby."

"Morning mommy, Gwyn, Cath, Steve and Little Demon..." mumbled Valerie as Kari set about placing an entire roll in front of Valerie - iced copiously with frosting - and both Tristan and Gwyn got up from the table.

"Catch you later Valley," smiled Tristan as he kissed her cheek - then stole a bit of her roll.

"Heading out now?"

"Yep, we are," grinned Gwyn as she hugged the elder woman. "Have a long train ride..."

"Well, I'm sure it'll be alright."

"Yeah..."

"And don't worry about work or _them_ as they don't even deserve your thoughts."

"Right," smiled Tristan as he hugged her. "They're not worth my time..."

"Good, and Gwyn, take care of him - just as much as he'll take care of you."

"I know and I will - always."

"C'mon kids, time to go," smiled Olivia and Catherine. "Oh and Tris, the keys?"

"They're on the hook by the phone," he pointed out at a pair of keys, which Steve grabbed.

"Alright, let's go you two. Cath, Livvy? Coming?"

"Yes yes sure, Val, you coming?" Olivia asked her younger sister, who had just started having her breakfast.

"Hrmpf... dunno..."

"Mommy? Do you want to come?" asked Tristan as he looked at his mother with a smile. 

"And you'll stay with the..." she muttered as Valerie immediately raised her arms in the air. "What dear?"

"I'll babysit them... I can say bye to baby from here," she grinned, while still munching at her roll.

"Please mom?" pleaded Tristan as he gave Kari his 'puppy-dog look'. 

"Oh alright, do you have place in the car for me?" she laughed as she winked back at her son.

"Ah that's not a problem, I'll come with my car too," Olivia nodded.

"So... Steve will drive Gwyn's car, with me, Gwyn, and... who wants to ride with us?"

"Mom preferably..." Catherine grinned. "Val, you're really going to stay with the twins?" 

"Yep! It's not a problem at all," nodded Valerie, her long, dark brown hair bobbing as she did so.

"At least the pink and green were temporary..." Tristan grinned as he looked over at Steve's hair, noticing that his short cropped blonde hair was no longer green.

"That's true. Now shouldn't you and Gwyn get going now?"

"Yeah yeah, as you're so anxious to get rid of me," chuckled Tristan as he hugged and kissed his sister. "Take care you and I'll find you an awesome bikini while I'm down there..."

"Don't you dare get a naughty one," she called back at him, raising her spoon in the air.

"So... one with a g-string instead of a thong? Got it..." 

"No!!!"

"Then the one with zebra print instead of leopard print?"

"Tristan, don't you dare!"

Smirking, he waved as Gwyn came up to Valerie and gave her a big hug with a huge smile on her face. 

"I'll pick your present myself, he'll get those for the others," she chuckled, winking back at her.

"There's no real need, but thank you anyway," Valerie smiled back at her. "Make sure to enjoy it... and take care of him... please."

"Don't worry, I will, I promise."

"Gwyn? Time to go!" called Steve as he came back inside the kitchen. "Everyone's outside right now - oh and Cath has Alice with her, as she knew that you'd want to say goodbye to your new 'niece'," he grinned widely.

"Yes, coming! You make sure to take care!" Gwyn waved back as she quickly made her way outside.

"See you in a bit Val," chuckled Steve as he closed the front door, leaving Valerie alone with the pets and twins.

"You sure you got everything right?" Kari reminded them as the three got inside the car.

"Pretty sure. If we forget anything, we can always just grab something there..." replied Tristan as he checked his and Gwyn's bags for their needed items. "And I have my wallet and passport - as does Gwyn, so we should be okay. A little spending cash is in our respective bags, but the rest is in the luggage - as it's best not to mess with the pickpockets..." 

"Good good," Olivia nodded as she got in the backseat next to her mother, while Gwyn and Tristan sat on the driver and passenger seat respectively.

"So Steve will drive this car back or are you going to Livvy?" Tristan asked as he proceeded to drive towards the main road.

"I'll take care of it since Steve got his."

"Okay!"

"Do you have any idea of the time you'll need to arrive there?" Kari asked, pretty curious about certain details of their trip.

"Arrive where? In Brazil? We get there when we get there, I guess..." 

"Tristan Faraday, make sure to let me know."

"Eeep... yes mom..."

"Because, just to let you know Gwyn, when Tristan was a runaway adventurer, weeks used to pass before we heard news of him, leaving us dead worried, all of us. Now since there's both of you, we'll really want to have news from you two," Olivia explained.

"I wasn... Okay yeah, I'll give you that. It's not like I was in a ditch half-dead or anything...I was usually busy with stuff..."

"You were _always_ busy," his mother pouted in return.

"Not like I could get to a phone when I was in the jungles of Costa Rica or up in the Swiss Alps. At least I regularly contacted you guys while in Japan..."

"At least that," Olivia nodded.

"Well, grandma and grandpa made sure I did... since they wanted to check up on you guys..."

"Yes they told me..." Kari replied. "And you really have in mind of going to Japan again?"

"I'd like to... I kinda miss it there..." admitted Tristan as he saw the train station up ahead. "And... looks like we're here now..."

"Looks like it," smiled Olivia as she climbed out of the car once Tristan turned off the engine. Checking her watch, she noticed that they arrived right on time and saw one of the baggage handlers approaching their cars. Seeing Tristan share a few words with the handler - who began to take their trunks, Olivia made her way over to her mother, as Tristan and Gwyn were saying their farewells to Catherine, Steve, and Alice before speaking to them.

"So, promise me you'll call once you get there, okay?"

"I will mom, don't worry. Gwyn will probably remind me to do so..." he grinned.

"Somehow I don't doubt that. And promise me that you'll look out for each other? But the most important thing for you two to do is relax and not worry about those people at work."

"Yes mom..."

"Don't worry Kari, I think we'll be able to get our minds off of that while there," Gwyn replied with a smile as she was enveloped into a warm hug. Feeling a sense of belonging while in Kari's arms, she resolved herself in making sure that nothing would happen to not only Tristan, but his family as well. _If that dream was truly indicative of what happens with Tristan and I... maybe it wouldn't be so bad afterall..._

As Gwyn was being hugged by Kari, Tristan was embraced warmly by Olivia. "Love you Baby and please take care. Okay?"

"Will do... and don't cry anymore about what happened to me at work - those goons aren't worth my tears anymore," Tristan replied firmly.

"That's my baby brother... Now go say bye to mom..."

"Yes Livvy," he smiled before switching spots with Gwyn, who shared a few words with Olivia. "I love you mommy..."

"Love you too baby. Remember that daddy's always watching over you, so don't you worry about work or those people trying to hurt you..."

"I know, and I promise to come back safely..." he murmured as he hugged his mother tightly. Letting go after a while, Tristan and Gwyn grabbed their bags and purse respectively before making their way to the ticket booth, waving all the while. Once the pair got their tickets stamped and verified, they waved as they disappeared behind the gates, leaving the others smiling and waving farewell for the time being.

-

Upon finding their car, which indeed was not only a first-class car, but private as well, Tristan secured the door and marveled at their surroundings. Plopping himself down in one of the chairs, as Gwyn grinned as she inspected their car as well before sitting down across from him as the train departed from the station. Reaching into his bag, Tristan pulled out a small silver gift bag and stared at it. "Happy Just Because I Felt Like Giving You Something Day... It's not much, but I hope you like it..."

"What is it? I mean, what's the occasion?" she smiled as she got up and moved next to him.

"Nothing really... and open it..." he smiled and handed her the bag.

Noticing the smile on his lips, Gwyn proceeded to have a good look at the bag, still curious and somewhat confuddled at the fact that he had gotten her a present - where and when he did, she didn't have a clue about - then went about to opening it, gasping when she saw two black velvety boxes, one relatively large and a small one. Urged by Tristan to open the large one first, Gwyn merely let out almost a squeal and covered her mouth in surprise when a complete jewelry set of matching earrings, necklace and bracelet sparkled in front of her.

"Oh... these are... gorgeous..."

"Glad you like them... Anne definitely approved of my choices and don't forget about the smaller one. Hope you like it as well..."

Seeing the somewhat amused look in his eyes, Gwyn took the smaller box in her hands and opened it slowly to reveal a band of white gold, preciously adorned by what seemed like light blue sapphires and smaller diamonds. 

"It practically matches the entire set... Tris..." she mumbled, failing to find the right words. "It's just beautiful..." 

"Well, I hope it matches the set, seeing as how it's the ring that belongs to the set," he chuckled as he took the ring and slipped it onto the ring finger of her right hand. "I do good?"

"You can place that on the left if you like..." she smiled back. "And yes you did..."

"Can't as it's not an engagement ring... I have something better planned for that," came the cryptic remark. "And thank you."

“Thank _you_ for this... never expected anything..." she whispered, as she leaned over for an embrace.

Hugging her warmly, he rested his head on her shoulder. "You're welcome and it's my small way of saying thank you for the past few days... as well as the kick-start of our holiday..."

"Very good one too," she nodded, giving yet another look at the ring. "I won't get this off my hand any time soon." 

"Good... As it's my way of saying that you're totally mine," he whispered before kissing her cheek.

"That we didn't have any doubt about..." 

"Well, this is more of a physical reminder of my claim."

"Think we should rest a bit?" she whispered in return, as she took his left hand in her right.

"Sure... the cot's over there," he pointed out to a sizable cot that was built into the car. "Obviously it was made for two..."

"At least it doesn't look uncomfortable."

"Nope... The standard ones though... man those sucked," grumbled Tristan as he sat down on the cot and removed his shoes, coat and outer sweater before lying down. "Ahh, very comfy..."

Taking off her coat, Gwyn chuckled as she crossed her arms over her chest and smiled. "Comfy now aren't you?" 

Reaching out for Gwyn's hand, he pulled her on top of him before wrapping his arms around her tightly. "Now I'm comfy..." Tristan whispered before planting kisses along her neck. "And getting even more comfy..."

"Is it me or you're hinting at something," she laughed softly. "Tris..."

"Me hinting? Nah... just your imagination..." he smirked as he continued to lick and nip at her neck.

"Oh sure sure, no hinting at all," she laughed again, feeling him kissing her neck once more.

"Nope, not at all."

"Rest a bit then we might do what your mind's plotting about since we were at your house?" she grinned back.

Taking his hands, he began to slowly unbutton her borrowed flannel shirt. "We can always just ease into it..." he whispered as he kissed her deeply.

"Thought so..." she whispered, kissing him back.

"Good..."

"And you sure no one will check on us... cabin crew I mean..."

"I made sure to put the 'do not disturb' tag on the door, if that's what you mean. Plus, they'll announce when we've reached our destination." 

"Ah well, since you thought about everything..." she grinned, kissing him while slowly running a hand through his hair.

"I also think Cath had said something when purchasing the tickets - the conductor and station agents were grinning hugely whenever we walked by and were chuckling once we both got inside the car," came the amused reply as he began to tug on her shirt. "This flannel shirt can come off now..."

"You mean she told them something?" she asked him, blushing slightly.

"Probably mentioned we were engaged or newlyweds or something..."

"That explains it then..." 

"I would guess so," he smirked as he rolled on top of Gwyn and began planting kisses over her camisole while moving downwards.

"Don't forget we're not home, and that this is a cot... in a train. So..." she laughed as she got ticklish at his touch.

"I'm thinking the vibrations from the train, as well as just the ambient sounds in general should do a good job of muffling out anything noises we make..."

"You really naughty boy, plotting all of these things..." she whispered, letting out a giggle as she kissed his neck.

"It's one of the reasons why I was hired for your team - I'm pretty good at planning things," he grinned as he began to unbuckle her belt.

"Mmm... that I know of," Gwyn winked back at him, placing a hand on his cheek to caress him gently.

"Yep... Now please enjoy the ride," Tristan grinned mischievously as he unbuttoned her jeans and began to pull them down her legs, as well as her underwear before leaning forward and settling his lips over her. 

"Honey... I would prefer... you come up here you know..." she muttered, gasping from time to time at his touch.

"Relax honey, we're on holiday," he murmured before returning to the task at hand, occasionally using his fingers in between his kisses and licks.

"I am..." she replied in almost a groan. "But the... actual thing's better... you know..." she finished with the same tone of voice.

"Well, this is part of the _actual thing_ , so again, relax and enjoy. Besides, I thought you might want to have your way with me before we get to the _real thing_ ," he smiled.

"I give up..." she laughed out, reaching down to run a hand through his hair.

"Mm-hmm..."

"Tris, here's the deal... I'll let you continue only if you give me a really passionate kiss..." she chuckled, waiting for his reaction.

Looking up and licking his lips, the young man continued to grin mischievously as he crawled his way up to her, planting kisses along the way before finally hovering over her. "Is that a fact?"

"Like I said... I prefer the more... _conventional_ way so to speak," Gwyn smiled, as Tristan started kissing her neck.

"True, but believe me, I love doing _that_ to you... As again, apart from taste, I love watching your reactions..." 

"And joking apart, makes me feel closer to you than that."

"I guess... But you do know you're allowed to touch me in more than just the _conventional_ sense. I mean, a kiss here and a caress there is fine and all but don't think you aren't allowed to touch me differently..." he whispered back before finally claiming her lips with his.

Blushing furiously at the thought, Gwyn immediately returned Tristan's kiss in the same way as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer to her.

 _Besides, every_ aspect _of you is addicting... especially_ that, he mentally 'grinned' at her.

"Well you are too..." she whispered back, once they both caught their breaths.

"Am I really? Hmm... good to know I guess." Kissing her cheek gently, he grasped the bottom of her camisole and lifted it over her head before tossing it somewhere behind him. Nuzzling against her neck, he hugged her warmly, fully aware that he was still dressed. "I love cuddling you... especially like this..."

"I love that feeling too," she smiled. "Trust me... I actually, appreciate this more than... what you were doing before. Don't get me wrong... it's not that... ah well, you got my point," she mumbled, slightly flustered.

"Well, I'll say that most women aren't used to having _that_ done to them... so I can understand you being a bit _weirded out_ by it, but again... I do love everything about you. Also, since when have I ever been ordinary?"

"Tris, I'm no ordinary woman either," she grinned back at him. "So, if other women don't appreciate that... I do... the cuddling I mean. As for that... it's alright from time to time..."

"Obviously. Because otherwise, I probably wouldn't have tried anything with you if I didn't think you were absolutely worth all the shit we've been through together. Hell, bring it on, as so long as I have you, I'm happy. As for the other thing - most men don't even know _how_ to do that, since they're the ones just looking to get off and not bother pleasing their partner."

"I know you're doing it out of love, there's no need to explain yourself," she smiled. "It's just... a bit weird that's all..."

Kissing her shoulder, he continued to spoon behind her. "Again, most men don't know _how_ to please a woman like that... So yeah, it's a bit alien in concept, but again, I think that your _needs_ should be attended to more than mine."

"That's because you tend to spoil me rotten," she stated, letting out a giggle.

"It's only fair," he retorted back as he began tracing patterns on her bare stomach.

"I should do that a bit when we arrive... spoiling you I mean," she winked as she started tugging at his trousers.

"If you want," Tristan replied lazily as he rolled onto his back and let Gwyn straddle his waist.

"I will," she winked back as she removed his belt and slid off his trousers, while inadvertently letting out a yawn. "Sorry."

"We've had a early morning, so I don't blame you for being tired..."

"Just a bit though," she nodded as she removed his trousers completely and moved back up, wrapping an arm round his waist while resting her head on his chest.

"Okay. And liking the feel of flannel against your face? You seem to be nuzzling against it, not that I mind of course."

"I'd prefer without the flannel, but it's nice and cozy like this," she smiled.

"Well, if you prefer without the flannel, I guess we can do something about that, right?" 

"That's simple..." she winked as she shifted up slightly and proceeded to unfasten the buttons of his shirt slowly and slip it off him.

"So now that we're nice and comfy - though do you really intend to leave me in my boxers all while you're totally naked - want to nap for a bit?" 

"Now I can cuddle as much as I want mmh?" she whispered as she rested her head against him once again, turning to place a kiss on his chest.

"Yes you can..."

"Nap would be good, only once I get that off you," she chuckled as she sat up again and removed his underwear in one move. "There."

"Ahh the only way to properly nap - nap naked," he teased as he pulled up the blankets over them.

"Only when you're around..."

"I should hope so... because if you're napping naked with Jasper while I'm out - then we have something to work out."

"No I don't!" she retorted, looking up at him. "I never really sleep much when you're not home..."

"Was just teasing you babe, don't worry... And you don't? How come?"

"Because I'd be worrying about you," she whispered back, in a barely audible manner.

Caressing her face gently, he kissed her forehead. "Aww, that's so sweet. Most people who worry about me are my family and Cynthia, but it's nice knowing that you worry about me too. And I worry about you too when you're not with me..." 

"So many things happened lately that I'm worried sick when you're not in my line of sight... even at work..." she mumbled. "I'm getting paranoid about all this..."

"Shh shh... it's alright. Let's take my family's advice and not think about them - they're not worth our time, our effort, or our tears..." whispered Tristan soothingly as he cuddled against her tightly.

"I know... but... seems like sometimes, they're wittier than you and me both... and I don't want anything to happen to you again, ever..." she muttered, as she almost clung back to him.

"Nor do I want anything to happen to you... As for them, we can be craftier than them, so I'm not too worried," he replied gently as he hugged her tightly. "Besides, if there was ever something I'm kinda thankful for - though not because you got beat up or because I was nearly raped - is the fact that those assholes brought us together..." 

"Don't be grateful towards them... they don't deserve it," she replied, shaking her head in return. "We got together because we were destined to... there were too many hints, just like you always say after all."

"I know, but still... our relationship changed the moment you asked me to stay with you when I was supposed to join up with Val and Cyn after your beating from Black. But again, destiny had a pretty big part in all of this too."

"I definitely won't go thank Black for that," she chuckled, sticking out her tongue at him playfully.

"Well, neither will I," he smiled before kissing her shoulder once again.

"Rest now?" she asked, placed a few kisses on his chest once more.

"Yep... as we'll have plenty of time for the _other thing,_ " he snickered.

"I know that," she chuckled, letting out another yawn.

Taking her right hand in his, he gently kissed it. "And one day, this ring will have two companions on the opposite hand..." 

"Mmm-hmm," she hummed sleepily. "And I can't wait for that day..."

"Me neither," he murmured as he kissed the spot over her heart before settling against the cot and caressing Gwyn's body gently.

"Tris... I'm going to request this to happen very often during our holiday..." she murmured half asleep already.

"Sweepy nakie? Okay..." came the extremely drowsy reply as Tristan was fast asleep seconds later. After an hour, the train had reached its first stop, which had immediately roused Tristan from his nap due to the lurching motion of the train as it came to a stop. Slightly disoriented, he rubbed his eyes and nuzzled against Gwyn before trying to go back to sleep - though he realized he couldn't. Seeing the smile on Gwyn's face, he grinned mischievously and hid back under the covers before proceeding to plant kisses all the way down Gwyn's body.

"Tris... wanna sleep," she mumbled, still with her eyes closed.

"Then go back to sleep and have sweet dreams... I'm not stopping you..."

"Love you..." she murmured as she huddled even more closer to him.

"Love you too," he whispered back before resuming to kiss her in various spots while caressing her gently.

After another hour or so, Gwyn shifted in her sleep when she heard the stationmaster's last call for passengers at another stop. As she wearily opened her eyes, she nuzzled against Tristan's neck when she realised that he was caressing her hair gently. 

"You're awake?"

"Been awake actually. Couldn't sleep after the first stop... We still have another two hours until our stop - as it's the last one. So just rest..."

"Tris... think everyone will be alright at home?" she whispered softly.

"Mmm... I think so. Cyn, James, Jake, and Cole know what's going on - so they already know to steer clear. Anne's spending her time with Neville and Lisa - probably Alice will stop by as well, so Anne and Jasper will be safe. As for my family, I doubt those morons even know about them - as I've never disclosed any information about them." Sliding his fingers under her chin, he lifted it just high enough to kiss her.

"Sorry baby, just came to my mind and all," she smiled as their kiss ended.

"Probably safe to be worried honestly..." he murmured while continuing to run his fingers through her hair.

"They shouldn't even dare at our absence..."

"If they're smart? Yeah, even they know that'd be suicide..."

"I'd kill them _myself_ if they did," she muttered with a more serious tone, as she looked up with eyes in a slightly reddish hue.

Seeing the look in her eyes, he sighed. "Hey... Don't think like that, it's not going to happen, alright? Now, Fred, despite being a complete douchebag of a person, is very intelligent and realizes that if he wants to maintain his interest in me, he _cannot_ do anything that would make me distrust him anymoreso than I do now. Should anything happen to them, I'm walking. Simple as that. Should anything happen to you... I'll let you know how prison is..."

"Shh... no talk of that," she smiled, as her eyes turned back into a more calm and sweet look while she placed a finger on his lips. "They only caught me by surprise once... and they only did me harm in a dream. Nothing more."

"Despite how much that nightmare spooked you, if you ever want to talk about it... You know I'll listen." Hearing the train start it's engine up again, he kissed her temple. "And again, they'll be fine, I know they will..."

"Maybe I'll tell you all about it one of these evenings..." she replied, keeping in mind that she'd leave the details of vampiric nature out of her narrative. "I'll give you a hint... they're scarier, to a certain degree, than your encounter... with the slut..."

"Gross... but still, I'll listen. And... what did you feel like doing now? Did you want to plan for any activities once we get there?"

"We can bring one of the guidebooks here and trace out a little plan, as I'd like to be cuddled at least a bit more... for now," she winked back at him, earning a light laugh from his end.

"So... if we plan our itinerary in say... five minutes - does that me that we can engage in a little _fun_ for the next hour and fifty-five minutes?"

"Planning could take us a bit longer love," she grinned.

Glancing over at his bag and then down at Gwyn's currently naked form in his arms, he smirked. "Then fuck planning then... as I'd rather have you," came the cheeky reply before sliding under the covers and began kissing his way down past her stomach and moved towards her center. "I'll just start here as a brief warm-up..."

"Full permission granted..." she whispered in return, feeling him grinning widely as he continued touching her. "Just... don't stop..."

"Like I would..." he murmured before giving her one final lick down there and moved up her body, kissing along the way, before thrusting into her - making her moan.

"Maybe... this is better than planning," she murmured, looking straight into his eyes.

"Mm-hmm... Much better as well as exciting too," he smiled before kissing her once again.

"And you can have your hour and fifty-five minutes now then," she chuckled, pulling him closer to her.

"Oh good... As I was thinking of pulling in some _overtime_ once we get onto the boat..."

"Speaking of which..." she said with a slight giggle as he lingerly kissed her neck. "When you say boat... you mean we have a cabin?"

"Yes we do."

"Good to know..." she smiled as he continued moving against her while she wrapped one arm around him while caressing his face with the other.

"Love you, my Queen..."

"Love you too, my Prince..."

-

"Will he just stop blabbering nonsense?" Reginald mumbled to himself after having been listening to the Head of Clan talking non-stop for two entire hours. The status of the Clan, any novel activities that the core group would be taking care of in the coming future, which included the organization of the Grand Ball... and updates on little tits and tats that were all seeming a royal waste of time for him. Evidently bored, the man rested his back against the back of his armchair and continued to silently watch the scene unfold.

"...And thus conclu- Ahh, Sir Reginald, you look positively bored over there. Have you have anything to add to the current state of affairs?" asked Fred while he took a sip of his wine.

"No, nothing to add," he replied, in a tone of voice matching the look on his face. "Been hearing the same stuff for centuries now, nothing's tickling my fancy of late." 

"Well then, since you appear to be all knowledgeable in our state of affairs, perhaps you would like to be the one running these meetings from now on?"

"I decline, as I wouldn't dare take the place of the Head of Clan in the fulfillment of his duties..."

"Oh I don't know... we could do with some new blood around here. I mean, here we are, getting on in years... I think a fresh perspective would be much needed. Of course, my main prospect of leading this clan has not made his appearance, but I'm confident that my lovely daughter will soon get the job done soon." 

"You're still stuck with the idea of getting Gwendalynn with a human?!" Lucius exclaimed, slamming his fists against the table around which they were seated.

"Any particular reason as to why you are so adverse to the idea, Sir Lucius?" 

"She's a perfect pureblood... how could you even... consider that..."

"When you speak of her like that you make it sound like she was a stallion or something," Reginald snickered. "Anyway, I'm not really into involving a human either... even if he's a Destined One or whatever you said last time." 

"Again, I believe the boy would make a wonderful addition to this Clan, and that is my final stance on the matter," growled Fred. 

"Whatever," both Reginald and Lucius muttered in return.

"So, if you've been mentioning that you gave precise orders to the Commander to get the job done months ago... Where is _he_? It's not quite usual of her to linger upon your instructions," another member of the Council pointed out while smirking back at Fred.

"And... she seems to be busy lately... you used to summon her here almost at every meeting..."

"In that wonderful uniform of hers," another one of them commented, earning a forced nudge in his stomach by the nearest member.

"Again, this is a rather delicate matter - especially since we're going about turning a human boy. As for the Commander, we believed that subterfuge is far more effective than force. After all, this boy is not one to be trifled with - he is one of us, and yet not - so it's best to take care with the matter. As we speak, the Commander is using this time to deduce when the time is right to turn him. Patience in this matter will be its just reward. Also, should you so speak crassly about my daughter, I will not hesitate to rip out your heart and eat it myself," replied Fred with an air of nonchalance.

"Right right..." the two men nodded immediately.

"Enough chatter then. Proceed with your meals, I shall be back shortly," he smiled as he glanced over at Lara, who was sitting at one of the tables drinking her wine. Nodding to her, Fred got up from his seat and headed out of the room, with Lara easily following him out some time later.

"Why did the woman have to be here?"

"After all she's a newborn... and not really of pure blood as all of us either," another one growled, as blood trickled down his lips.

"Well, it's Fred's decision..."

"Which I don't endorse but whatever. It's not like I can bring whoever comes at hand."

"Or my personal _toy._ "

"Shut that..."

"Will you just enjoy this and stop gossiping like a bunch of women?" Lucius snapped back at the other men busy with their chatter.

Smirking back as she followed Fred as they walked through the corridors together, Lara whispered back: "Ready from the oh-so-boring lecture or you have a part two coming up?"

Taking her hand, he led her down a darkened corridor before leading her into a room and locking the door behind her. Placing his hands at her waist, he lifted her up and pressed her against the door. "Oh God yes... I can't believe they had the audacity to talk back to me..."

"You should be more authoritative... especially with that Reginald. I don't like him," she growled, reaching up to bite his neck ferociously.

"He's always been quite the thorn in my side, but at the same time, he's one of the best men within the council," groaned Fred as he furiously set about unbuttoning his pants and then proceeded to slide his fingers in and out of Lara as she continued to drink from him.

"Even Ryan's uncle's acting strange..." she mumbled.

"Mostly because Lucius believes in having only pureblood members within the Clan. He was also looking at you with disdain... Do you want me to take you against the door or on the desk, my pet?" he muttered as he continued to uses his fingers while teasing her by brushing himself against her lightly.

"Desk..." she gasped, moaning out loudly.

Thrusting roughing into her, Fred carried her over to the desk, swept all of the items off the surface, and proceeded to bite her. "You like this, don't you? You love me fucking you like this, hmm?" he smirked as he proceeded to rip off her dress while continuing to thrust frantically into her.

"You'd need to get me a new dress too..." she grinned wickedly at him, while digging her nails into his back.

"Anything for you, _my love_ , " whispered Fred as Lara tore at his clothing. "And you owe me a new shirt and suit..."

"Considering that you've increased my pay... not... a... prob... lem," she laughed out.

"Excellent," he murmured before stopping to reach down and proceeded to remove the shredded clothing from her body. "That's much better now, as I've been waiting to to have a go at _these_." Winking at her, he bit down on one of her breasts while continuing to have a go at her, reveling at the sound of her screams and moans. "As much as you are mine, I'm betting you'd love to have the boy here, wouldn't you? Imagining him take you as roughly as I am? Making you scream and moan his name as he makes you orgasm over and over again, hmm?" 

"Oh... God... _that,"_ she grinned. "Ryan would be so jealous..." 

“So, how did he compare to myself or Ryan - and don't be afraid to be honest... As I wonder if he'd be interested in joining us - not for Clan matters, but rather _these_ matters..."

"If he's into... _these_ sort of matters Fred..." she whispered as she moved as close as possible to his ear. "Your... daughter... is... one... fuckin' lucky... woman."

Letting out a chuckle, he began to kiss her neck. "Something tells me that he wouldn't be interested - but perhaps he could be enticed... And... I would've loved to have seen _that_... but my daughter is quite territorial, and if she is sleeping with him - which she most undoubtedly is - then probably the only time to have our way with him is to catch him unaware..."

"What what? You too? My my _my._ Little princess would be mad," she snickered in return.

"The boy is completely at my mercy if I have my personal doctor look him over..." came Fred's gleeful reply as he thrusted into her even harder, making her scream. "If you're a good little pet, I _may_ let you watch the examination..." 

"How about making princess watch the show? Maybe she'd _appreciate..._ "

"Appreciate the boy's examination? I'm sure she's currently _examining_ him as we speak... To imagine that _he_ was the one who took her virginity, quite the lucky one as she's always been quite _selective_..."

"You've got... to be kidding me," she gaped back at him. "You... you mean your daughter never..." she muttered, her face turning first into a grin then a laugh.

Groaning loudly, Fred collapsed on top of Lara while still kissing her body. "Need to rest for a bit - not as young as I used to be... But yes, those who have tried - Ryan especially - have never gotten so much as a kiss from her, let alone had the chance to fuck her..."

"You mean to tell me that Gwendalynn Coulston had never been kissed before?! Oh this is the best thing that I've heard for ages," she giggled emptily when Fred started kissing a particular spot.

"I had my reasons for instilling her need to remain pure all these years... Though the fact that she willingly went behind my back and let the Faraday boy accomplish the impossible, I'm both disappointed and impressed..."

"Well, you're pretty much of a bastard with her, so why the hell should you be disappointed?" she pointed out. "And... anyways, how can you _really_ be sure that that's the actual situation? I do believe you though, with respect to your daughter I mean... she's too much of a bitch, with all due respect."

"Because I still care about her - I've raised her all these years, so it's hard to let go. And despite her cold demeanor, there's something about that boy that has attracted her enough that she's actually grown _attached_ to him. Not that I blame her, he's quite intoxicating to be around - he's completely oozing purity..."

"God... stop talking about _him._ "

" _Jealous_ aren't we? Bit angry that you weren't able to have him for yourself before getting caught by my daughter? At least be thankful that you got to at least _taste_ him and see him naked before you - as that's more than I've ever gotten while being around him..." grumbled Fred as he pouted slightly.

"And you won't since they're practically _stuck_ together."

"Mm-hmm... though if they are currently are fucking each other, at least I can look forward to making use of their children. Now... for our next round, what would you like next, hmm?"

"Whatever you want," she grinned back. "Mr. Rhule..."

"Now now, since you were so forthcoming in telling me about our favorite _little boy_ , I shall reward you with your choice... And no need to be shy about, as I saw you were fairly cozy with Mr. Patterson - he's one of 'younger' members of the Clan."

"You noticed that, haven't you... well well, he's not too bad. But you and Ryan are still my favorites," she grinned back at him, as she lazily started to trace patterns across his chest. "I have another request though..."

"Yes?"

"Your daughter's first born..."

"What about their first born?"

"Can I have it?" she grinned maliciously.

Kissing her neck, he reached down and began to tease her once again. "What if their first born is a girl? Also, what do you intend to do with the child?"

"Raise it, take it away from her, keep it all for _myself._ You mentioned that you'd make use of her children, right? That would be just perfect."

"If you wish... just be sure to keep Ryan away from the child - he'll be sure to try and kill the child... So, aside from that request, not to mention that I've gotten my second wind, what does my pet want right now?" 

"Mmm... well..."

"...Yes?" he chuckled as he removed his fingers and let them slip down a little lower.

"Either continue like this or call Ryan..." she murmured. "I'm sure he'd _love_ this..."

"Third option would be to bring in Mr. Patterson... he's actually not too bad, as well as a bit bigger than Ryan," he smirked. "Plus, he's just like a woman during sex..."

"Or both?" she laughed. "Call whoever you like..."

Reaching over to the phone on the desk, Fred slid himself inside Lara as he dialed the phone and began moving as he waited for someone to pick up. "Ah yes, could someone please fetch Mr. David Patterson? I'd like to see him in my study. Yes, and please contact Ryan Black for me, I'd like to speak to him as well - tell him to be discreet. Thank you." Hanging up the phone, he grazed his fangs along Lara's neck. "Once they arrive, what would you like?"

"We'll see once they arrive," she grinned back. "Leave it to me..."

"I also have a few... _toys_ at your disposal as well. Again, Patterson is like a woman during sex, so should you feel the urge, do so as he'll be more than willing..."

"Perfect..."

-

"Reg... will you calm down down? There's no need to destroy our furniture with your kicks..."

"I'm sorry Love, but I just can't stand the fact that Fred is so goddamn willing to destroy the life of not only Gwendalynn, but that of an innocent boy - a child really - in his quest for power. I have nothing against the child, but...he's an innocent human whom Fred is so _fucking determined_ to turn as the boy is a Destined One," growled Reginald as he finally slumped into a nearby armchair.

Sighing, Abigail got on her feet, rested the book she had been reading on the armchair she had been seat on and moved being his back to wrap her arms warmly around him and kiss his hair.

Hugging her back tightly, Reginald kissed her cheek as the door to the front door opened, revealing Alice dusting off the snow that clung determinedly to her winter coat. "Good evening Sweetheart, did you meet Rhys at the station?"

"Yeah," she frowned as she looked up at her grandparents. "Left again..."

"He'll be back for good soon, won't he? I remember talking to him over the phone two days ago and he said that he just has a short tour and will be back within two weeks..."

"Mmm-hmm, I know..." she answered as she closed the door and started removing her coat. "But the more time passes, the more I'm starting to miss him every time he leaves... Gramps, your sappiness is rubbing off me," she chuckled.

"That's good to know. Say, you've been in better spirits these days - especially when you visit after going to the gym... Have you made a new friend while there?"

"Yeah and quite the fun person too..." she smiled back at them. "Makes working out less boring actually... even though he tends to make jokes on the usual subject."

"It's a 'he'? How interesting and I'm glad he's managed to make you enjoy yourself - as you normally become some sort of militant officer when you're exercising. Sounds like he's younger than you, especially if he's joking about your bust size," laughed Reginald as Alice moved to sit on the couch across from him and Abigail.

"And that usually bothers you... doesn't it? When the comment doesn't come from Rhys," Abigail chuckled as she noticed the faintest blush on her grandaughter's cheeks. "And, anything to drink sweetie?"

"Whiskey? I wouldn't mind that actually, it's freezing outside..."

"Only one glass though."

"Yeah sure sure Grandma."

Watching Abigail get up, Reginald grabbed her hand loosely, "And a bit of scotch for me love? Need to stop thinking about Fred and the Council... The nerve of him demanding such at thing..."

"Those and a cup of tea for me... I'll be back soon," she told the two as she headed back into the kitchen. "And Al, tell your grandfather to stop worrying please!" she called back.

"What's about the fucktard and the gangsters? Did you wrong?"

"Oh he's going on about wanting to have Gwendalynn turn an innocent human boy into one of us... ' _For the good of the Clan and its future'_ ...what rubbish... Then he had the gall to have a _newborn_ present at our meeting..."

"When I think he can't get more stupid he... wait a fucking second... what's Gwendalynn have to do with... that... oh for the love of God don't tell me that please..."

"Hmm? Al, do you know about the boy? Have you met him? I know that Jacob said that you had met with Gwendalynn a few days ago..."

"He wants to turn Tristan into a vampire?!"

"Tristan? Yes that's the boy's... You _do_ know him!" exclaimed Reginald as Alice placed her head in her hands.

"Right... the only fuckin' friend I find... goddammit! And I'm sure the puppet master has asked his darling Commander to turn him into one of us..." she spat. "I'm sure she'll decline."

" _He's_ the boy from the gym?! Oh goddammit... Fred, you truly are a despicable being... As for Gwendalynn, I don't know as she was missing from the meeting this evening..." 

"Yeah him... how many Tristans engaged to a Gwendalynn do you know?" she mumbled. "And she wasn't there because she's on holiday."

" _Engaged_ ?! And she's on _holiday_?!" smiled Reginald as he moved to sit with Alice and wrapped a warm arm around her shoulders," Will wonders never cease - Miss Gwendalynn, engaged to a human boy... How delightful, as I was worried that she'd never settle down and get married..."

"Who's getting married?" Abigail came back in, handing the drinks to the two, as she sat by Reginald's side.

"The boy - the one Fred was bemoaning about at the meeting and Al's friend are one in the same... Say, is he the same one that Jacob has been raving about at work? And do you think your brother has a picture of him?" 

"Oh dunno... he might. And listen, they're not really officially engaged and stuff... it's just like, it's terribly obvious that he wants to marry her... it's like his only reason for being."

"'Only reason for being'? Being what?" Reginald as just before clinking glasses with Alice.

"She meant that Gwendalynn is his only reason for being, dear," Abigail commented as Alice nodded in return.

"Oh right right, forgot how that feels as it's been so long. It's always charming when a boy realizes when he's ready to live, breathe, and die for the love of their life... What is he like? For someone to actually capture the heart of Gwendalynn, I can't imagine that he's anything short of extraordinary."

"I was actually glad it was him to be frank. She deserves him... and he loves her with a passion that I've never seen in a man, Rhys apart of course. Really sweet, and out of the ordinary... seriously, if the bastards wants to ruin him, he's goddamn sick. And continues to confirm how fake that guy is."

"Seems that way, to be honest," sighed Reginald. "Also, how did you two meet? I mean, Gwendalynn has gone to great lengths to keep in shape, but it seems like he's a bit more... active than her..."

"Gym, comes next to me, talks, I think that he's trying to hook me... but it was just a normal conversation... and that was positively surprising."

"As most of the guys are looking at your chest," another voice joined in.

"Baby! How did you come in?" Abigail gasped when she saw Jacob standing in front of them in his pyjamas.

"Through the door, how else?" laughed Jacob as he moved to kiss both Alice's and Abigail's cheeks before hugging his grandfather warmly. "Talking about Tristan, hmm? And what was that like? A boy simply engaging you in a simple conversation rather than trying to get into your pants?"

"A relief actually as I didn't have to punch him in the face."

"Like you'd ruin that pretty face of his," grinned Jacob as he snuck in a sip of Alice's whiskey. "Besides, I doubt you'd have been all that anxious to hit him... as you were mentioning that he's quite nice to look at."

"If he was actually hitting on me, I would have seriously punched him, gorgeous cutie or not... and go make your own glass if you want one," she pouted.

"You think he's cute? I thought that Rhys was your one and only," teased Reginald as Jacob got up before looking at his grandfather.

"What'll you be having, grandpa? And it seems like you like Tristan's appearance more than Rhys'..."

"Just scotch, but if you could give me a bit - with some soda - I'd like that, please?"

"Sure. I'll make it the way you like," he grinned as both his grandparents were examining the dull blush on his sister's cheeks.

"Rhys is my one and only so shut it, twat," she muttered as she looked up at her grandfather again. "Anyways... you mentioned a newborn earlier, what about that?"

"Some woman... she was completely hanging over Patterson - you couldn't exactly miss his looks of pleasure while she was sitting next to him. Fred left shortly after dinner was served and she followed him out... Last I saw of them and good riddance..." Tiredly, Reginald rested his head on the back of the couch.

"Must be his personal whore... just fuck him for doing that to Adel," she growled, noticing a frown forming on Abigail's lips.

"Considering how many men have shoved their dicks up his ass over the years, I'll pass... Besides, I'm quite partial to your grandmother," laughed Reginald as Abigail smacked his chest. "And I love you too, Abby. Now Jacob? Do you happen to have a picture of this Tristan boy?"

Arriving with a scotch and soda for his grandfather while drinking from his glass of whiskey, Jacob nodded. "I believe so - should be in the _New Dawn_ personnel book... I think it's on my desk..."

"Oh I didn't mean that!" she chuckled. "You got the gist anyway..."

"Yes Al, simply teasing. And Jake, if you could go get it, I'd appreciate it. I'm curious to see the boy that is Gwendalynn's betrothed as well has managed to make Alice blush."

"Right, back in a minute!"

"And I still can't understand why you don't want me to tell Adel about all this," Abigail commented softly, as she rested her chin on Reginald's shoulder.

"Because she still loves him... sometimes too blindly... and this news would be absolutely devastating to her..." replied Reginald as he sipped his drink. Hearing Jacob's hurried footsteps, he pulled Alice closer to allow Jacob to sit on the couch with them.

"Here you are, grandpa. He's the exotic looking one," smiled Jacob as he handed the personnel book over to his grandparents, which not only included a picture of Tristan, but a brief biography and list of his schooling as well.

"Thank you dear, now let's have a look shall we?" grinned Reginald as he began to read while both Abigail and Alice crowded around him.

"Hell, that's impressive!" Alice gasped as she read through the whole list at one go.

"Most impressive... as he's already a postgraduate at his age. Handsome little thing as well, isn't he Abby?"

"No wonder he's Gwyn's half," she nodded with a smile on her face.

"For someone so much younger than us, he's extremely wise for his age... I admire him greatly," admitted Jacob. "He's perfect for Gwyn too - he smart, he's funny, very lovable... Such a pure and kind-hearted soul."

"Ab, would you mind me ripping that jerk's heart out... seriously," he growled once he heard his grandson's words. "Hearing that makes my blood boil... especially with the fact that I somehow know what Fred has in mind."

"Grandpa..." murmured Jacob. "What does Fred have in mind? I've heard things from Gwyn - but she never really expanded her explanations on the subject."

"If you want the short summary: he wants Tristan to be a vampire, and turned by a noble pureblood as Gwyn is. Having both of them as vampires, he's thinking that he'd have more control over the two, and thus manipulate them more. His final and only goal is that Gwyn has pureblood children from Tristan as a Destined One that he can use at his own leisure."

"WHAT?! That's INSANE!" yelled Jacob. "How could he? I mean, hearing Gwyn describing what's happened to Tristan because of Fred's desire to control him is heartbreaking but _this?!_ This is so much worse..."

"Gwyn's probably assuming that, but she's keeping all those thoughts to herself as she always does..."

"She is of a pure vampiric nature, but she has the values that Lord and Lady Coulston gave her... so I'm sure she decided not to turn him already."

"She's mentioned something to that effect... but how much longer can they really hold out? No doubt that Fred will send either Ryan Black or his PA, Lara Howell to finish the job that Gwyn won't do... Hell, Fred might even try to personally turn Tristan... Considering what Lara did to Tristan, I'd rather not think of that happening..." Jacob shuddered as he drained his glass quickly.

"Jake... what did this Lara woman do to Tristan?" Alice asked, glaring back at him.

"Promise me that you'll mention none of this outside of these walls? I don't want either of them hurt..." he sighed tiredly after having spent Friday huddled up in his office alongside Cole, James, and Cynthia and was not looking forward to the coming two weeks. "She attacked him... but not in a physical beating sort of way..."

"Wait... WHAT?!" the three of them shouted out in response.

"...She nearly raped him, but Gwyn luckily got to him just in time before Lara could consummate the act..."

Getting up without saying a word, Alice clutched tightly the glass in her hands and walked towards the fireplace, shoving it violently into the roaring fire.

Setting the glass in his hand onto a nearby table, Reginald held Abigail tighter to him while Jacob simply stared at his hands, feeling numb to his feelings as he thought about just what Lara had nearly done. 

"So... tell me now... grandpa... _why_ do we still have to live this way? With our reputation dismantled this way..." she sighed, still furious. "Gwyn used to be almighty and all-knowing... under Fred's wing... now she's changed, to the better... with her real nature coming out at last, the one _real_ and _noble_ vampires gave her. So why all this now? Why letting loose newborns that don't know a fucking damn of our legacy... what the fuck, seriously can't you at the Council do anything?! You're just sitting there, and I don't mean you I know, listening to the asshole muttering his messed up plans for our future. I'm so friggin' glad I'm unranked in this whole forsaken _mess._ "

"Believe me Al, there are so many within the Clan that are simply blind to Fred's ambitions or are still of the livelihood that Humans are below _us_ . My reservations for turning Tristan was not due to him being a human, but because Fred's goddamn fascination of the Destined Ones. Whether or not the boy is a Destined One is of little consequence. I will not have Fred doom this boy's future. I only wish there were more people who gave a damn, but there aren't. I'm mostly attending because I must - as a _General_... But, we will do what we can to keep this boy safe. This child," he replied sternly as he pointed to Tristan's charmingly bright photo, "should never be forced to endure what we have... He deserves better..."

"Can I go kill the useless newborn bitch?"

"No Ally, please?" pleaded Jacob. "Hurting Howell will be an obvious sign to Fred... The only ones that know about this - aside from the involved parties, are no doubt myself, Tristan's friends, and Fred. Fred could easily go back and hurt his friends - all of which are human as well..."

"Right..." she growled back in distress. "I'm going upstairs... sorry for the glass, I'll pay for it don't worry. See you later."

"No need Alice... wasn't fond of those glasses anyways," grimaced Reginald as he tried to smile for her. "Don't worry... we'll keep him safe Al." 

"Always hated the bastard and never gave a damn about the Council or Freddie-jerk anyways either. So, he hurts them, I'm gonna fuckin' kill him and the slut of his," she roared as she walked away heading for the staircase. "And never been more serious than I am now."

Watching her walk away, Jacob sat next to his grandparents and hugged them tightly. "Now she's made up her mind... I hope Gwyn and Tristan are safe right now - they need each other now more than ever..."

At the same time as the Richardses were mulling over everything they had learned, Tristan and Gwyn were safe in the comfort of their own ship cabin, making love to one another in blissful obliviousness as they were headed to Brazil.

-

Groaning Gwyn's name after finishing for the umpteenth time, Tristan breathlessly collapsed on top of Gwyn's body before rolling onto his back. Turning his head to look at her, they smiled and giggled at one another as they were both breathing hard. Reaching out, he proceeded to wipe some of the sweat off of her brow as he rested his head atop her chest and snuggled close. "Wow..." 

"Mmm-hmm," she hummed back in return, oozing happiness from her smile. "You proved me wrong yet again..."

"How so?" he whispered as he planted a few kisses over her heart.

"I panicked, thinking we weren't going to make it on time for the ship... but we did..." 

"I told you... you need to be more positive about these things babe..."

"Yes, you're right..." she whispered back, while caressing his hair gently.

"Soo... can we look forward to lots of marathon love-making sessions while on holiday? Because the past few days - excluding when we were at my mom's house - have been quite fun... as well as endurance tests..."

"They're serving for another purpose though."

"Oh are they?" he asked slyly. "Do tell..."

"Making me _not_ think of anything else... back home."

"Ahh... makes sense," he smiled as he ran his hand down her chest, gently massaging one of her breasts before leaning over and taking the other one in his mouth. "Well, let's make the next two weeks all about forgetting then..."

"Alright..." she murmured, a smile forming on her lips. "And mister... now I'm actually getting a bit hungry you know..." she chuckled.

"Hungry for...?"

"Food, what else?"

Releasing one of the breasts in his mouth, he leaned over and took the other one in his mouth while switching hands. "It is dinnertime...so I guess... but I'm having dessert at the moment, thank you."

"And I thought you'd be glad to hear me say that," she muttered, raising an eyebrow. "Ah well..."

"I am... but you taste better..."

Gazing back at him as he continued, Gwyn's mind briefly wandered on one of the thoughts she always considered prohibited to hover in her brain - the idea of Tristan being just like her. The fact that he was a human unlike her, as fascinating as it were... always led to the one single conclusion, that she'd have to die when he did. Just like Neville was going to do with Lisa... And yet, there always was that, remote, terribly tempting option, that much to her disdain was also Fred's ultimate order to her. To have him _forever._ Like this.

"No, I can't..."

"Hmm? You 'can't' what?"

"Mmm?" she hummed, snapping back to reality as she saw his eyes burning into hers. "Nothing..."

"Mm-hmm..." he murmured before letting go and sliding under the blankets again to kiss and lick her down there - before getting hauled up by Gwyn. "Awww..."

"That's enough for tonight," she smiled with a chiding tone.

"Meanie..."

"I need to set a bit of standards myself too... after dinner I'd love being cuddled a bit before sleeping... and just cuddles though Tris," she chuckled as she noticed the grin on his lips. "No teasing, no nothing..." she told him, inwardly thinking of trying to keep her secret temptations as buried as possible.

"...Fine. Since it's pretty late, I doubt too many people will care how we're dressed. It's a bit chilly outside, since we're out in the open ocean, but it's really _hot_ in here," he grinned before rolling off of her and kicking off the blankets covering them to admire Gwyn's nude body. "And I swear, I'll never get tired of looking at you: post-having amazing sex..."

"I've always realised that from the look on your face," she remarked with a slight blush on her cheeks.

"Oh really?"

"Mmm-hmm," she hummed as she grabbed a bedsheet and loosely wrapped it around her before climbing down their bed. "Linen pants and a shirt would be fine I suppose."

Sitting up briefly to recline on the bed, he watched her grab some clothes for him. "Should work... I'll probably forgo the boxers... no point really."

"Maybe not," she laughed, throwing a pair of boxers at his face. "I don't want anyone to look at you."

"Fine fine," he laughed as he clutched the boxers in his hand while watching her slip on her underwear before pulling on her dress. "Mm... no bra, I likey..."

"It's because it's strapless and self-supporting," she grinned, sticking out her tongue at him playfully.

"Again, I like very much... Easier to fondle you once we get back from dinner..."

"Nope, you heard what I said right?" she grinned back at him.

"What? I end up doing that while cuddling you anyways..."

"Minus that this time, please..." she whispered, giving him a sweet smile that made him sigh in defeat.

"Oh fine..." he grinned back as he slipped on his boxers, pants and t-shirt.

"I'm actually in for a good glass of red wine and a slice of dessert..." she confessed.

"Doesn't sound too bad... I could go with a five-course meal right now..." he laughed as they left their cabin in search of the dining area.

"Wouldn't mind eating something myself either actually..." she replied as she held his left hand tightly in her right. "And Tris... I'm glad I can hold hands without being paranoid about it..."

"Not including me? And same here..." Studying her hand, he noticed that she wore the ring on her left hand now, but chose not to comment as he grinned brightly.

"No baby, that doesn't include you," she laughed out.

"Well you can _eat_ me later... after we've rested up from the _marathon_..." he snickered as they found a table and began to study their menus.

"Stop that," she laughed softly as she eyed a plate of salad and another one with chicken and rice. 

"What... being honest here..." he grinned as he found a course meal to his liking and waited for their waiter.

"You chose?" she asked him as she noticed a waiter approaching them.

"Yep. The course meal - second from the bottom of the page you're looking at."

"Mmm... seems good too," she mumbled as the waiter came up and nodded back at Tristan.

"Right, I'll have this course meal with the chicken and she'll have the..."

"Same please."

"I'll get started on those for you two. Anything to drink?"

"Red wine," replied the pair as they shared a giggle.

"Right away. Someone will bring you some bread and butter in the meantime."

"Sorry for taking your same choice," chuckled Gwyn as Tristan reached out for her hands while the waiter walked away. "But it looks good."

"Nah, not that I mind. Besides, we've worked up quite the appetite... on the train and then the past four hours in our cabin..."

"That's why we need to rest, and it's not just me I'm talking about... it's not like I'm going to run off or something anyway."

"I didn't say anything to object to the resting you know," he chuckled as one of the wait staff brought over a small basket of bread and a small saucer of butter. Picking up his butter knife, he began to liberally butter the fresh warm bread.

"Good..." she whispered as her look fell upon the ring on her left hand once again.

Taking a bite of his bread, he offered it to her. "Want a bite?"

"Oh, thank you," she smiled as she took a bite. "Listen, how about we stay on deck for some time? I'm sure they'd have blankets available..."

"So long as we don't see any icebergs, I think we'll be alright."

"There shouldn't be," she laughed, as she finished off the slice of bread. "At least, not this time of year I hope."

"Nah there shouldn't be any at all... And want more bread?"

"No, thank you," she replied, shaking her head in response. "I'd rather leave some place for the main meals..." she told him, as she turned her head to look out of the large window facing the open ocean. "Come to think of it... it's been ages since I last travelled. There have been times when I was sent for meetings around the world by Fred, five to six times a year... for meetings and the such. Now it's practically sizzled out into nothing as he's been attending them personally."

"So that he can fish for men or women to fuck..."

"Tristan..."

"You know that's what he does, I'm sure... but I'm glad. Because that means that you can stay home with me," he replied, with a smile.

"That I do..."

"Anyway, there's no need to talk about that now again, right?"

"No..." she smiled back at him.

"Right then..." Taking his wine glass, which had been filled while he and Gwyn were talking, he held it up. "To a happy holiday?"

"Indeed," she winked back at him as they gently clinked each other's glass. "Let's make sure to enjoy every second of it."

"Mm-hmm," he grinned as he took a sip of their wine. "Hmm... it's good, but not as good as what we have at home..."

"That was the best out of the list they have... the one we have at home is a rarity, hence why it's so good."

"Yeah, I should ask my friend where he gets it... I mean especially since you say it's so rare and were surprised that I actually had several bottles of it..."

"It was a good year for red wines."

"Not to mention a good place," he chuckled as he continued to eat some bread.

"Mmm?"

"We could maybe visit the vineyard and winery one day... say, during our honeymoon?"

"Where was that? In Italy?" she smiled, her eyes gazing brightly back at him.

"I believe so... but it might be elsewhere, as my friend is in Italy... I'll look at the label once we get back." 

"Should be of European origin though... it definitely tastes European..."

"Oh it is, but I can't tell if it's from Italy, or France, or from somewhere else."

"That's the area for sure... don't worry, we'll check the label when we're back home baby."

"Yep!" he grinned broadly as the first course arrived. "Ooohh... looks good..."

"Yes! That's true!" she grinned at the two nodded back to the waiter who smiled back at them.

"All to your liking? Sir? Madam?"

"Everything looks exquisite. Thank you."

"You're most welcome. Your seconds will be coming soon," he nodded as he silently walked away.

Taking a bite, Tristan grinned. "This is really good..."

"Mmm-hmm, that's true... and I thought we wouldn't have eaten well on the ship..."

"Well, again... Cath definitely is a master planner..."

"I need to thank her about that once we get back home... but... that's still a long way ahead," she grinned as she continued eating. After a few minutes, and with only a few minutes of waiting time, the waiter promptly came back with their other two dishes quickly taking away the empty ones from in front of them. "My... thank you."

"Very prompt service here... and this is great too. Oh don't worry, we can get Cath a joint gift or offer to take the kids off her hands for a weekend or something..."

"I wouldn't mind taking care of Alice for a weekend," she nodded as she starting eating her pasta dish.

"And the twins are actually really well-behaved - they only act up because they love to terrorize Val..."

"You just love watching them do it, don't you?" she laughed as she took another sip from her wine. "Your sisters are really sweet... no wonder you adore them."

"They're great... I'm really lucky to have them and yeah, I love watching Cath and Steve's kids - they're so much fun to interact with."

"That's true," she replied, looking away at the window once again, after setting her cutlery to rest against her plate. "Maybe I'm changing my mind about that..."

"Changing your mind about what?"

"Having children."

Lighting up, Tristan gave Gwyn a tender smile before leaning over and kissing her sweetly. "Now _that's_ something I'm looking forward to once we're married."

"I've always been scared about it... but... maybe... it's not that bad, after all," she whispered back.

"No, it won't be too bad... I promise you."

"Not too soon though," she continued taking his hands in hers. "Because of _you know who_... I don't want to place them in any unnecessary dangers for sure."

"Agreed."

"Anyway, keep eating or it'll get cold."

Picking up his fork, he began to devour his pasta. "Yes ma'am..."

"Love you, my crazy little sweetheart," she chuckled as she got back to eating too.

"Love you too babe."

Enjoying the rest of the dinner, including dessert, Gwyn and Tristan finished up by grinning widely at each other, nodding back at the waiter who received a hefty tip before the two headed outside for a short walk on deck.

"Beautiful night... It'll take about a few more days of sailing before we arrive..." he grinned as he settled himself onto a deck chair and pulled Gwyn onto his lap. 

"I don't mind the sailing..." she murmured as she rested her head against his chest.

"Me neither... Think you can reach the blanket?"

"Yes sure," she nodded as she sat up and reached for one of the blankets randomly placed on the nearby deckchair. "Serves for both I suppose," she told him as she wrapped the blanket around the two of them.

"Yep... So, the perfect end to the first official day of our holiday?"

"Well even the train ride was fun," she whispered as she placed a kiss on his cheek, while holding out her left hand. "Got a promise ring too..."

"That you did... The last two hours of the ride were great fun..."

"Will it be fifteen days of you thinking about _that_? I need to be psychologically prepared you know..." she laughed softly, as she raised her head to look up at him. "Apart from physically..."

"Well no... We need to have room to tour and stuff..."

"Good," she muttered as she started dozing off in his arms. "Can we do some stargazing too?"

"Here and on the beach too..." he grinned while pointing out some of the constellations.

"There for sure... no lights at all," she mumbled as Tristan held an arm up and started tracing out some of the star's paths.

"Mm-hmm," he whispered before kissing her nose.

-

"Gwyn? Wake up baby, we've just docked..." whispered Tristan as he kissed her bare shoulder.

"Dock... what?" she mumbled as she merely shifted in her sleep. "Need to sleep... bit more..."

"We're here in Brazil..."

"Already?" she looked up at him, to then nuzzle against his neck.

"Yep... C'mon, I can feel the warm sunshine already."

"Uhm..." she growled as she covered herself up with the bedsheets again. "You get changed... I'll stay a bit more."

"I was thinking of a quick shower together, but I'll get changed..." Grinning, he climbed out of their bed before reaching down to the floor and grabbed his boxers.

"I'm still tired," she yawned as she huddled against his pillow and fell asleep again.

"If you remain too tired, I'm carrying your naked ass out with me..." he laughed as he slipped on the boxers before grabbing his linen pants. Seeing that Gwyn didn't move an inch from bed, Tristan made his way back by her side and looked over to find her asleep again, slightly worried that there was something wrong with her. "Well this isn't going to do me any good..." Grabbing the blankets, Tristan picked up Gwyn's sleeping form and headed to the little bathroom. Setting her in the tub, he turned on the shower and laughed as Gwyn immediately woke up after being hit with the cold water.

"Meanie..." she muttered as he continued to splash water in her face.

"Mm-hmm," he chuckled as he leaned over the tub, not minding getting wet, as he kissed her passionately.

"Good morning Mister Faraday," she laughed as she let out a yawn, despite being now fully awake.

"Good morning Miss Coulston," Tristan whispered as Gwyn ran a hand down his naked back.

"How much time do we have to get ready?"

"Half an hour. So just rinse off and get dressed. I'll be getting dressed in the room..."

"Alright," she smiled as she got back on her feet while rinsing off her hair. "I'll be ready in a couple of minutes."

"Love you..."

"Love you too... and Tris, can you get that light blue halter-neck sundress I've got in my bag out for me please?" she called back as she got out of the tub and started drying herself up.

"You got it," he grinned before disappearing and reappearing with the dress. "Sexy dress for a sexy lady..."

"It's light and comfortable... and actually, your sister got it for me," she told him as she placed a kiss on his cheek and raced into the bedroom to fetch her underwear. "I generally avoid showing too much of my back."

"Huh? Which one?"

"Valerie, who else."

"Figures..." Grabbing a towel, Tristan proceeded to wash his face before grabbing their toiletries and shoving them into their bag. Carrying it out to the room, he caught the t-shirt that Gwyn tossed at him. "This shirt?"

"Mmm-hmm, any objection?" she replied as she started zipping up the dress.

"Nope, none at all," he grinned before pulling on the t-shirt. "You're liking the form-fitting t-shirts on me now?"

"Here I can show off my boyfriend as much as I like," she grinned back.

"As good a reason as any."

"And... can you help me with the darn zip at the back?" she laughed, realising that she couldn't manage on her own.

Dropping the bag on the bed, he leaned over and kissed his way up her back while zipping up the dress. Securing it through the eyelet, he kissed his spot and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Hey gorgeous..."

"I think I'm going to ask you to do this each time when I have a dress to fasten up," she smiled as she caressed his hands resting on her stomach. "Thanks Sweetheart."

"You're welcome."

"Let's tidy up the room and finish getting dressed and all..." she told him, as she turned in his embrace and placed a kiss on his cheek.

"Sure thing," he smiled. Kissing her shoulder one more time, the pair set about straightening up their room and packing their belongings. Making sure that everything was secure, they gathered their bags and had one of the porters help them with their trunks. Tipping the porter, Tristan was immediately greeted by an older gentleman and woman. "Jack! Therese! What are you guys doing here?"

"Catherine told us that your ship would have arrived say around this time... so... here we are," the couple grinned back at the younger one.

"We'll escort you to the hotel ourselves... you know, safer and quicker," the man grinned, patting Tristan's shoulder vigorously. "Boy! Haven't you grown up since I last saw of you."

"He sure did... and who's the lovely lady with you here?" smiled Therese as Gwyn nodded back at them, tipping her sun hat slightly up.

"This is my girlfriend, Gwyn Coulston," Tristan grinned broadly as Therese hugged and kissed him. "And it's a hotel?"

"It's a resort more than a hotel... but Jack likes to call it, erroneously a _hotel,_ " his wife teased. "And, pleased to meet you Gwyn, I'm Therese, and this is my husband Jack." 

"Ahh... Cath said we have our personal villa..."

"That's the point," Therese nodded back. "It's not a usual hotel block with rooms, it's individual living spaces. That's the whole concept behind it."

"It's still a hotel honey," sighed Jack as he greeted Gwyn. "So, you're the lady who's managed to tame Wild Thing over here? You've got some guts," he teased.

"Ah, uhm... yeah," stuttured Gwyn in reply, blushing slightly. "It's a pleasure to meet you two though."

Grinning over at a blushing Tristan, Jack hugged the young man warmly. "Likewise Gwyn, likewise. Keep an eye on this one, he's an absolute sweetheart of a boy."

"Aww... Uncle Jack..." whined Tristan.

"That I know," smiled Gwyn.

"Well he does have a point there you know," Therese nodded in agreement. "Not on the hotel thing though. It's a resort dear." 

"Fine fine..." chuckled Jack as he kissed Tristan's hair. "I've watched this one grow up since he was a baby, so I tend to think of him as like a nephew."

"Yeah yeah old man..." Tristan snickered. "Shall we get to packing up our stuff?"

"Sure... as we can't waste time, you two need to enjoy every minute of it, I've got strict instructions you know," Therese chuckled as she helped Jack into handling one of the luggages.

"Hey hey, I got it..." smiled Tristan as he took the trunk handle from Therese and helped Jack haul the trunks into the car.

"You can go inside already young lady, we can handle this," Jack told Gwyn who nodded back without a word and slipped inside the back of the car, tipping down her hat once again.

"It's fifteen days you're staying right? You should have come for a month," giggled Therese as she watched the two men handle the last of their bags.

Once Gwyn and Therese were in the car, Tristan grinned over at Jack. "So, how's the teaching been? Lots of students wanting to learn how to prepare traditional French and Italian cooking?"

"Young couples like you two mostly."

"I don't blame the older ones not really getting into it - I absolutely _love_ the food here..."

"Yeah, we know that," Jack chuckled to himself. "Don't worry, we replenished our supplies last week."

"You know what's funny, ever since you called me a Black Hole when I was ten, the nickname's stuck with everyone..." 

"That's because it's fitting," laughed Jack as he made sure that everyone was seated comfortably and started up the engine.

"Stop teasing him about that, it's good that he eats so much. Shows that he's healthy." 

"And yet he can't even put on weight... he's still too skinny," Jack smiled as he easily navigated the crowded streets. "And how are you two doing back there? Enjoying the scenery?"

"Mmm-hmm," hummed Gwyn as Tristan gazed outside his window.

"Yep... forgot how lively this place is during the day..." 

"Sure is! Just make sure you don't wander alone at night, can get dangerous... in the central part of the city mostly," Jack pointed out.

"Oh yeah, I remember that... I remember a lot of guys wanting to jump me because I somehow ended up dancing with girls that they had their eyes on... course then you had your buddies keeping an eye on me..." chuckled Tristan.

"At least this time you don't have that problem," Therese chuckled.

"Nope. As this time, I'll have a beautiful woman by my side."

"Geez, I still remember that. Women looking at him starry-eyed... boy sure attracts attention," Jack laughed. "But you always came alone and left alone..."

"I usually made sure I did... Considering most of those women were looking for a piece of ass to hit that night..."

"Most of them are these days," Jack sighed. "But yes you're right about this time round; you'll probably be the envy of many people around, so keep close to one another." 

"You'll make them go paranoid, let them enjoy it!"

"I'm just warning them, Rezzie! It's not like I'm saying that to scare them... it's just to keep them aware." 

"Yeah..." Watching Jack come to a stop at a building along the ocean, Tristan gaped. "Wow... are we here already?"

"Yep, took the highway just as we got out of the capital, took us barely... fifteen minutes?" Jack replied, grinning as he gazed back at his wristwatch.

"Holy shit that was pretty fast... Didn't even notice..."

"It would have taken you much much more if you'd used public transport," Therese nodded. "And he was driving fast too," she glared back at Jack, slapping him slightly on his arm.

"What? I just thought that these kids have better things to... _do_... Anyways, you guys get checked in and rested up, we'll grab you two for dinner and then let you two enjoy your time here. Tris, you know how to get around, but just in case, one of my buddies will serve as your taxi. Got it? I swear the last thing I want is for Cath to come down here and kick my ass because I let her little brother and his fiancée get hurt..."

"Yeah, she'd really kill us," Therese laughed out. "Just like Jack said, you go check out your place... we picked you the best we have in the whole place."

"Okay. Want to come down with us?" Tristan asked as he began to unbuckle his seatbelt.

"There's no need. Just tell them that you're our guests and they'll understand," winked back Therese.

"More like family," he responded warmly as he climbed out of the car before helping Gwyn out. Taking her hand in his, they both marveled at all of the little villas dotting the coastline. "Very cool... Much better than when I was sleeping in hostels..."

"Hostels?! Ha! This is a five star plus kiddo," Jack grinned proudly.

"Good point... At least business is booming so that you own these... and the cooking school."

"Yes as there aren't any similar businesses like ours around... hence, what you see," Therese smiled. "Just wait till you get inside... then let us know later what you think about the place when we meet up. And, a porter will help you with your luggage," she smiled as a porter promptly approached them.

"Oh - thank you..." Tristan smiled as the porter began to load his and Gwyn's trunks.

"Make sure to enjoy it you two, you have all afternoon for yourselves," Jack winked back at them. "We'll meet you up here at about seven thirty... is that alright for you?"

"I believe so... Gwyn? Is that okay?" 

"Sure," she smiled, her eyes beaming brightly making Tristan inwardly confirm that it was a good idea to get her away from everything and everyone. "We can explore the place here a bit... ah... by any chance, would it be possible to hire a car from here? Should we want to move away for a long distance?"

"Oh definitely! Just ask the lobby and they'll help you out immediately."

"Like I said, you have your own personal taxi, so don't worry about it Gwyn. He's one of my best friends and trusted employees, so he'll make sure to take care of you both. Now, just go check in and we'll grab you two in the evening." Grinning, Jack and Therese hugged the younger pair warmly and proceeded to get back into their car. "Since you're practically family, let's just say that everything's taken care of."

Gaping slightly, the pair waved as the O'Neills left. "Bye Jack! Bye Therese! See you both soon!"

"See you... and... Tris? Any idea what the 'everything' here means?"

"I have no idea, but I do know that they don't have any kids... so they tend to spoil me whenever they get the chance..."

"And that means they must have prepared something special," she replied as she squeezed his hand slightly.

"I guess... Well, let's go check in as I'm sure mom wants to know if we've arrived..."

"Sure sure," she winked as she placed a kiss on his cheek, to then start dragging him inside.

"Hey now, I can walk on my own," he laughed as Gwyn continued to lead the way past the sliding glass doors of the main entrance.

"I know you do," she chuckled, as she stopped to a halt when she saw the entrance. "What was it again? Five star?"

"That's what he said... Holy cow, they sure do know how to spoil me rotten..."

"Everyone does," she chuckled as she gaped at the glass ceilings on their heads. "Talk about catching sunlight..."

"Uh-huh..." 

"Honey... didn't you want to phone up your mother," smiled Gwyn as she stood behind him and wrapped her arms around him.

"Uhh...yeah..." Shaking his head, he smiled as he reached into his bag, removing several pieces of paper. "How about you go check in for us while I use their phone to call my mom?"

"Yes dear," she promptly replied, heading towards the concierge who immediately engaged in a lovely chat with her. "Tris? You can use the phone over here, said it's not a problem."

"Oh cool thanks." Smiling sweetly, he began to dial his mother's house. "Hello? Hi mom?"

"Oh my God, mom! Mom! There's Tristan on the phone! Hey baby, how are you?" a very excited Valerie answered the call. "Liv, there's Tris on the phone, get out of the kitchen!"

"Hey Val, where's mom and Livvy? Anyways, you should _see_ this place - Jack and Therese have been doing very well for themselves, and they also say hi."

"Oh sure and... ack! Mom!"

"Tris? Oh hi baby, how did the trip go? You and Gwyn alright?"

"Hi mommy, everything's fine - trip was lovely. And we're both good - Gwyn's talking to the concierge. Like I was telling Val - this place is amazing!" 

"Have you met Jack and Rez?"

"Yep! They picked us up. Did you know that where me and Gwyn are staying is _owned_ by Jack and Therese? These are top-notch digs... It's incredible!" 

"Jack's made an incredible business when he got back from war... decided to pick a remote spot and create what he did... should be beautiful eh?" she smiled.

"It's amazingly beautiful... If anything, I'm glad Therese introduced her younger brother Steve to Cath," he chuckled. "But, it was really nice when they used to visit us while I was growing up - and the fact that he knew Dad - though in passing - was really great too."

"Come to think of it... I think your father would have opened a bookshop..."

"Really?"

"Never told you your father was a bookworm?" she chuckled, as her daughters rested their heads on her shoulders to listen to the conversation.

"Nope, you never did. But it probably explains all those books we have..."

"He used to read anything... from novels, to history books... to general knowledge stuff... anything that tickled his fancy."

"Wow... Well anyways, did you guys want to say hi to Gwyn? Looks like I have to sign something - oh here she is," he managed to get out as Gwyn took the receiver from him.

"Hi you all," chuckled Gwyn as she heard the squeals from the sisters who took the receiver from their mother immediately.

Letting out a breath, Tristan took the pen from the concierge and signed his name in the necessary spots while Gwyn chatted with the others. Once everything was in order, he received a pair of keys. "...What do you mean, everything's been taken care of?"

"It means dear boy, Mr. O'Neill has taken care of everything for you and your companion. Now, should you require any services, just call and we'll see to your needs immediately. Have a good day." 

"You too!"

"No, I can't send you a photo of it," laughed Gwyn as she continued with the sister-ly chat. "And Tristan's ready from the paperwork," she smiled.

"Photo of what?" asked Tristan as he hugged Gwyn.

"Of a certain present you gave me," she winked as she heard the girls squee at the other end.

"Oh right... Well, whenever you're ready, I've got the keys. Also, Jack's taken care of _everything_ everything..."

"Make sure you have fun, lovebirds!" Valerie shouted as Kari could be heard chiding her immediately.

"Oh we've been having _fun_ since we were on the the _train_... as well as on the _boat_ ," snickered Tristan as Valerie began to sputter over the phone.

"Stop teasing her," chuckled Gwyn as she gave Tristan a kiss on his cheek.

"It's fun though..."

"Val don't mind him, listen... if you see Cynthia or Anne, tell them that we're fine please."

"Sure sure... And it doesn't bother me that you two are doing your thing, but rather...the mental image of my little brother having sex with _anyone_ is a bit awkward," Valerie replied matter-of-factly while Olivia hit her. "Oww... what was that for?!"

"Don't talk about it like that!" Olivia yelled in the background.

"What was that thing about 'anyone'?" Gwyn blinked, raising an eyebrow upon hearing Valerie's comment.

"She means me having sex in general. I mean, despite it being you and all, she still doesn't want to imagine you and I having sex..." he chuckled.

"Mmm... but being called anyone is a bit degrading..." she mumbled, nuzzling against his neck.

"Oh SHIT! Sorry Gwyn I didn't mean you of course!" Valerie yelled as Olivia wrestled the phone away from her younger sister. "Sorry about that and again Gwyn, she didn't mean it that way. You two have fun and take care of each other... mom and I will deal with Val, Tris. Talk to you two soon!"

Once they both heard the line go dead, Tristan laughed. "It runs in the family - the whole open-mouth-insert-foot thing... Val and I are probably the worst offenders of _that_. And again, I apologize on behalf of my sister."

"It's fine... Probably I got it the wrong way round," she replied. "Even though she almost made it sound as if you sleep with the first that comes along."

"For me, the first thing that comes along when I sleep is you, as I'm usually holding your hand..." 

Smiling, Gwyn reached up and placed a kiss on his nose. "Bet your mother and Olivia are scolding her now..."

"Most probably. Anyways, the porter brought our trunks over to our villa, so shall we get going? I'd like to just layabout for the rest of the day before dinner..."

"If it's next to the ocean we could have a swim... and layabout as much as you like."

"Excellent. And if the main office looks like this, I wonder what the villa looks like?" he asked as he got to his feet and helped Gwyn up.

"A guess? Must be gorgeous," she nodded as she locked her arm in his.

"That would be my assumption too..." Leading her out the back entrance, the pair continued to smile at the absolute natural beauty that was currently surrounding them. Following the natural sand and stone path, he led them to their particular villa. Unlocking the door, both were immediately floored by what was presented before them. "So...we should get them a thank-you gift, don't you think?" 

"White orchids..." she muttered, the smile on her lips getting wider by the second. "Yes... we should," she agreed.

"This place is really beautiful..."

"Let's go see where the bedroom is," she whispered as she slipped off her sandals and dragged Tristan with her once again.

"Oh goodie..." he smirked.

"This should be it," Gwyn noticed as she spotted the last closed door. "Now, close your eyes, and we'll open it together... it'll be fun reacting at the same time," she giggled.

"Sure," he grinned as he closed his eyes. "Ready?"

"Of course..." she replied, closing her eyes too. "One... two..."

"Three."

Opening the door, they both immediately opened their eyes. "Wow..."

"A million times better than I could have ever imagined," she mumbled in a whisper, as she tiptoed inside, gazing at the view that the large glass windows provided right in front of the large lavish bed.

"Same here..." he mumbled as he ran his hand along the edge of the night table and took note of the flower petals on top of the bedspread. Looking up, he noticed that there was a large canopy above the bed, but had the curtains tied up. Staring out the window, he grinned as he joined Gwyn by the window. "I'm gonna look for the bath, wanna come with me?"

"Mmm-hmm," she hummed back. "But we do have a little piece of beach for the two of us it seems..."

"It does look that way..." he called as he wandered over to the doorway that led to the bathroom. "Hmm...no door, much more convenient... And...I think that tub rivals ours..." 

"You mean it's larger than mine?" she grinned, as she peeked from behind his back, gasping. "Damn, you're right, it is!"

"Yeah...well, now that we've had a look around. Shall we go outside and enjoy the sun? Or do you feel like doing something else?"

"I'll go find that red bikini you got for me," she smiled sweetly back at him. "And we can go outside lazy around for a while."

"Sure... and I give you permission to pick out whatever you want me to wear..." he smiled as he entered the bathroom and headed for the toilet. A few minutes later, he re-emerged and proceeded to wash his hands before heading out into the bedroom and let out a brief squeak as he saw Gwyn dressed in her bikini. "Goddamn you look gorgeous..." 

"Thank you," she blushed lightly as she gently threw a pair of navy blue swimming trunks at him. "Here I can since there's no one around."

"Yeah, and I appreciate that greatly believe me." Grinning widely, he began to change into his swim trunks when Gwyn stepped in front of him. "Yes? Did you want something?"

"Mmm... nothing really," she smiled, leaning over to kiss him. "Thank you for bringing me here."

"And thank you for coming with me," he replied back before kissing her gently. 

"You're welcome..." she winked back at him. "So... coming?"

"Yeah... just have to pull my trunks on. So stopping me like that, was that just a clever ploy to have me standing here naked?"

"Maybe," she grinned mischievously. "And to steal a kiss too you know."

"Guess that works too." Winking, he quickly pulled on his trunks and tied them off. "I think there should be some beach towels on the deck..." 

"You mean outside?" she asked, sliding the terrazza door open.

"Yeah, there should be a - Here," he replied as he found a basket containing a number of large, white fluffy towels. Grabbing two of them, he followed her down the stairs and onto the beach. "Ahh, smell that fresh sea-salt air..."

"Now don't laugh if I don't swim as well as you do."

"Babe, we're on vacation, no worries about your swimming ability. Not like I'm going to be joining up with any swimming competitions while we're here. Besides, _you're_ in a bikini, that more than enough insurance that I'm not leaving your side," he chuckled as he made his way into the clear blue water.

"How is it?" she called, standing right at the water's edge, her feet wading into the sea.

Rather than answering, he ran back to her, picked her up, and carried her as they both waded into the water, laughing the entire time. "I'd say perfect."

"Do I really have a say in this?" she chuckled as Tristan pulled her closer to him.

"I think you do," Tristan chuckled.

"It's just right. Everything's just right."

"Good... And how's the water?"

"Quite alright too," she replied as Tristan gently set her down.

"So, fancy a swim?"

"As long as you're next to me, yes."

"Sure sure." Floating on his back, he reached over and grabbed Gwyn before kicking his feet to propel them while she used her arms to lead them. "I almost think we're the same weight..."

"Wouldn't be surprised actually," she grinned, realising she hadn't swum like that since she were a little girl, accompanied by a teasing Neville and a relaxed Adel.

"And yet I eat enough to actually double my weight... though I'm sure I've only gained like an ounce or something..."

"You're fitter than average anyway."

"True... And think we've swum far out enough?"

"I suppose so..." she nodded, letting go of him as she took in the shore landscape. "They really did a great job..." she whispered, realising that he had disappeared from her sight. "And where on earth..."

"For sure... When I was last here - staying with them of course - I remember Jack talking about it, but he usually kept me at the bakery..." he replied after popping up next to her. "So I never got to see the place when it was being built." 

"Thought you were going to pull me down," she laughed, pouting playfully when she realised that he had hid underwater again.

Swimming under the water, he grinned as he let his hands brush against her legs and lower back before popping up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Nah, I'm not that cliché..." 

"You never were," she smiled.

Resting his chin on her shoulder, he kept treading water to keep them afloat. "Well at least that's a good thing..."

"We wouldn't be like this if you were," she commented. "And is turning to kiss you cliché?"

"Nah, I was thinking of doing that...just didn't know how pass-"

"You were saying dear?" she smirked back in return as their kiss ended.

"I... uh... that was a rather passionate and intense kiss, wasn't it?"

"Yeah which managed to surprise you a little bit," she giggled triumphantly.

"Mm-hmm... Sure did," he smiled before kissing her again. 

"Is this the effect of the red bikini?" she laughed heartily as she wrapped one arm tightly around him.

"No, the effect of the red bikini would mean that we'd be shut in our hotel room - naked."

"Point taken," she chuckled, resting against him.

"This is pretty close though. So, how about we just layabout now? That'll be another effect of the red bikini - you could use a bit of color to you..."

"You mean sunbathe? Just a little bit."

"Yeah, lay out in the sun for a bit, but then we can nap under the shade of the umbrella."

"We see who gets to shore first?" she giggled as Tristan pulled her close once again.

"Mmm... as much as I would love to, I like the _swimming together_ option..." 

"Maybe you have a point there," she replied.

"Because I'm a brilliant genius," he chuckled before floating onto his back once again. "Ready?"

"My my, how modest," she laughed out as she held onto him once again.

"I know, right?"

"Mmm-hmm," she hummed back at the two started making their way back to the shore.

Giving her a grin, he began to kick while she paddled. Eventually, they made it to the shallows before Tristan let go of Gwyn and got to his feet before running ashore and doing a few cartwheels in the sand.

"Showoff," she laughed out as she waded out of the water and stretched out.

Performing a backflip, he made his way back to her before flopping onto his towel. "Nah, that's me just stretching out."

"Terribly simple way of stretching," she snickered as she laid out her towel neatly on the sand and laid down by his side. 

"Well I think so..."

"I'm not complaining. Let's say it's original."

"Very," he chuckled as Gwyn began to draw circles over his stomach, tickling him slightly. "Giving my abs a workout?"

"Just a little bit, not that they need a workout anyway," she grinned in return. "It's nice to see you smile so much."

"I could say the same for you, all things considered," he whispered back while hugging her tightly.

"Guess so..." she mumbled as she started playing with the strands of hair on his forehead, slowly combing them back.

Kissing her forehead gently, he hugged her again as they laid out in the sun to dry off for a bit.

"We could keep this as a daily appointment in the morning, instead of a shower... then head off for wherever we want to go, what do you think?"

"Might be an idea, though a bath to wash off the sea salt would be a good way to finish of the morning swim..."

"Or else, we could plan that the other way round..."

"We could..."

"Any way's fine... as long as we enjoy this slice of paradise for quite a while."

"Definitely... Move to the shade now?"

"Sure sure..." she whispered as they got up and moved their towels up under the shade of the large umbrella that had been placed close to the wooden staircase leading to the villa.

"Good thing that the weather's warm - even under the shade," he grinned as he began to doze lightly.

"Yeah I know," she muttered as she sat up slightly, watching over him silently as he fell asleep.

Smiling in his sleep, he reached over and hugged Gwyn tightly, keeping her cuddled against him.

"Tristan? Hey Tris... it's almost six... we need to go inside and get changed for this evening..." Gwyn whispered a few hours later, with Tristan still fast asleep while holding her close.

"...Hmm?" 

"Dinner and me in a red top in an hour or so?"

"Oh right... we should get going then..."

"Works more than an alarm," she laughed as she grabbed their towels and followed Tristan inside.

"Considering what my reward is? Yes, I think so..."

"I'll keep that in mind for when you have to wake up for work," she teased as she looked around to locate their trunks.

"Won't work all the time... but you can try."

"I'll try my luck with that when needed."

Grinning, he gave her a wink before helping her look for their trunks, which were still in the living area of the villa. 

"Guess we should take these in the bedroom, what do you think?"

"Tell you what, you can go get ready while I bring these inside, and don't worry I can handle it," he smiled as he proceeded to start moving the trunks into the bedroom. 

"You sure?"

"Yep, unless you have some need for me in the bathroom, besides, I just moved one of them, only three more to go..."

"I'll just have to rinse off the sea water and get dressed... And it doesn't look all too problematic... I'll wait for you if you like."

"No sense in arguing with you I guess," he laughed as he finished moving the second trunk. "Alright, you can go pick out my clothes for the evening too and we can go rinse off together then. In the meantime, just sit back and relax on the bed."

"Yes Sir," she smiled as she laid down on the silken white bedsheets, scattered with red rose petals all over. Shifting to rest on her side, watching Tristan carry the last trunk inside, she realised how much he had actually worked to get her away from her everyday life to relax and enjoy it. And not make her worry about anything as much as possible. Grinning to herself, she inwardly made the decision to make him enjoy the well-deserved break too - after all, he had earned it more than she actually did.

Setting down the last trunk, he leaned against them briefly while looking over at Gwyn, noticing the relaxed grin on her face. "Well now, _someone_ looks like they're on holiday," he grinned.

"Come here," she winked back at him, patting slightly the empty space by her side.

Making his way over to her, he sat in the empty space next to her.

"Hi!" she chuckled in response, with a smile on her face that made him recall the girl he had painted years before. "Like the glorious bed?"

"Hey," he laughed as he laid next to her. "I'm liking it so far... but need to put it some work to see how it compares to our bed at home," he smirked as he wagged his eyebrows at her.

"Trial run can wait a couple of hours," she laughed out heartily. 

"Oh yes please." Rolling onto his side, he wrapped an arm around her middle. "Now, the longer we stay like this, the more tempted I am to call Jack and Therese and say that we're occupied..."

"Honey they've been pretty generous with us... might as well return the courtesy," she smiled back. "Plus, they seem like a really fun couple to hang out with."

"I know, that's why we need to get up... though it pains me to say that," he snickered as he leaned over and kissed her. 

"I am, I am," she whispered back, as she placed one last kiss on his neck and sat up.

Helping her up, he slid off the bed and got to the floor. Taking her hands in his, he helped her to the floor and hugged her. "Go get cleaned up?"

"Yes definitely," she winked back at him, as they walked inside the bathroom and made sure they locked the door behind them.

"Think Catherine asked them to scatter the petals all over the place?" chuckled Gwyn as she watched Tristan smirk when he leaned over to have a look at the tub.

"Between her, Jack, and Therese... I wouldn't be surprised," he grinned as he grabbed the strings holding up her bikini top and began to pull at them, easily untying the knot.

"And that was sneaky," she laughed as he easily lifted her up into the tub.

"It was, wasn't it? Not that you don't appreciate my sneakiness..."

"Haven't said anything," she smirked as she latched an arm round his waist while she opened the shower tap with the other. "I can be too."

"True, though we might want to do away with the swim bottoms, no?" 

"Yeah," she nodded as she leaned down to remove her bikini briefs. "Tris I guess you should remove that," she laughed as she felt water dripping off her hair already.

"Probably." Grasping the waistband of his swim trunks, he easily slid them off and dropped them over the side of the tub. "Guess we're on even ground now?"

"We are but we should get done soon or else we'll have to rush to get ready," she replied. 

"Not that it takes us very long to get ready anyways," he smirked before kissing her.

"And that's true too..." she grinned, raising an eyebrow at him. "Are you hinting at something?"

"Besides, fifteen minutes is enough for a quickie..."

"I knew it..." she laughed as she leaned in to surprise him with a passionate kiss.

"You know me well enough now."

"I've always knew you I suppose," she grinned as she clung closer to him.

"Seems that way..."

"And?"

"I may not know _all_ of you, but perhaps it seems that I do know you well enough." Holding her tightly, he gently eased them to lay down on the rather large and spacious tub. "Seems that our hosts know that many people would be interested in cuddling in the tub... amongst other things..."

"Well considering that probably it's more of a honeymoon nest than a place for a getaway break..." she whispered.

"Then I guess we can treat this as the pre-honeymoon," he whispered back before kissing her.

"Might as well..." she mumbled as she kissed him back while pulling him closer. "And... don't worry... you almost know all of me by now..."

"If anything though... I think our _bodies_ know each other _extremely_ well," he smiled before slowly easing into her. 

"Without a doubt..." she murmured, as she nuzzled her head against his neck as he began to move slowly. "Love you..."

"Love you too."

-

"Tris, that tie, come here..." she chuckled as Tristan walked towards her, stopping to stand right in front of her. "How come you put it on?"

"I dunno... it was the first thing I grabbed out of the trunk to go with this shirt..."

"Mmm..." she smiled, fixing the knot properly up to fit his collar perfectly. "There you go."

"Oh, I thought you objected to the colour of the tie... But yeah, I think you're way better at knotting it than I am... or at least you're more particular about it."

"I just hate a tie knot badly done..." she nodded as she studied their reflection in the mirror. "And you're done," she winked back at him with a grin. "Ah, and I don't mind the colour really."

"Okay. And need me to help you with the back of your dress? Also, when you first saw me - before I became your manager - did you ever have the urge to run over to me and fix my tie knot? And be honest." 

"Totally honest? Your smirk used to irritate me... and probably knowing myself then and now... it was because I inwardly liked you and didn't want to admit that, I had too many internal conflicts at the time. Well, no need to remind you, you know too well how the situation was. But I used to have a look at your ties, as sneaky as it were."

"My _smirk_ irritated you? And you snuck looks at my ties... dunno if that was because you liked them or were morbidly curious about them..."

"Both I guess. And honey, the irritation came from the fact that I didn't want to admit that I had a particular liking for you... but I sure liked your ties," she admitted as she finished brushing her hair.

Standing behind her, he wrapped his arms around her middle warmly. "So... you hated the smirk because you liked me... is it because you found the smirk to be a distraction? Were you amused by it? Did you find it _sexy_?" Tristan smiled as he studied their reflection in the mirror.

"No because I was forcing myself not to fall in love..." she admitted quietly. "That can answer all your questions..."

"Ahh... But we fell anyways, and contrary to everything that's happened to us, it hasn't hurt yet," he murmured before kissing her neck and his spot.

"Yet..." she echoed back, as she closed her eyes to savour his touch on her skin.

"Well, I'm not planning on us breaking up anytime soon, so _yet_ will just have to wait."

"Trust me..." she muttered, opening her eyes again. "Living would be pointless now... if there wouldn't be _you_ by my side," she told him, also referring to her personal decision of not turning him into someone like her.

"I intend on sticking around for as long as possible, and that's that. Now, it's about ten till so they should get here soon, so what's say you and I finish getting all prettied up and we wait for them to arrive? Then, once we come back, I can smirk at you all I want with no bad consequences happening."

"You can do whatever you want when we're back," she whispered, kissing him as she slid out of his embrace.

"Correction _we'll_ do whatever we want when we're back. I mean, if I'm not making love to you, I'm simply masturbating," he replied with a mischievous grin.

"Alright alright, I got the point," she pouted playfully. "You really can be a little perfectionist at times... grammatically I mean."

"Being a perfectionist has gotten me this far, has it not?"

"True to that too - a smug perfectionist I adore."

"Since when am I smug? I'm nothing but a humble individual..."

Chuckling, Gwyn wrapped her arms around his neck with a small jump, almost making him lose his balance as she felt him lift her up his back. " _My_ smug perfectionist humble individual," she grinned as she placed a kiss on his cheek.

"That's better," he grinned as he heard a knock on the door. Striding through the bedroom and living room, he looked through the peephole and saw both Jack and Therese standing out on the porch before opening the door quickly to keep his hold on Gwyn. "Good evening you two."

"'Evening," Jack grinned mischievously at the younger couple. "Havin' fun, ain't ya? Seems you like the place."

"Just a bit... So, where we going?"

"At the second restaurant we own, overlooking one of the bays..." Therese smiled as Gwyn and Tristan gaped back at them. 

"How many places do you actually own?" Gwyn asked, still holding onto Tristan, as Therese looked back at her husband for a reply.

"Mmm... about five in total," answered both Tristan and Jack at the same time.

"You must really have good managerial skills," smiled Gwyn. "That's quite something to handle."

"It's a bit of a chore sometimes, but I definitely trust my staff. Every night, I go to one of the restaurants - not really for a progress check, but just because each one of them specializes in something different. The one we're going to specializes mostly in seafood, as it overlooks the bay, but they make steaks so well that they rival steakhouses - one of which I own and is an authentic Brazilian steakhouse. I literally had to carry Tristan back home as he was in a meat-filled coma. Rezzie never quite forgave me for letting a seventeen year old eat twice his weight in cooked meats," he grinned as his wife smiled back.

"I'm not too surprised about him," chuckled Gwyn, as she placed a kiss at the back of Tristan's neck. "But five restaurants and a hotel is really impressive, you have my full admiration."

"Well thank you, and I admire you for being able to handle him. He's not really the easiest person to keep in check - he's a pretty free spirit sometimes..."

"So I have a habit of simply disappearing sometimes... I'm not _that_ bad..."

"Mmm... in all these months, he's never acted too much of a free spirit with me," she pondered out loud.

"I haven't had a reason to just get up and go when I'm with you. That's why."

"...So stop saying that he's a free spirit," Therese told her husband, shaking her head. 

"Well why not? I don't mean anything _bad_ by it... if anything I'm actually waiting for this one to settle down and start a family. That way I don't have to worry about him so much..."

"They're probably working on that dear," Therese replied, noticing the ring on Gwyn's left hand.

"Hey, you might be right about that... So kids, when's the wedding?" replied Jack as he began ushering the pair towards the car.

"Wedding? What wedding?"

"Wedding?" chuckled Gwyn, as she realised that either one of the two might have caught a glimpse of her ring. "Oh... _that_ you mean..."

"So no wedding bells just yet? Aww... you two are cute together..." Opening the rear passenger door for Tristan, he made sure that both he and Gwyn were secure before settling himself into the driver's seat.

"Maybe it's soon, don't push them into answering you," Therese laughed as she watched Jack start the engine and head for the motorway. "Just make sure to let us know when you do," she chuckled softly.

"I'm sure Cath and Steve will phone you up the moment it happens..." smiled Tristan as he cuddled next to Gwyn.

"Definitely... I wouldn't be surprised if Valerie actually did that though... you'd probably hear her squeal from home."

"Oh yeah, Val definitely is the partier of the family - in a good way. She loves celebrating happy occasions. Whenever you want a party organized, she and Cynthia are the dynamic duo..."

"Definitely agree with that sentiment," Tristan replied as he smoothed down his red tie before placing his hand on Gwyn's thigh, smoothing down the skirt of her red dress.

"And you two, you two look absolutely gorgeous. I have a feeling you two will be turning quite a few heads once we get to the restaurant..."

"You think so? I mean, it's not like it would be the first time that couples like us go to your place..." noted Gwyn.

"Not so much as that Gwyn, but everything about you two scream 'untouchable', 'unattainable' and 'perfection' to anyone who dare tries to put the moves on either you or Tris..." chuckled Jack.

"Which is good, as that would mean that no one will bother you," Therese nodded in agreement.

"Still doesn't stop them from trying though..." quipped Tristan. 

"What? Really? I mean if I were still a young lad, I wouldn't even _dare_ lay my eyes on Gwyn, trust me."

"Noooo, I trust you on that, it's just the _other_ people still keep looking at us..."

"As long as you're together, let them stare... as irritating as it may be," Therese laughed.

"It's usually what we've done these past months whenever we go out together... which was usually on the weekends."

"You work together?" Therese asked out of curiosity. 

"Uhh..." began Tristan as he looked over at Gwyn.

"Yes," Gwyn smiled. "For quite some time too now." 

"Don't see why you were too worried to answer that Kid..."

"It's a bit more complicated than that..."

"What? You like her boss or something?"

"More like, she's my boss..."

"What?!" the older couple gasped when they heard Tristan say that. 

"That's hot."

"Jack!"

"Uhh... it is... kinda..." blushed Tristan. 

"Don't mind him," Therese chuckled, nudging him at the stomach. "That's nice to hear though... I mean... do you find any problems at work? As in quarrelling on work issues and what not?"

"Between us, not really... actually, he's the best officer I have under my wing," she grinned proudly.

"And that's even better!" Jack exclaimed. "Makes work life much more colourful." 

"Oh it certainly does... Breaks have never been more relaxing when you can simply cuddle together in a private office." 

"You definitely have a point there kid."

"It also helps that Cyn is her PA as well," he chuckled.

"Cyn, as in, your friend Cynthia?" Therese smiled. "Last time I saw her she was half your height," she chuckled. "How is she?"

"She's great. Very busy, but still doing really great for herself. Since I've grown a bit more since you last saw me... she's about to my mid-bicep? She got a bit taller when I came back home..."

"And your other two friends... their names were... mmm..."

"James Purcell and Cole Thompson - they're great as well, especially since Cole's now become the head of our Advertising department while James is the co-Head, though everyone really defers to Cole as far as anything for Advertising."

"Ah right, those two cute boys! Now I remember," Therese nodded, grinning as she noticed Jack slowing down.

Arching an eyebrow at the older woman, Tristan kept the humored expression on his face. "Well, I never thought of them that way, but if you say so..."

"You'd never think of boys as being cute Tristan, that's a woman's way of describing the young ones," Jack laughed as he took a turning and parked the car next to a reserved parking lot.

"I guess so... I'm usually described as either cute or pretty..."

"That's because you're both," Gwyn chuckled, as Jack switched off the car's engine.

"If the lady says I am, I am."

"That's the way," Jack grinned as he turned to look at the two in the backseat. "You can get out of the car if you like, we're here."

"Oh right right..."

Unbuckling their seatbelts, Tristan climbed out of the car first before proceeding to help Gwyn out of the car afterwards. Standing next to one another, Tristan was amused to see the expression on Gwyn's face.

"Mmm? What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong, _you_ just look like you've never seen a restaurant before," he chuckled.

"That's because I'm happy we're here," she replied, poking her tongue out at him.

"Fair enough." Holding out his hand, he took hers in his and kissed it gently. "Shall we?" 

"Mmm-hmm..." she hummed, nodding back as she gave a gently squeeze to his hand.

Nodding, the pair made their way over to where Jack and Therese were, both of whom were quite touched by how much Tristan had grown and matured since the last time they had seen him. Holding each other's hands, the older couple waited for the younger one to arrive before leading them inside the very busy, yet extremely elegant restaurant. 

"And who of you decorated this place?" Gwyn smiled, as she noted the satisfied grin of the older couple.

"Let's tell you all about it at our table... then you can ask all you want," Jack replied, as two of the waiters immediately approached him. Talking briefly to the waiters, Jack began to lead the group over to their table, which was near a rather large window overlooking the bay.

"Wow..."

"You planned everything, haven't you?" smiled Gwyn, gazing out of the window.

"Somewhat... as this is one of the best seats of the house, and as the owners, I think we're entitled to get it when we're having guests with us for dinner," smiled Jack as one of the waiters proceeded to fill their water glasses.

"Pretty cool Uncle Jack..." grinned Tristan as he picked up a menu in front of him. "Any recommendations?"

"Well... fish is obviously one of our main hits... as are the chicken dishes," Therese pondered out aloud as she studied the menu.

"Chicken sounds good... Ooooh, is this the same steak we had at the other restaurant, Jack?" Tristan asked as he was giving his 'puppy dog' expression to the older man.

"Yes, and... I suppose it even got better since the last time you had that," Therese winked back at him.

"OMIGOD really?"

"You think we'd lie about that?" Jack smirked back at him. "As for wine, we'll get you our speciality."

"Nope! And awesome about the wine... Hey Gwyn, what're you gonna have?"

"The steak right after yours in the list, but medium rare... and maybe, a pasta dish would be perfect before that," she smiled as she quickly skimmed through the pasta menu. "Any preferred options?"

"Not really pasta, but their wild mushroom risotto is great with the steak... At least I think so," replied Tristan. "Oh hey - you have an orzo version of it too - that's a pasta..."

"Or a pesto dish, it's light and perfect if you're having the steak. Because I'm warning you, our portions are _big,_ " beamed Therese, earning a bright grin from Tristan and a chuckle from Gwyn.

"She's well-versed in how much I can eat..."

"Ther wasn't warning you Tristan, we know you well enough; she was informing Gwyn about that."

"I know, I meant Gwyn, not Auntie Rez..."

"So, ready to take your orders? I'm going to get you two large mixed platters with starters too..." Jack noted as he gazed at the menu with a more serious look, while he raised his hand in a signal for the waiters to come by their side.

"The steak - medium rare... more on the rare side - from last time and the wild mushroom orzo risotto for me... oh and a salad too..." murmured Tristan as he began to study the other dishes on the menu for future reference.

"And I'll take this steak please, medium rare too, well technically what Tristan said..." Gwyn pointed out to the waiter. "And... the red pesto penne," she nodded.

"Our usual for me and Jack please," Therese smiled as the young waiter promptly nodded and headed back to the kitchen with the orders.

"What's your usual? Is the usual from last time or is it a new usual? Or is it the usual you get at this restaurant as opposed to the other restaurants?"

"Hold it boy that sounded like a tongue twister!"

"Huh? Was just asking what your usual was..."

"It's a typical fish they catch here, baked in a pastry crust with tomatoes, herbs and olive oil... they got the idea from Europe actually," Therese told the two. "It's our usual usual."

"So... it's your usual here at this restaurant then? Because I know at the steakhouse, you have a different usual..." muttered Tristan as he began to ponder just how many 'usuals' he had when he was dining out. 

"Depends in which restaurant we are, just like you said."

"Okay... Oooh bread, cheese, and cured meats..." came the young man's obviously distracted reply as the waiters began to place a few items at their table.

"It would really be a problem if Tris owned a restaurant," Gwyn chuckled. 

"It's one of the reasons why both Olivia and I have usually kept to having him _work_ in a restaurant. I know for a fact if he stops by Olivia's restaurant, she'll put him to work. When he was here last time, I was lucky that he would sleep during the day but was awake at night - the main reason why I left him at my bakery so often, he helped bake. I basically paid him in food, so it was perfect for me. If I needed another person to prep, he did it too," mused Jack.

"Awake at night?" Gwyn muttered, looking back at Tristan who was happily munching at a piece of parmeggiano cheese.

"Mmm... he was seventeen at the time, so he liked to go out. During the day, he was usually lazing about - either at home with Ther, usually helping her out, or snoozing on the beach. His hair was practically brown due to all the sun and saltwater in his hair and he was more tan than he is now. But, since he was still a kid and I was usually busy with the restaurants, I kept him busy by having him work..."

"Ah... I see."

"Not anything bad, but since the bakery was usually the first thing to open and close every day, it was easy to keep track of him. More often than not, he would go out with most of the restaurant assistants or the bakers in the evening till it was time to go to the bakery - as they were little older than him, but usually kept him out of trouble. He's always been more of a night owl than anything. I'm sure you've noticed Gwyn - he likes sleeping during the day, but he'll sleep like a baby at night as well."

"Yes I know, I'm used to that too," she smiled as she snagged a slice of garlic bread from Tristan's hands and took a bite out of it, grinning as she did.

"Hey!"

"What?" she smirked back at him. "You ate half of the platter yourself... giving me a piece wouldn't do any harm."

"But I-oh hey more..." he grinned as a new platter of garlic bread was placed in front of them and took a slice for himself. 

"Such a big baby," she laughed as she placed a kiss on his cheek.

"But you love me anyways."

"Any doubt about that?" she winked back, while Jack and Therese watched them with a loving smile on their lips.

"No, not really..." grinned Tristan as he began to eat a few slices of ham and salami.

"They're terribly adorable, don't you think Rez?" whispered Jack.

"Soulmates I'd say..."

"Yep. In talking with the rest of them, Kari is absolutely thrilled with Gwyn - the rest of the girls love her too. Totally great fit for him..."

"It's pretty evident, and I'm sure Kari would think of it that way... she told me once that she was actually concerned with him... as she always sensed that Tristan was looking for something that seemed unattainable, and hence why he was sort of restless when he was younger."

"He's always been that way - even when he was a baby... I was lucky enough to meet his father during the war - managed to talk to him a few times before he died, he's a war hero though but definitely a hero to most of us younger guys. When I met up with the family after coming back, I was lucky enough to become a family friend - as well as become Catherine's mentor at their school. Tris was still just a baby, but I loved him loads and often took care of him. He was a bundle of cute and energy...and I wanted nothing but the best for him... and I'm glad that he's found his soulmate, as it's less I have to worry about."

"There's nothing to worry about any more now I suppose," Therese smiled as she rubbed Jack's right arm gently.

"Looks that way, doesn't it?" 

"Mmm-hmm... I just hope they call us up when they get married. I wouldn't mind a holiday myself," laughed the older woman.

"They probably will..."

"Probably? I'm sure of that."

"Well, I'm betting Kari and the girls would be sure to tell us. Knowing Tris... he can be a bit absent-minded when it comes to things at times... It's cute really."

"He probably won't be absent minded on that," she winked back at her husband, grinning back at the two in front of them who were still nibbling at the starters.

"Yeah... and should you be saving your appetites?"

"But the cheese and meats are soooooooooooooo good..."

"Cheeses are really good," smiled Gwyn. "But you should slow down you," she chuckled looking at Tristan. 

"I have... I'm only eating two at a time rather than three at a time..."

"Oh just let him be..."

"See? At least Auntie Rezzie loves me," smirked Tristan as he took one more bite of salami before staring at the bottles of wine coming their way. "Wow... those look fancy..."

"One's a Cabernet Souvignon," Gwyn noted matter-of-factly, after merely catching a glimpse of the bottle. "Probably from Bordeaux... the other's a rose'..."

"You sure do know your wines Gwyn, the Kid here... his French is great - but he can't tell what wine varieties are..."

"I... uh... yeah, you're right."

"I've been raised to love wines..." Gwyn nodded. "And... why am I not surprised that you're well versed in French?"

"I speak many languages... Had to get by somehow..." laughed Tristan as he took the newly-filled wine glass and properly sniffed, swirled, and sipped his wine. "I may not know what the exact variety of wine I'm drinking, but I do know how to properly drink it."

"That's true," Gwyn nodded in agreement as she observed him attentively. 

"Yep. Oh God... when I was in France... Drinking there was a nightmare if I was in the company of wine snobs, but I happened to endear myself to a few people and they were willing to take pity on me and teach me. Then when I met my friend in Italy - the one who sends me the wine - she taught me all the different varieties... Of course I forgot them all. Luckily, like Uncle Jack here, she's of the mind to just send me what she thinks is best - since they know my tastes so well..."

"And considering that she sends you that variety I love so much..." Gwyn grinned, having a sip off her glass of wine.

"Yeah, her and her husband were practically doting on me while I was there. She first told me that I looked like a lost little boy - despite my Italian being practically flawless - and insisted I stay with them. Gia made sure that I contacted my mom when I wasn't busy helping them with their business - making wine."

"You should take note of that Gwyn, for your honeymoon," Jack winked back at them. "Would be a perfect idea if you'd manage to find a agro-tourism to stay in... say in Tuscany for example."

"Yes, but I love the Grand Tour idea more..." chuckled Gwyn, as she turned to smile back at Tristan.

"We could do both, I have a couple of friends that could help us with whatever we decide - WOW...you're right, the steak does look better than before..." drooled Tristan as he saw their food approaching.

"We told you," Therese smirked with a hint of pride in her look. "And, I'd go for the Grand Tour of Europe if I were you... totally romantic."

" _That_ we've actually been considering and - OMIGOD it's HUGE..."

"Told you to leave some space and... hope you enjoy," Jack told Tristan as their dishes arrived. 

"For _this_? I've got plenty!" snickered Tristan as he began eying everyone else's food. "Looks good... and whoa, that's quite the salad for me. But all good though... At least now you don't have to force me to eat my vegetables..."

"Not at all," Therese replied as she eyed her large plate with baked fish. "And this is always the specialest thing ever..."

"Looks pretty good... save for the langoustine... I'd eat it if I was in the mood for fish..."

"For the what?" Gwyn looked over, as she observed her rare cooked stake with delight.

"The thingies that look like little lobsters..."

"That's just a side plate he likes," Therese corrected him. "I don't really fancy shellfish much." 

"Yay! Another voice of reason!" Grinning, he picked up his steak knife and fork before cutting a piece off his steak and eating it with a bit of the risotto. "Okay, yeah, this is _way_ better than last time. Nice to know that I was right about the marinade..."

"Spoilsport..." grumbled Jack as he started eating his food. "But I'm glad you're enjoying it." 

"Well... you're the one that asked for my opinion on how to make the steak better..."

"I wasn't referring to that, I was speaking about you not liking the seafood."

"Shellfish and other molluscs can go die in a fire... I ain't eating them..."

"I'm not gonna shove them down your throat either Kid," Jack retorted as Gwyn stifled a laugh by Tristan's side while she continued eating.

"Good. Because I doubt that Cath or Steve... or my mother would be happy if you did so..."

"Never said that anyway."

"Are you two realising you're bickering over shellfish?" Therese told them, making Gwyn laugh out heartily as soon as she heard the comment.

"It's better than last time... we ended up bickering over sugar..."

"Or over salt and pepper..." 

"Oh yeah... that one was pretty funny as we ended up raiding all the spices... But then again, you were the one that got me drunk in the first place, Uncle Jack." 

"I actually forgot that detail... mmh..."

Setting down her fork, Therese looked over at her husband and nephew. "You got him _drunk_ ? You didn't exactly mention _that_ detail when he got sick that night..." 

"Er... well... I had said... that..." he stammered, gulping nervously as he looked back at his wife. 

Chuckling, Therese watched Jack continue to stammer while Tristan and Gwyn were simply eating. "Honey, I know that Tristan was probably drinking _before_ he came here - afterall, he went to Europe first before coming to see us. But still, you couldn't honestly _tell_ me that you got our nephew drunk? And obviously it wasn't wine that you got him drunk off of..."

"Mmm... mostly hard liquor Auntie Rez. Oh and had some beers too."

"And did that include whiskey?" she growled, glaring back at Jack.

"Well..."

"That, whatever the locals drink, and lots of rum," replied Tristan promptly.

"You gave him rum?!"

"I... er... yeah..."

"Oh for heaven's sake..."

"Aww, don't get too angry Auntie - no permanent damage was done... save for me being sick to my stomach the next few days after that..."

"That's the point... you weren't even eighteen..." she sighed.

"Well true, as I had just turned seventeen just two months prior to me showing up here..." 

"I think he does handle alcohol quite well," Gwyn nodded quietly as she cut up the last part of her steak, grinning whenever she took in another bite.

"See? Granted though, all my heavy drinking was from when I was fifteen to when I was nineteen, but as you can see, I've never been better. Oh and Gwyn, the drunken filleting skill I have, I did that when I was fifteen," he chuckled.

"Filletting what?" Therese gasped back at him as Gwyn let out another laugh.

"You don't really want to know about that," she replied. "And to place your mind at rest Therese, Tris only drinks when he's around me and barely does anyway, so... your husband didn't do any long term harm, don't worry."

"It was a grape Auntie and yeah, I mostly stick to lemonade, juice, chocolate milk, or water. The occasional soda here and there - usually with something spicy. Even then, whenever Gwyn drinks, I tend to frown upon it. But, mostly why I don't drink much anymore - last time I got drunk wasn't really due to the wine, but mostly because of my emotional state."

"Which was partially my fault... but anyway, my drinking doesn't do anything to me, ask Tris..." she replied as she rested her knife and fork on the plate. "I can easily handle two double whiskeys at one go without any side effects."

"Yep, she's right," came the nonchalant reply as both Jack and Therese gaped at the pair.

"Wow, that's pretty heavy-duty Gwyn... If you're okay with the occasional drink, there're a few drinks here that the locals down. None for you Kid, your Aunt would kill me..."

"Pretty much Jacky," laughed Therese. "Our nephew doesn't need that anyways, he's got chocolate milk to look forward too."

"Are you ever going to give me the recipe for your chocolate milk mix? Please?"

Reaching over, Therese tweaked his nose slightly with a grin. "Maybe one day, but not yet - I like that I can still baby you with it."

"Wouldn't mind that, as long as Tristan can have his non-alcoholic ones," she grinned as she felt Tristan place a hand on her thigh.

"I'll agree to that. Besides, there are other things to drink..."

"Definitely... there are some tropical fruit-based ones I think you'll pretty much enjoy," grinned Therese. "With no alcohol involved."

"Had those - I'm pretty partial to vitaminas or just plain coca. Though I do miss caipirinhas, that's such a tasty cocktail..."

"What's that?" Gwyn asked, as two of the waiters came up to their table and took away the empty plates.

"Practically the national cocktail of Brazil. It's like a mojito but instead of rum they use cachaça, which is made from fermented sugarcane juice. Mix with sugar and limes - as well as providing a piece of sugarcane to stir, and you've got an awesome drink. It was pretty much the cachaça that got me drunker faster than the rum did. Both rum and cachaça are similar, but rum's mostly made from molasses."

"Oh... that's new... so wait, is the sugarcane juice based thing alcoholic anyway? Since it got you drunk... right, that was an obvious question."

"Very. I think I had about two or three of the drinks - ironically, I had them last on that night and was pretty much gone after my last drink. The cachaça is just fermented then distilled - just like any other alcohol."

"You can have just one then," she grinned back at him.

"I actually enjoyed the taste of the limes more than the cachaça actually. Having a shot of it straight up was rather interesting, but man, did it ever hit me right afterwards. Then Uncle Jack proceeded to give me a caipirinha...and then another after I finished," he laughed.

"Did I have to hear that _again_?" Therese muttered, glaring back at Jack once again.

"Just showing him a good time, plus the guys wanted him to have fun. Nothing happened to him as right after he passed out, I took him home."

"Yeah right," she pouted. "Kari would have probably killed me at the time if she knew."

"Well, I never told her - but she knew that I had been drinking anyways, as I was old enough to drink in most countries. It was Val that gave me my first drink...though I had sake since I was a little kid during celebrations..."

"Val? And I bet Kari scolded her..."

"Ohhhh yeah... big time. Ironically, it was a mojito and I was thirteen. Seriously, a four year age gap makes a _big_ difference... College was another eye-opener...and it was Elizabeth who usually got me my drinks when I was in Europe."

"Who the heck's Elizabeth?" Jack blurted out, practically clueless.

"Oh... my... first and last significant relationship. We met while we were in college and ended up traveling together in Europe. It's... nothing bad or anything, but after she left to go to med school, I ended up at your doorstep."

"Not that we minded..." Therese smiled back at him. "You know that too well."

"Yeah I know. Livvy, Cath, and Cyn often say that I've lived the lives of many men... it's probably true. I've probably learned more about life, love, and sex from the ages of fourteen to nineteen, than most people learn in their entire lives," smiled Tristan as he took a sip of wine. "And here I am, at the ripe old age of twenty-four... ready to settle down and get married... I think I've moved past my wild years at the age most men are beginning theirs."

"That's true, you actually talk like a middle-aged man," Jack teased him. "You know Gwyn, probably he's older than he's actually telling you..."

"I'm sure she doesn't mind, I've been called an 'old soul' pretty much my entire life. But if there's one thing that I have most guys, at least I know all the right _moves_ in pleasing a woman."

"Mmm... considering the grin Gwyn has on her lips right now, guess so," Jack smirked, making Gwyn blush furiously.

Noting the blush on her cheeks, he gave them a winning smile. "I'm very talented as well as a hard worker," came the straight-faced reply while Gwyn nearly choked on her drink from the double-entendres.

"Will you two stop passing comments between yourselves about _that_? I think I'm old enough to understand you know..." Therese muttered, raising an eyebrow at them.

"Yes Auntie Rez..."

"Jack?"

Patting her hand, he gave her a smile. "Yes babe, we'll stop for now."

"Good... since we weren't really apt to hear about your talents... especially while waiting for dessert."

"Ooooh... chocolate..." murmured Tristan as he saw dessert headed their way. "As for my talents, I'm a musician, an artist, an athlete, and a writer - though my prose is usually written in the form of critiques and reports."

"And that I can confirm," grinned Gwyn as the waiter placed a large glass filled with what seems like chocolate mousse and ice-cream in front of each of the four of them. "Goodness..."

"And cookies too... Have I mentioned how much I love you guys yet? Because I love you both Uncle Jack and Auntie Rez..."

"There's cookie pieces in it too?!"

"Uh-huh..." Tristan drooled while the other laughed at his expression.

"He's the only person I know who can go from man to child in less than a second..." smiled Jack as he ruffled Tristan's hair.

"That's what makes him special... at least for me," Gwyn smiled back sincerely. "And I'm sure this is your speciality right?"

"Ironically, it's very rare that we make this dessert. I used to only make it for Tristan when he was little...and the last time he had it -"

"- was the last time I was here. Aww, thanks..." smiled Tristan.

"Oh you're welcome dear, now... enough chit-chat and dig in... I'm sure you'll like it," Therese grinned.

Holding up his spoon, he clinked it gently against Gwyn's. "Cheers Sweetheart."

"Cheers dear," she winked back. "Enjoy."

Digging into the mousse, Tristan grinned immediately. "Tastes just as good now as it did then. Loved the fact that you used the Oreo cookies - creme and all..."

"We use those because you were practically addicted to them when you were younger," Therese observe. "And I suppose you still are."

"Mmm... not really," Gwyn mumbled as she continued eating. 

"I am... I have several of them stashed away at work in my desk...and a few packages at Gwyn's place," he snickered as Gwyn looked back at him in surprise.

"That's... something I wasn't exactly aware of... ah well..." she smiled as she looked down at her glass. "Too bad he never offered me one..."

"I can always steal a packet from the kitchens and give you some..."

"I didn't say I wanted a whole packet..."

"Yeah, but I said _some_ not the whole packet..." he laughed as she realised what he meant before playfully slapping his shoulder.

"Because you meant something else with that, you..." she tried to chide him as she burst out in a laugh while resting her head against him.

"Sure I did, as they're best when dunking them in milk and eating them. My other favourite is to twist off the tops of two, and then sandwich the creme halves together. The only downside with them is the black teeth."

"Such an expert," Jack laughed as he polished off his dessert before the rest. "Ahh, wasn't that gorgeous."

"Mm-hmm!" grinned Tristan as he too finished his dessert before noticing his glass was bigger than the others. "I had more?"

"Yes dear... twice as much," Therese nodded as Gwyn let out a giggle. "That's our little bit of spoiling..."

"Love you Auntie..."

"Love you too dear... and... would you like an espresso after that?"

"How about milk? Please?"

"Shouldn't be a problem... and Gwyn?"

"Mmm... wouldn't mind a coffee please..."

"So three coffees and one large glass of milk for the boy, fair enough." Speaking to one of the waiters, as they were taking away their dessert glasses, Jack relayed the order. A few minutes later, they were served their drinks.

"And you haven't told us yet... any plans for this evening?" Jack asked as he rested comfortably in his seat as he finished drinking his espresso.

"Uh... haven't plotted that far yet..."

"Mmm... strange... any ideas for the kids Ther?"

"It's their first night here, so I don't really know whether you want to wind down or start with a blast so to speak... depends..."

"Well, I don't really have any ideas... Gwyn? Anything you want to do tonight?"

"Enjoy a calm night after a splendid dinner before we get back to the villa, what do you think? We could actually have a quiet walk by the bay... then head back... after all, we travelled for I don't know how many hours these past few days..."

"That sounds like a splendid idea. You two can enjoy that strip of beach - you're currently the only people that are checked-in right now, there should be a few people checking in by the end of the week. So enjoy the private beach for now, but at least from there, you can hear the local music, as there's a nice outdoor dance club not too far away," winked Jack as he noticed Tristan blush slightly. 

"Sounds like a plan then..." 

"You mean we're the only ones there?" blinked back Gwyn.

"Yep! Not that it was intentional, but it just so happened that everyone who's booked the other villas are arriving at the end of the week." 

"Good to know," she smiled as she rested her head on Tristan's shoulder. "And there's no need to blush," she whispered for only him to hear, as she placed a kiss on his chin. 

"It's an involuntary reaction, nothing at all..."

"Well, you two, since you're already getting in the mood and all, how about calling it a night here?" Jack chuckled. "It's really been very nice to have you with us... trust me."

"Huh?"

"What's that face Tristan? I meant that you two should just go spend your evening together and stuff... where were you thinking?"

"Wasn't thinking at all... it was another involuntary action..."

"And since Tristan isn't thinking at all," Jack teased. "Let's go get some sleep while the young ones go relax... what do you think Ther?"

"Agreed. And, we'll take you back to the hotel ourselves obviously."

Nodding, Tristan drained his milk before wiping his mouth with his napkin.

"Coming then?" Jack asked them as he got back on his feet and stretched out. 

"Yeah yeah, coming," Tristan called as he got out of his seat before helping Gwyn up to her feet. "Alright?" 

"Sure..."

Keeping a loose arm around her waist, he led her after the others. "Thank you for a lovely evening, my dear."

"Thanks to you too..." she replied, as she snuggled close to him.

"You're welcome," he smiled before kissing her hair as they proceeded out the door of the restaurant. Seeing that the elder couple were well ahead of them, Tristan stopped them briefly before kissing Gwyn gently. 

"They really look perfect though..." Jack grinned as Therese kept her arm locked with his. "Reminds me of how you and me were back then."

"Mmm... but don't make it obvious that you're watching them though..."

Grinning after the kiss, he hugged her tightly. "Still up for that walk along the water when we get back?"

"Definitely... but you know, I guess we should change before we do... mmh?" 

"Probably. Our suits should be dry now, since they've been hanging on the railing outside..."

"You mean the bathing suits? Alright, that means you're in for a midnight swim?"

"Oh yeah... As you've no doubt noticed, it's rather warm and humid here," he chuckled as he started walking towards the car again.

"Mmm... no objection then," she laughed as she took his hand in her and squeezed it tightly as they reached the car, finding Jack and Therese already waiting for them inside. 

"Thank you for a great meal, Uncle Jack and Auntie Rez," Tristan smiled sweetly as he helped Gwyn into the backseat of the car before climbing in himself.

"You're welcome dear... Decided what you're going to do?"

"Mmm... just relax on the beach for now. Water looks inviting, so maybe a moonlight swim? After that... no idea," he grinned.

"As if..." Jack smirked, earning a nudge from Therese once again.

"Stop that." 

"What's wrong?!"

Chuckling, Tristan simply snuggled against Gwyn.

Seeing that he wasn't going to get an answer from his nephew, as well as the annoyed yet amused look on his wife's face, Jack decided to drop the issue as he drove the younger couple back to their hotel. Glancing in the mirror every so often, he watched as the pair held hands the entire time while simply enjoying the soothing silence between then. The moment he parked the car outside their villa, he happened to catch Tristan wink suggestively at Gwyn - who surprisingly (though unsurprisingly to himself) gave him a a rather seductive and coy smirk of her own. Seeing his wife's amused reaction from the corner of his eye, Jack realized that the pair would be just _fine_.

"And here we are," chuckled Jack as he noticed Therese dozing off by his side. "Make sure to enjoy the rest of the evening then... and if you need anything, just let us know... or any one of the staff." 

"We will, Uncle Jack... Thanks for everything again."

"And if you need any help with your plans, we can meet up tomorrow morning for breakfast... it'll be good to give you some tips on where to visit."

"Well, I took a few notes myself, but that would be splendid... if it's not a problem for you two of course."

"Not at all, Therese will be more than happy to spend some more time with you."

"That'd be great Uncle Jack. Now, we should probably get going - apparently Auntie Rez finds Gwyn and I _boring_ so she decided to go to sleep," teased Tristan.

"Nah, she's been up since five in the morning as she was too excited that you were arriving..." 

" _That's_... pretty early."

"Don't I know it... actually, she woke up a few more times before," he admitted, rolling his eyes.

"Wow..."

"Yeah, she's like that... and anyway, you know that everyone misses you when you're away Tris, even at home," Jack commented. 

"And it's because I'm so lovable," he grinned brightly, making both Jack and Gwyn grin back at him.

"Right right, now off you go you two..."

"Yes Sir," saluted Tristan before climbing out of the car, with Gwyn following suit.

"Goodnight Jack, thanks again," Gwyn smiled as Tristan took her left hand in his and started walking ahead of her.

"Night Uncle Jack! I'll give you a call in the morning or so!" waved Tristan before he unlocked the door to the villa and stood on the porch with Gwyn.

"I think I'd get used to living by the sea..." Gwyn thought out loud as Tristan waited by her side. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing. Just wanted to see them off," he pointed out as Jack climbed back into the car and drove off onto the main road. "And as for living by the sea, oh yeah for sure."

"Mmm-hmm," she hummed back as she walked inside the house, switching on the lights immediately as she removed the black pair of high heeled sandals that she had worn for the whole evening.

Kicking off his loafers by the door, Tristan immediately loosened and removed his tie before unbuttoning a few buttons and pulled the shirt over his head. Turning the lights on in the bedroom, he tossed the shirt and tie onto a chair before untying the strings securing the canopy curtains. "Think we should get curtains for our bed?"

"For our bed you mean?" she replied as she walked inside while removing her earrings. "You probably know my answer already," she smiled back, turning to point at the zip at the back of her dress. "Would you mind? Please?"

"We can have nice heavy ones for the winter, sheer ones would be nice during the summer... and probably a light, neutral fabric for spring and fall," he mused aloud as he unzipped the back of her dress before grabbing the separate halves and slid it down her body.

"Agreed," she nodded. "Especially in winter, since they'd make the bed really cosy."

Wrapping his arms around her waist, he gently caressed the soft skin of her torso before nuzzling against her neck. "Burgundy would be a nice color... They'd go great with the set wet got with the bed. Plus, it looks all royal and stuff..."

"Sure it does, and we can actually check out if we find something interesting here too... for the bedroom I mean," replied Gwyn, placing a hand on his head for a caress.

"Definitely for the summer for sure." Kissing his spot, he tightened his hold. "So, cuddle here for a bit before changing?"

"We could... or... there's the cuddling up outside in the water as much as you like option too..." she chuckled.

"There is that," he grinned before craning his neck forward to kiss her.

"And this too..." she murmured, kissing him back as he pulled her closer.

Once their kiss ended, he pecked her lips lightly before letting go to open the door to the terrazza and grabbing their now-dry swimsuits. "Have I mentioned how good red looks on you? I think it's your eyes that really sets the color off nicely..."

"Well, my eyes tend to get reddish at time..." she mumbled as she took the two-piece suit in her hands and sat down on bed to get changed.

"I don't mean the red when you're angry, but the nice tones they have now - your eyes remind me of the changing leaves during autumn, warm and comforting."

"Thank you," she smiled as she quickly changed into her panty piece, immediately moving to put on the upper part.

"You're welcome." Unbuckling his belt, Tristan changed into his swim trunks just in time to help Gwyn tie the back of her bikini top. "You know what I've realized? I like dressing you just as much as I like undressing you."

"That's because you like my clothes I suppose," she winked back as she looked up at him standing in front of her while she was still seated at the edge of the bed.

"Probably. Since you look so sexy in all of your 'professional businesswoman' glory," he winked before helping her up to her feet. "Shall we?"

"Of course," she grinned as she stood up and walked quickly in front of him. "But you do like it when I wear your shirts and hoodies too."

"Oh God yes, as you look good in those too. Hell, you look good in anything so there you go." 

"Thank you dear," she replied, giggling as she bowed down in front of him. "At your service, my Prince."

"Definitely..." Making his way outside, he took her hand as they started headed towards the water's edge. Looking up, he was glad to see a fully illuminated night sky that wasn't drowned out by the surrounding lights of a bustling city and its skyscrapers. "Beautiful night..."

"True... and you would never believe that we're relatively close to the city centre..."

"Yep. I mean, I love home - always will, but as a kid that was basically traveling around the world for roughly four years? I love being able to get away from it all..." Squeezing her hand gently, he let go as he began to wade in the warm seawater. "Water's lovely."

"I think... I should have done this earlier..."

"Done what earlier?"

"Got away from everything and everyone..." she whispered, playing with the water and sand under her feet. "Too many times I felt like sending everyone to hell and getting away, but I didn't because I was stubborn enough in thinking that everything was alright. 'There's no need to worry about petty things such as those Gwyn, just get on with your work' - that's what I used to think each time I'd feel like throwing all of the work staring at me on my desk out of the window... apart from other things... not only work stuff... Gwendalynn this, Gwendalynn that... AD here... as if anyone would have cared if I took a break... probably I would have made a favour to everyone, a few months ago."

Frowning slightly, he took her in his arms and kissed her gently. "How about this? Whenever we feel like we need a break from everything and everyone, let's just go away for a while. Whether it's escaping to my mom's house or to the museum or just a random drive somewhere, we'll get away..."

"Mmm-hmm..." she hummed back, resting her head on his right shoulder. "I'm fed up of facing idiots everyday, fed up of facing three assholes that most probably would love to torture you and me both..." she murmured as she placed a kiss on his shoulder. "Fed up of what I really am..." she ended in a barely audible whisper.

"'Fed up of what I really am'? What do you mean by that?"

"Too many things..."

"Well, if it's all the same to you, I love you as you are. And starting now, it's just us these next two weeks... So right now, I'm planning on making you forget about Gwendalynn Coulston, Assistant Director of _New Dawn Securities_ and focus on Gwyn Coulston, the woman whom I promise to marry, the woman who makes me glad to wake up every morning, and maybe someday be the woman to bear our children..."

Without uttering another word, Gwyn merely held him closer to her, trying her best from keeping a sob from rising up her throat. "Love you so much..." she mumbled, in a slightly choked up voice.

"I love you too... And to be honest, I'm not really in the mood to go swimming as I'd rather make love to you instead... As though I can't always express my love for you with words, I can show you how much I love you."

After staying silent for a short while as she held him close to listen to the soothing sound of his heartbeat, Gwyn looked up at Tristan and smiled. "We go back inside?"

"Only if you want to..."

"Want to lie down on the sand for a while... then we go in bed?" she suggested.

"Works for me. Plus the towels are nice and plushy. They remind me of blankets actually."

"That's true... just wait for me here, I'll go fetch them," she smiled as she made sure to place a kiss on Tristan's forehead before heading back inside. Locating three large towels in the bathroom closet, Gwyn also grabbed a couple of random cushions that were lying around in the bedroom and walked back outside.

"Planning on doing a bit of stargazing while we're out here?" he grinned as he made his way back to her and helped her spread out the towels and cushions.

"I think you'd actually like that too... mind-reader," she chuckled lightly.

"Probably," he replied as he laid down on one of the towels before patting the empty one next to him. "Talk about oversized... these towels literally _are_ blankets..."

"We wouldn't manage to see this back home," she told him as she laid down by his side. "And yes, you're right about that, they're terribly comfortable though. Would be perfect robes after a bath or a shower."

"Wonder if they'll be willing to let us take one or two for home..." Rolling onto his side, he pulled Gwyn into his arms. "And yeah, I was musing about that earlier - about how we couldn't see the night sky like this if we were back home..."

"Too many lights, too many people... too much everything there..."

"Mm-hmm..." Skirting his fingers up and down her back, he lightly grasped one loose end of the knot before pulling slowly. 

"Not waiting till we're inside?" she smiled as she gazed up at the sky once again.

"I can... but you're so _tempting_ right now," he whispered as he removed her top and took one of her breasts in his mouth, nipping, kissing and sucking on it slowly.

Closing her eyes, Gwyn merely took a deep breath in and passed a hand through his hair slowly, as she felt him kissing up her chest, neck and chin once again. "And you're sure no one's watching us right..."

"Pretty sure as there are no others on the beach or anyone in their villas. Also, I don't hear any approaching cars... The only things I can hear are the ocean waves and your heartbeat..." he murmured as he felt Gwyn's free hand tugging on the waistband of his trunks. 

"Which means we might as well stay here," she whispered, kissing him passionately.

"For the first few rounds..."

"Whatever you say..." she chuckled as she slid her hands down and started removing his shorts.

Rolling Gwyn onto her back, as she pushed down his shorts, Tristan grasped the bikini bottoms and pulled them down before settling his hips atop hers. "Good evening, Ms. Coulston," he murmured before easing himself into her slowly.

"'Evening Mr. Faraday..." she chuckled, nuzzling closely into his neck as much as possible, while she clung tightly to him. "Love you so much..."

"Love you too, so very very much..." Wrapping his arms tightly around her, they both continued to make love under the moonlit sky. A couple of hours later, and while the two of them were gazing at each other while catching their breath, Tristan gently slipped away from her embrace and got back on his feet. Noticing that Gwyn was shivering slightly at the sudden missing warmth, Tristan grabbed the only unused towel, wrapped it all around Gwyn then cradled her in his arms, making her nuzzle close to him immediately. "After that...I think we're good for a cuddle in bed... then we can have sex properly," he chuckled. As they got back inside the bedroom, Tristan carried her over to the bed and rested her down gently, kissing her forehead as he took the towel from her and tossed it somewhere around the room, not really caring where the item ended up.

"And what was that again?" she chuckled as he made sure to close the canopy curtains properly before lying down beside her.

"Cuddle then sex?"

"Sounds just right," she smiled as he snuggled by her side. "And I was referring to you shoving the towel away... not really a suave move," she laughed.

Kissing her shoulder, he rolled onto his back before pulling her on top of him as she straddled his waist. "Worked for me - I prefer the naked version of you... More fun for me to play with _these_ ," he grinned as he began to massage her breasts.

"Mmm, not exactly my version of cuddling..." she whispered as she leaned down to kiss him, placing a hand on his chest, right over his heart.

"Well, wanted to make sure that it doesn't hurt there after I was nipping there a few times. But you're right," he whispered as he pulled her close and stroked her back. "Think we can have an all-nighter?"

"That's more like it..." she smiled, kissing his cheek.

"That's good that you agree then..."

"What with the all-nighter? You'll know that I'm tired when I'll fall asleep," she chuckled in return.

"Aww... Then you won't mind if I just do naughty things to-" Closing his eyes as he moaned her name, he grinned. "Or you can just keep touching me like that..."

"Maybe this time round, we can go about it that way..." she winked as she kissed him deeply once again.

Kissing her back, he nodded. "So long as you don't stop touching me..."

"Won't..."

"Good..."

Chuckling as she continued to touch and stroke Tristan, Gwyn eventually settled herself on top of him and proceeded to move - making them hold onto each other loosely. After finishing some time later, the pair continued to make love gently as music from the nearby club, as well as the seabreeze, drifted through the open door of the terrazza.

-

Lying in his arms quite a few hours later, Gwyn couldn't help but smile as she nuzzled against his neck, feeling happy, tired and sleepy at the same time. "Are you alright Tris?" she managed to mumbled as she started caressing his hair.

"Very... though we should probably sleep soon... the sky's already changing colours which means it'll be sunrise soon..."

"It was a long night," she whispered as she started to doze off slightly.

"Actually, it was perfect... absolutely perfect..." he whispered back as he held her tightly. "Do you want to watch the sunrise?"

"We'd just have to raise the front curtain... if you want..." she replied in a mumble. "But I don't want you to let go now..."

"Then how about... I wrap you in the towel from last night and we go sit on the beach together. This way, you aren't letting me go."

"I want to stay in bed..." she grumbled with a slight whine in her voice, probably coming from the fact that she was actually feeling tired.

"My my... did I just hear my Gwyn _whining_? How cute... aww. Compromise: we'll stay here and watch through the curtains this morning. At some point during this holiday, we have to watch the sunrise once on the beach. Deal?"

"Deal," she replied with the same tone of voice. "And there's always a first time you know..." she finished, letting out a chuckle as she kissed his neck and rested her head on his chest.

"Hopefully there'll be many more firsts to come."

"Mmm-hmm... for sure..." she hummed as she started falling asleep. "You're not... tired?"

"I am..." he whispered before kissing her forehead and cuddled against her as his breathing began to smooth and even out.

"Thank you honey..."

"No problem baby and you're welcome..."

"Goodnight..." she replied softly, as she closed her eyes and dozed off, tightening her hold on him, smiling all the while.

"Ni..." sighed Tristan before passing out promptly.

-

A few hours passed when the rays of the sun, round about midday, starting hitting their bedroom's glass window violently and despite the curtains hanging down from the bed's canopy, and filled the room with a certain radiance and warmth, making the two of them stir in their sleep.

"Uhm... Tris... ?" yawned Gwyn still half asleep.

"...nnn..."

"Did we have something to do this morning?" she murmured as she tightened her hold on him.

"...unno..."

Nuzzling against his neck as she placed random kisses against his skin, Gwyn continued to think that there was something that both of them were forgetting about, but she couldn't really picture what it exactly was. However, after a few minutes, when she relapsed into sleep mode, she gaped out wide, letting out a gasp. "Damn we forgot about it!"

"...hrm?"

"We had to meet up with Jack and Therese for breakfast..."

Yawning, Tristan rolled over and snuggled next to Gwyn, falling asleep once again as there was a soft knock at their front door.

"And I heard someone knocking..." she whispered, placing a kiss on his forehead. "Want me to go check?"

Letting out a soft snore, Gwyn simply chuckled as Tristan continued to sleep.

"I'll be right back..." she murmured as she slipped out of his embrace, reached out for the dark burgundy robe that was in the bedroom, and headed towards the front door. Raising an eyebrow but guessing who that might be, she opened the door slowly and smiled when she found Therese smiling back at her. "Good morning..."

"We thought you'd never wake up," Therese chuckled as Gwyn blushed furiously. "Good morning to you too... rest well?"

"Mmm-hmm, thank you... and sorry for keeping you here..."

"Ah not a problem, we stayed up in bed for quite a while too," Jack commented.

"Oh, I see... well, can I ask you what time it is then?"

"Half past twelve sweetheart," grinned Jack as Therese merely chuckled. "You definitely took your time."

"What?!"

"No need to worry... me and Jack have to run a few errands at the hotel, so we'll meet you up in say, an hour? For lunch?" Therese suggested, as Gwyn exhaled a deep sigh.

"Should be alright that way... thank you."

"You're welcome... after all, you can't stay in bed all day, as much as you'd enjoy it," chuckled Jack in return. "See you later then, you two."

"See you," Gwyn waved back as Jack and Therese walked away, making her close the door with a chuckle. Making her way inside the bedroom, Gwyn lifted up one of the canopy curtains and sat at the edge of the bed, silently watching Tristan clutching at one of the pillows, fast asleep.

Rolling onto his side, Gwyn laughed quietly as the bedsheet pooled around Tristan's waist slipped off him easily, giving her a nice view of his backside.

"Since you insist in staying in bed..." she giggled. "I'm getting cleaned up and dressed," she whispered as she got back on her feet and made her way to the bathroom.

Yawning loudly, Tristan blinked sleepily before sitting up. Seeing that the bathroom door was partially closed, he climbed out of bed and headed inside, only to see Gwyn soaking in the tub. "Room for one more?" he grinned.

"That was fast," she laughed out. "Sure, sure."

"I guess my body missed you - which woke me up," he replied as he slid into the tub across from her and grabbed the bar of soap.

"Have you noticed how big this tub actually is?" she noticed as she dipped her head under the water for a short while.

"It's gloriously huge... I absolutely love it..."

"Yep!" she replied as she emerged, hair fully wet. 

Laughing, Tristan finished cleaning himself off with the soap before making his way over to Gwyn and kissing her.

"Good morning Tris," she smiled, kissing his nose.

"Good morning Gwyn," he grinned back before kissing her once again.

"Let's finish off now as Therese and Jack will be waiting for us for lunch... but if you wrap your arms around me that way I wonder if we'll manage to get there in time," she chuckled.

"I'm sure they'll understand..." he whispered before wrapping his arms around her again to kiss her.

"But I heard your stomach grumble already. So, let's get done..." she mumbled as she placed a hand on his cheek to kiss him back.

"Hungry for food... hungry for you... same difference... You just taste better."

"Tristan..."

"Hmm?"

"You've had enough for today," she laughed as she reached up to kiss his forehead. "Let's go get ready for lunch and go somewhere for the afternoon, what do you say?"

"Can I have you for dessert tonight then?"

"Naughty," she whispered, smacking his chest slightly. 

"So... that's a yes?"

"Maybe," replied Gwyn, teasing him a bit.

"Tease..." he whispered before pecking her lips gently.

"Need to dry up and get dressed... then off we go," she winked back as she reached out for a towel to wrap around her hair.

"Alright," he pouted playfully before climbing out of the tub and stood on the rug to dry off. Once dry, he wrapped the towel easily around his slim waist as he watched Gwyn. "Getting out of there any time soon?" 

"Yes yes coming... said he who didn't want to get out of bed," she laughed as she stuck her tongue out at him while she got out of the tub.

"Well... I like seeing you naked. It's good motivation..."

"Pfftt," she laughed as she grabbed towel to dry off.

"What? Being honest," he grinned before making his way over to the sink and grabbing his razor and shaving cream. "Wanna help me out?" called Tristan as he began to lather up his face.

"Help you out?" she blinked back at him as she wrapped the large towel around her once done.

"Sure." Washing his hands free of the shaving cream, he placed his hands around Gwyn's waist and lifted her up to sit on the bathroom counter. "Just take the razor, and I'll direct you, okay?"

"What? That's crazy... I don't want to cut you up..."

"I trust you to not do so, okay?" he grinned as he lifted her hand up to his face.

Raising an eyebrow, Gwyn exhaled a deep sigh as she started to shave his light stubble off, stopping every few seconds to check whether everything was alright. "You sure it's alright?"

"You're doing fine..."

"If you say so then..." she muttered as she finished off the shaving of his face.

"Now that you got my face... careful with my neck. Don't want to nick me and cause me to bleed..."

Staring back at him at the mention of his neck and blood, Gwyn spaced out for a couple of seconds, making Tristan reach out for her immediately.

"Whoa - you okay there?"

"Y... ye-yeah... I'm fine..."

"You sure? I mean, I can shave the rest if you want... But I thought you'd want to finish."

"No no..." she stammered, handing him the razor over. "Just... finish off quietly, I'll go start getting dressed," she told him as she hopped off the counter and walked off towards the bedroom, leaving Tristan blinking back at her as she left.

Looking at the razor in his hand, he watched Gwyn leave the bathroom before quickly finishing his shave. Washing his face off of the extra lather, he re-entered the bedroom and found Gwyn getting dressed. Reaching out and placing a hand on her shoulder, he kissed her shoulder blade. "Thank you for your help..."

"I... you're welcome," she replied. "And sorry about that... just... remembered something, that's all."

"It's fine, don't worry about it," he whispered before letting go to get dressed. Making his way over to his trunk, he pulled out a white, short-sleeved button polo shirt, white boxers and a pair of khaki bermuda shorts. "Did you ever help your dad shave? Your real dad?"

"Not that I remember... no. He used to do that meticulously every morning before he left to work, but I never helped him out," she replied as she slipped on a pale pink sundress with small flowers patterned all over it.

"Oh...I thought that by having you help me brought back some sad memories..."

"No no, you didn't, don't worry," she smiled.

"You sure? Because you did a really good job. Maybe next time you can finish the job?"

"Maybe," she muttered as she brushed up her hair, thinking about how the mention of blood had shaken her up. Clutching lightly at her throat, taking a few shallow breaths when Tristan wasn't looking, Gwyn coughed slightly and continued getting dressed up, fearing that her hunger was coming back ferociously at the worst of times.

"Babe?"

"I'm alright, I'm alright..."

Nodding, he located his flip-flops and slipped them on. "You look gorgeous..."

"Mmmh? Thank you... and thank your sister Valerie too... she chose these dresses for me... but I got that hat myself," she grinned, making him sigh in relief, as she looked for a pair of flats in her luggage trunk.

"I'll find her something cute then..." Kissing the back of her neck, he slid open the terrazza door. "I'm gonna go check to make sure we didn't leave anything behind. Back in a bit."

"Alright..." she smiled as she sat down at the edge of the bed, lying face up towards the canopy as she watched him walk away. "I need to feed... and soon... Dammit..."

Standing outside in the warm sunshine, Tristan held a hand to his face to shield his eyes and sighed as he noticed that the beach was still empty. Walking over to where he and Gwyn laid out the previous night, he laughed as he spotted their discarded clothing. Grabbing the items, he kicked off his flip-flops and waded into the water and rinsed the sand off of them before replacing the simple rubber flip-flops onto his feet. Walking back, he wrung out the articles before hanging them on the railing of the terrazza before entering. "Lucky for us, no one took our swim clothes..."

"I don't think anyone has access to this part of the bay..."

"Probably a good thing, since I streaked across the beach naked to get back to our villa..."

"Show-off," she laughed out as she finished putting on some very light make-up.

"I was carrying you, may I remind, was equally naked as I," he laughed as he watched her put on her make-up and replace the ring on her left finger.

"But that was in the middle of the night you know..." she smirked.

"Your point being? I wouldn't mind more naked sex with you on the beach in the middle of the night..."

"Point being that I'm pretty sure that no one was watching us at that hour... while this morning, well afternoon, there might be."

"Well, like I said, I don't mind naked sex on the beach during the middle of the night. If we had sex on the beach during the day...I'm sure there'd be a pretty good reason for doing so, but not something I'd partake in every day while here..."

"Mmm... nah, I'd still need my intimacy you know," she chuckled as she put on her sun-hat and grinned. "Ready."

"Hold on... I need... Ah-ha! Found them," he grinned as he fished out a pair of sunglasses from his open trunk. Putting them on, he snapped on his wristwatch and kissed Gwyn soundly.

"My, my, how classy," chuckled Gwyn as she took hold of Tristan's hand. "You almost look like a movie star in one of those posters, but much much better," she finished off, making Tristan grin. 

"Movie posters? Never thought you're into _those_ kinda movies..."

"I am not... I just happen to pass the place in town where they show them from time to time... and happen to have a look at the posters."

"Mmm..."

"Mmm what?"

"Maybe we need to find a movie plaza around here..."

"Honey, the stuff would be in Portughese... it's not like we'd understand that!" she chuckled as the two got out of the villa and started making their way towards the reception.

"Uh," Tristan rocked his head back and forth. "They'd just have subtitles in Portughese, all the dialogue would be in English."

"Ah..."

"It's too evident you've never seen lots of movies Gwyn, I have to make up for that," grinned Tristan as he placed a kiss on her cheek, as she chuckled lightly. "It's fun, even though it's like watching animated black and white pictures. Besides, just because I can understand it and you can't...maybe I'll teach you."

"Right," she pouted lightly.

"Don't worry, I'll make up for your lack of ability to speak the native language."

"Not that I had any doubt about that... makes me think that my knowledge of Greek and Latin isn't really all that helpful," she chuckled.

"Well, if we ever go to France, you can do the talking - my French is _very_ rusty. Actually, I kept thinking how much I wanted to leave the place - too stuff for my tastes..."

"Leave everything to me when we go during our honeymoon," she winked back at him, with a large smile on her lips.

"Sounds good to me..." Opening the door to the main building, he spotted both Jack and Therese chatting with the concierge. "Good afternoon."

"Good afternoon you two," Therese smiled as Jack merely grinned back at them.

"Yeah... about this morning... I guess I overslept by a good couple of hours..."

"We were expecting that..." Jack laughed out. "But worry not, we slept in too ourselves so no harm done... anyways, ready for lunch?"

"You were expecting that I'd oversleep?"

"That you'd _both_ oversleep... dear you had just arrived, it's not like you'd be hyper the next day, snuggling in bed works much better to get back your strengths for the coming days," he smiled as he and Therese, followed by the concierge led them into the restaurant.

Thankful for the sunglasses on his face, Tristan simply nodded. "Right right and yeah, snuggling in bed - that is extremely comfy and has tons of comfy pillows - is a nice way to spend the morning. Surfing in the morning is also a nice way to spend the morning..."

"Surfing?!" the older couple gasped as Gwyn chuckled lightly by Tristan's side while she took off her hat. 

"...Yes? That's how I spent my mornings while in Australia, Fiji, and Hawaii..."

"Not here though."

"True... last time I was here, I went to Rio's beaches..."

"It's not like Australia for sure..."

"I know, but the waves did the job..." 

"Well yeah sort of," Jack nodded as Therese and Gwyn started chatting between themselves. "Surfing in Australia is wilder, I did that once."

"Definitely wilder, and I had a blast while down there. I really miss it down there... Maybe someday I'll go back - hopefully married so I don't get hit on by all the women down there," laughed Tristan.

"Honey, I heard you saying _down there_ thrice in a row," teased Gwyn as they sat at their table. "Come again... how is it down there?" she chuckled as he sat down by her side.

"I'm hungry so sue me - the brain's running off of fumes... And it's nice and sunny. Warm actually. Feels like summer all year long."

"Mmm... I wonder if I'd like that... I prefer the climate back home actually," she nodded. "And told you you're hungry."

"Yep...and an omelet sounds good right now... With some sausage - and potatoes too! Maybe some bread..."

"I'll send a waiter to take your orders right away sir," the concierge bowed as he left the four of them on their own. 

"Thanks... and... that's just a starter, right Tris?" Therese smiled.

"Uh-huh... swimming last night burned off dinner and dessert... and then some..." he replied absently as he scanned the menu.

"What do you suggest?" Gwyn asked the older couple as she peeked over while Tristan read the menu.

"The chicken sounds good," murmured Tristan. "Lamb sounds interesting, but I'm not that big of a fan of it..."

"Me neither..." came the murmur from Gwyn's end. "But the pork stew sounds interesting too..."

"We could get one of each and share?"

"Sure sure... no problem," she winked back. "And... white wine?"

"You can have wine... Limeade sounds good to me right now..."

"Mmm-hmm... perfect."

"Perfect as you'll have the wine or perfect that the limeade sounds good?"

"As both," she grinned, poking her tongue out at him. "Now starters and we're settled..."

"But I'm having breakfast as a starter," he playfully whined as both Jack and Therese looked on, grinning at the fact that the pair before them were off in their own little world.

"It's like they don't even remember that we're here with them..." 

"That's true... but I don't mind that... they look pretty happy..."

"You're having that omelette, but I need a salad... and a large-ish one at that... mmm..." continued Gwyn.

"You have your veggies - I want meat, cheese, and eggs!" replied Tristan.

"Carnivore..." she teased as she felt the same stinging pain at her throat again - a constant reminder that she needed to feed soon.

"Nom nom nom..." chirped Tristan.

"I... if you excuse me, I... think I need to go to the restroom," Gwyn mumbled as she got back on her feet, placed a kiss on Tristan's hair and trotted away hastily.

Watching Gwyn trot off, Tristan let his shoulders sag. "Huh...wonder what's wrong..."

Spotting a restroom in the restaurant had been pretty easy, and once safely out of vision, Gwyn rested her back against one of the corridor's walls and exhaled a deep frustrated sigh. Shaking her head, she immediately tried to focus on her surroundings and check whether there was someone in the restroom, who luckily to her there was. As she entered with her usual stealth and realised she hadn't done that for ages, Gwyn mentally took note of the fact - since cravings could get pretty serious at one particular point and she wouldn't have wanted to hurt Tristan at any cost. Waiting for the person to come out while resting against one of the washbasins, Gwyn crossed her arms against her chest and wondered what Tristan could have thought about her sudden behaviour - he'd probably have realised that there was something wrong...

"Ah... that was such a relie-"

"I'm sorry..." Gwyn muttered as she pounced predatorily on the young man that had just exited his cubicle and got knocked off senseless by a woman practically his age. Resting him on the restroom floor against the wall, making it seem like he had lost consciousness, Gwyn took one of his arms in her hands and bared her fangs against it, finally managing to find a source of nourishment for her true being.

Satisfied after having drained a substantial amount of blood and with an evident flush on her cheeks, Gwyn made sure that the man wouldn't have remembered anything about her, rested him in one of the cubicles once again and rinsed her mouth out. After giving a sad smile at one of the mirrors, she simply straightened out her dress and headed back, thinking on how much yet she would have kept that from Tristan any longer...

Catching a familar scent nearing him, Tristan immediately felt Gwyn brush by his shoulders. Reaching up to place his hand on her shoulder, he eased her down for a kiss. "Hey gorgeous, feeling better?"

"Mmm-hmm," she hummed, avoiding to look him straight in the eye for a short while, fearing that her eyes were still blood red from the feeding.

"You should've told me you weren't feeling too good, I could've called ahead to postpone lunch to another day..."

"No no, I'm fine... just give me a couple of minutes... I'll be fine," she whispered, resting her head on his shoulder.

Hugging her gently, he kissed her hair. "Okay... Want me to order for you?"

"Yes please..." she mumbled, glad she was practically surrounded by Tristan's scent that managed to calm her instincts within a few minutes. "And don't worry, it's probably the result of all the traveling."

"We're ready Uncle Jack. You and Auntie Therese can order first..."

"Oh... sure sure...." Jack nodded absently, as he raised his arm to call for the waiter.

"Are we ready to order?" asked the waiter, looking mildly concerned at Gwyn's appearance. "Is everything alright with you, miss?" 

"Yes... nothing to worry about..."

"As you wish. Mr. Jack, are we ready?"

"Sure are..." he smiled as he held out the menu and pointed out the items that he and Therese were ordering. Once ready, both Jack and the waiter turned their looks towards Tristan, who grabbed the menu immediately and went about ordering the dishes he and Gwyn had agreed upon earlier.

"...and the eggs in the omelet can be on the soft side... good bit of cheese, peppers, and chorizo in it. As for the salad, would you say that it's shareable for two or for just one person?"

"Two... portions are quite on the large side."

"Excellent, so aside from the omelet, potatoes, and the cream biscuits... we'd like an order of the roast chicken, lamb stew and that salad. Also limeade for myself and white wine for the lady here," smiled Tristan.

"Wasn't that pork stew?" Gwyn mumbled, giving a small kiss on his neck.

"Oops - I'll go fix that. Stay right there!" he grinned as he chased after the waiter.

"Any better now Gwyn?" Therese asked her sweetly. 

"Yes yes, sorry for worrying you," she smiled back at them, her eyes in their normal hue and her cheeks rosy from the flush.

"No worries dear, as long as you're alright..." Jack grinned.

"Order fixed and drinks for everyone," laughed Tristan as he easily balanced four glasses of limeade between his two hands and began to place them on the table. 

"Whoa kid, that was a serious balancing act you know."

"Hey now, I've done my time in restaurants... I've learned," Tristan winked back at his uncle. "Though at least this time you won't be sticking me in the bakery. Because we know that I'm probably gonna try to eat the doughnuts again..."

"Right, you used to love them," Therese grinned recalling the times when he'd used to steal, with her permission, some of the goodies the bakery produced.

"I still do. Can we get some later? Please?"

"Sure sure... and Gwyn can have as much as she likes too," she winked back at them.

"Wait till you try these Gwyn, they're not like the ones you can get back home, but more like the ones you can get in Italy. They're awesome, especially the raspberry jelly ones."

"They have doughnuts in Italy?" she chuckled, as Tristan felt relieved at seeing her smile again.

"More like big doughnuts holes..."

"Mmm... filled with home-made ice-cream..." she grinned back, making Jack grin and Therese smile. "I think I'll take ice-cream for dessert..."

"Mmm... that sounds good," drooled Tristan as he had a dreamy expression on his face.

"Ice-cream it is for dessert then... Tris, you got Gwyn to have a sweet tooth like you too?" Therese commented as she took a sip of limeade.

"Nah, as there are sweets even she won't eat... or she just frowns at me whenever I eat tons of sugar in the morning..."

"Seriously? What doesn't she not eat?" Jack asked out of curiosity.

"She's picky about her berries. To me, it's weird that she doesn't like blueberries..."

"Says he who doesn't like raisins and the lot..."

"Oh those are evil - don't tell me otherwise..." 

"Such a baby," laughed Therese. "But that's true... I remember you taking out the raisins from oatmeal-raisin cookies..."

"Because they were in the way of the delicious cookies," whined Tristan.

"Our nieces and nephews did that Tris when they were ten..." he snickered, making Tristan pout in return. "See? Just like that."

"You're all mean..." he grumbled while still pouting. 

"Tris I haven't said anything," Gwyn chuckled, as Therese laughed in front of her.

"...you brought up the raisins..."

"And you the berries... actually, it was you who mentioned that I don't eat everything," she replied.

"...Fine. Since you didn't answer the question, I just thought that it'd be okay so say something that you don't like. But... I won't do it again..." 

"There's nothing wrong about that... I was just joking..."

"Sure sure," he waved absently, though it was clear he was still treading lightly around her as he was still unsure if she had completely recovered from earlier. 

"Anyways you two, any plans for today?"

Shrugging his shoulders, he looked over at Gwyn. 

"Well, I got all of our guidebooks and travelogues so a few tips would be perfect," she nodded, followed by a loud sigh.

Hearing her sigh, Tristan reached under the table and patted her thigh gently before letting go. Placing his napkin on the table, he got up from his seat. "'Scuse me, I'll be right back..."

"Gwyn let him be, he'll be fine..." Therese whispered as she smiled back at her, while Jack started checking out the guidebooks Gwyn had handed him.

Making his way over to the men's room, he heard a loud groan coming from the first stall. Peeking inside, he saw a man sitting on top of the toilet placing his hand against his head. Catching a whiff of something familiar, he cocked his head at the man before asking in fluent Portughese. "Hey, you okay?"

"Huh? Oh, I'm fine - just hit my head against the wall a bit too hard I guess. Had a bit too much to drink I guess..."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah... Thank you though for your concern."

"Oh, no problem..." replied Tristan, though his brow furrowed as he spotted a few drops of red stuff on the man's shirt. "Might want to make sure that you don't have a cut on your head."

"I will. But that tomato sauce tends to get on everything," chuckled the man as he slowly got to his feet. "Have a good day."

"You too," he nodded back before heading into another stall and closed the door behind him. Once he finished his business, Tristan blew his nose slightly and growled as he noticed a bit of blood from his nose. "Fine time for a nosebleed..." Sighing, he tended to his nose for several minutes before washing up and heading back to the table, slightly disturbed as to why the metallic taste in his mouth from his nosebleed seemed to entice him. _That was a weird sensation..._

"And yes, that sounds like a nice walk," Gwyn nodded with an earnest smile on her lips.

"Sure is, me and Ther used to do that almost everyday - a visit at the cathedral, the little market then the walk by the beach."

"What sounds like a nice walk?"

"Come look at the map Kiddo."

Walking over to Jack's side, he took a look at the map. "I remember that... You used to drag me along when we had to pick up ingredients..." 

"They do have the best spices and herbs around the place..."

"And the sandwiches are great there too..." 

"Plus, just to let you know, an Italian gelateria opened a few years ago... owned by a guy who married a local and settled here. Got two splendid kids, Francesco there... just tell him that you're my friend and he'll make you try out whatever you like." 

"Well, technically you're my uncle by my sister marrying Auntie Therese's brother... And most of the vendors there thought I was your kid and that they kept chastising you that you don't feed me enough."

"And not just him, me too," Therese confirmed.

"You got that too?" Tristan asked as he kept picking at a spot on his shirt. 

"Oh yeah, apart from being told what a cute son I had, with people telling me that I never looked pregnant," she laughed, as she noticed Gwyn rest her chin on Tristan's shoulder.

"Uncle Jack kept getting yelled at by the Brazilian mothers, grandmothers, and grandfathers - kept saying that a good-looking boy like me needed to be fed more or otherwise I'd never get married," smiled Tristan as he wrapped an arm around Gwyn's middle.

"I did have a long discussion with your mother about that, Mister."

"About what?" 

"We couldn't understand how you'd manage to remain so skinny with all the food you used to eat, and still do anyway."

"My over-active metabolism... According to Dr. Cath, with second opinions from Dr. Steve and Dr. Liz..."

"Perfectly understandable."

"They say that plus me just being over-active period just leads me to burn off whatever I eat as soon as I eat it. Then again, my mom's always made big meals - Livvy's the same way - as they love making sure that there are leftovers. I think my mom's roasted chicken and turkey stroganoff after Thanksgiving is always one of my favorite dishes from her - second being Liv's honey ham and Italian sausage shepherd's pie..."

"That sounds good..." Jack grinned back at him. "Steve does mention that your family's great at cooking."

"As long as it's not me it's fine," laughed Gwyn. "I'm an utter disaster."

Seeing the waiters arriving with their starters, Tristan grinned immediately once their food was set in front of them. "Hey - think I could take Gwyn to the cooking school? Also, is Maxine still teaching there? I think having Gwyn trying her hand at making the caramel sticky buns should be a good introduction..."

"Sticky what?"

"They're cinnamon rolls, but instead of frosting them, we use caramel, honey and pecans to dress 'em up. They still have their cinnamon in them so you'll get that taste too," Tristan smirked as he began to dig into his omelet.

"Sounds messy... but I think I wouldn't mind trying that out," she chuckled as she started eating her salad.

"It's awesomely messy. Uncle Jack's usual method of cleaning me up after I made those rolls was to dump me into the pool and then toss me a bar of soap afterwards..."

"You'd probably have more _interesting_ ways and means to get cleaned up now," Jack smirked earning a glare from Therese. "Oh I'm just joking a bit dear."

"Yeah, I get dumped into an actual _tub_ rather than a _swimming pool_..."

"In a much calmer and more pleasant way for sure."

"...true."

"Right Gwyn?"

"Mmm-hmm," she hummed in agreement as she had a sip of limeade.

"At least Gwyn's better than Cyn... Whenever I'd get dirty, Cyn usually breaks out the water hose and tells me to stay outside..."

"That's because you'd actually-OUCH what was that for?!"

"So that you don't make euphemisms again."

"Spoilsport..."

Arching an eyebrow at Jack, Tristan decided to continue to eat quietly, occasionally eating his bit of salad.

"I'm feeling better now Tris, sorry for making you worry," she whispered back softly as she leaned against his shoulder.

"And sorry for confusing your teasing for something a bit more malicious," he whispered back as he continued to pick at the spot on his shirt. "Guess this proves I can never wear a white shirt without staining it..."

"What's wrong with your nose?" she asked him softly.

"Hot weather plus my body trying to adjust to the heat equals a nosebleed for me sometimes. I'm fine though..."

"You sure?" she questioned him, grateful that she was completely satiated from her previous feed.

"Yeah, I'm sure," he smiled back as he easily finished his omelet and began on his chicken. Grabbing his knife, he easily cut into the chicken, but nicked his fingertip when he set it down. "Ouch! That-hey wai-?" protested Tristan as Gwyn stuck his finger into her mouth to stop the bleeding.

"That should feel better... now..." she murmured with a smile on her lips, as she closed her eyes and kissed his hand one last time, making sure that no more blood was oozing out of the small wound.

"It... does, thanks," he smiled back. "At least you'll kiss my boo-boos..."

"For sure," she replied, realising for the first time how much his blood actually tasted _good._

Kissing her cheek, Tristan gave her a grin before they continued on with their meal.

**Author's Note:**

> I started writing this story with a friend of mine more than 10 years ago and we never actually posted it... it was about time I guess. It’s a very long story (there are around 60 chapters of it in draft and will try to post new chapters slowly, as will need to review and re-edit for sure) and it’s unfinished at the moment. Maybe posting it will help with its continuation! Let me know what you think in the comments section! Thanks!


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